We're childless for a weekend in July. My husband has been wanting to go to Tunica, MS to check it out. Any suggestions on accomodations, restaurants, entertainment, gambling, etc? I've been to a casino once in my life, so this will be a new experience.

Tunica basically popped up in the middle of farm land, so there's really nothing there BUT casinos. (And I might add that they're not particularly near each other. They're in small clusters of two or three, so count on doing a lot of driving). In my opinion, the Gold Strike is the nicest casino/hotel, though there are also some nice accommodations at the Grand. There are NO restaurants but the ones in the casinos. We've had absolutely fabulous meals more than once at the steak house in the Grand...sorry to say I can't remember its name. There's a website that should give you an idea of what performers will be there while you're visiting. One word of warning...it will be VERY hot in July.

Tunica is kind of in the middle of nowhere- about 20 minutes south of Memphis. There is a golf course at one of them, and several of them offer shows and have some nice restaurants. Of course, there is plenty of gambling- don't misunderstand, the casinos are large and very nice. But it's not exactly Vegas either. Have you considered staying in Memphis, or maybe part of your trip in both? Downtown Memphis has a lot to offer. That with Tunica would provide you with a pretty full weekend.

Yes, I have considered Memphis - in fact, that's my prefered destination. But I'm so tickled to have no kids, I'll go with the flow.

OK, so plan on eating in the casinos/hotels because of the lack of available restaurants.
The casinos are clumped 3 to a group and spaced out between the groups.
Definitely check out the steak restaurant in the Grand Casino.

I saw on the Tunica website a mention of a shuttle between the hotels. Can anyone tell me about the reliability of this? The weblink is a dead end.

(BTW, Ted the A$$hole Nugent will be there AFTER we leave - thank goodness!)

I can't comment specifically on the shuttle in Tunica because we've never used it, but my experience with shuttles between casinos in other towns hasn't been particularly favorable. I think it'd be faster to use your car.

The buffet at the Grand is also *excellent* -- the only one in Tunica I'd really describe as being anywhere near the level of the best of Vegas. Some of the other buffets -- Sam's Town, Fitzgeralds, Isle of Capri -- are pretty bad. The one at the Grand costs more, but you can see why: better quality of food, better-prepared, bigger variety. I especially enjoyed the Chinese and dessert stations.

As far as gambling, I've had the best luck at the cluster that consists of Sam's Town, Isle of Capri, Harrah's, and Hollywood, esp. the first two. Those two plus the Grand are my favorite places to play. I've never had any luck at all at the cluster with the Sheraton.

Have stayed at Sam's Town and Fitzgerald's, both of which are perfectly adequate -- clean and comfortable, very standard Hampton Inn-type rooms, nothing fancy. The casinos/hotels down there are pretty generous with comps and rooms are, for the most part, really cheap to begin with.

I enjoy Tunica -- I used to live in Nashville and it was a pretty convenient place for a long weekend. It certainly doesn't compare to Vegas, though. The level of service (friendliness/attentiveness) is lower. That said, I still think it's pretty fun as long as you don't go into it expecting wonders.

Oh yeah, I've seen the shuttle stops in front of a couple of the hotels, but have never seen the actual bus or whatever and nobody ever seems to be waiting for them. I get the impression they're not really a viable alternative. If nothing else, it will be hot as Hades standing outside waiting for the bus in July. Use your car!

I also vote for The Gold Strike. My husband insisted on going there for a weekend and even though it is not a favorite spot of mine, I managed to have a good time. There is a nice indoor pool. The buffet at the hotel is not very good, but we ate in a cafe there that was very good. We also a good show while there

I agree with Rich...the Grand buffet is the only good one in Tunica. The others range from fair (Harrah's) to downright lousy (Isle of Capri, which used to be good until they moved it and redid everything). The Grand is certainly worth a visit if you love good food, though...save room for the terrific desserts!

We were in Tunica over Memorial Day weekend and I would agree with many of the other posters. If you would like to visit multiple casinos, definitely use your car. I was there 3 days and didn't see the shuttle once. We stayed at the Goldstrike. The rooms and service were okay. There were many food options but I must admit, they didn't look appealing (everything was very greasy).... I didn't visit the Grand Casino thereofre I can't comment on their food service. The advantage of staying at the Goldstrike was there are three hotels right within walking distance (Goldstrike, Horseshoe and Sheraton). Don't expect the casinos to be as large as in Vegas. I visited Hollywood, GS, Fitzgerald's, Horseshoe and Sheraton. I liked the Horseshoe and Goldstrike best - for table games however my friends thought Fitzgerald's was better for slots.

If you would like to do a little shopping, there is an outlet mall located near the casino complex - closer to Grand. It has approx. 20 stores (most you could visit in your typical mall).

There's not much to do in Tunica except gamble but Memphis is a quick drive north therefore, you could obtain more night action (and food options) there. I wish I would have spent time in Memphis but we also had to visit family in Mississippi over the same weekend.

I found the following link very helpful when making my plans. www.tunicamiss.org

The weather in July will be scorching!!! Watch out for the mosquitoes because Tunica is surrounded by the Mississippi River and trees...

Overall, you should have a good vacation for the money you spend. Defintely try to spend a day in Memphis if you could fit in it your plans.

Have fun.

I quickly scanned the other posts, so I'm not sure if anyone already mentioned this: The comps in Tunica are much better than what you will find in Vegas. For example, if you stay at Grand, get a Grand Card when you first get there. Whenever you are sitting at a gaming table, give the pit boss your Grand Card. After you have played for awhile, ask him to comp you a couple of buffets. My husband and I can usually get all of our meals free while we are in Tunica, and we aren't "high rollers." Last time my husband was in Tunica, not only did they comp him all of his meals, they also let him go see a concert for free. Also, because we have a Grand Card (as well as a Gold Strike Card), they send us deals in the mail for free night stays.

Dear No Kids:
I live nearby and go to the casinos at least once a month sometimes more. The best buffet no doubt: Horseshoe, 2nd The Grand. Best STeak: Binions Best Hotel Rooms- Gold Strike. Best Service- Sam's Town. Best Sample of Memphis BBQ- Corky's Buffet, Sam's Town. Best place to gamble and actually win: Horseshoe, Hollywood, The Grand, and Fitzgeralds (in that order)Don't waste a dime: Sheraton never won even a nickel there.
Best place to gamble high dollar slots:
Harrah's
What to skip: Isle of CApri unless you are a nickle slot freak, Bally's I found it boring, Fitzgerald's buffet.
As far as the shuttle goes, I have never seen it. There are signs posted, but I have never seen it personally and I have been there a lot. The Grand is by itself, then Bally's by itself, then the group of Sheraton, Horseshoe, and Gold Strike(all can be walked to), then Fitzgerald's by itself, then Isle of Capri, SAm's Town, Harrah's and Hollywood are all together but spread out where it would be a pretty long walk except between Hollywood and Harrahs.
If you have time for Memphis, of course check out Beale Street and Graceland. Be sure and check out the Mighty Mississippi from Fitzgerald's it's the only one that is close enough to the river to actually see it. If I had to chose I would stay at Gold STrike that way you have two other casinos within walking distance.

I agree with the shuttle being non-existent. I went last year and stayed at Fitzgeralds - the price was right, but the food, amenities, etc. weren't that great. At the end of July, I'm planning a Ladies weekend in Tunica with several of my friends. We're debating between staying at the Gold Strike or The Grand. We're leaning toward the Gold Strike because of it being closer to other casinos. Is there any other shopping in the area other than the outlet mall? Any antique or craft shops? When should we book our rooms? The rates at GS now are $89 a night, but most weekends they'll run a $49/night special. Are we ok to wait? Thanks!