Las Vegas - GC bus tour

Am going to be in Vegas in August, and since the boyfriend has “been there, done that!” Grand Canyon-wise, I am looking to go on a day tour out there by myself. Anyone have any recommendations for a <single-traveller friendly> budget bus tour (if it takes in Hoover dam and Lake Mead all the better)? I would also like a trip with a bit of freedom –I prefer to not be herded round with 50 other passengers!!! Any advice much appreciated….

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by noopsta:
...Grand Canyon-wise, I am looking to go on a day tour out there by myself. Anyone have any recommendations for a &lt;single-traveller friendly&gt; budget bus tour (if it takes in Hoover dam and Lake Mead all the better)? I would also like a trip with a bit of freedom –I prefer to not be herded round with 50 other passengers!!! Any advice much appreciated….</font>

Ummm, where to start, where to start...

OK--if it's a day tour, it will be a looonng day. Especially if it includes Hoover & Mead.

Busses generally hold 50+ people, smaller ones fewer. On this kind of trip, I doubt freedom will be much of an option.

My advice--rent a car & do it yourself (better yet, make your boyfriend take you--he's a schmuck if he doesn't) or, sign up for an air tour, which is very doable in a day.

JP

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by noopsta:
I would also like a trip with a bit of freedom –I prefer to not be herded round with 50 other passengers!!! Any advice much appreciated….</font>

Coach trip to Grand Canyon takes around 14-15hours hotel to hotel and is tiring. Suggest you take Air Vegas Independence tour (7hrs). They fly you up to Grand Canyon and take you to the national park. You are free to do anything you want for the next four hours and then they pick you up and fly you back to Las Vegas. The trip costs around $159.

I can only echo the above, we did the air/bus tour and I thought THAT was long at 7-8 hours. IMHO, a bus-only tour, and a economy one at that, would be pure torture. Torture with a capital T....

Even worse, if you are on your own you would be spending 15+ hours with a bunch of strangers, i.e. nobody with you to talk to and pass the time.

I would recommend a) talk your significant other into coming with you or b) do it on another trip, maybe with other people c) if you defintely want to do it and are alone, spend the extra money and do a combined air/bus tour.

Bear in mind that there are a million fun things to do in Vegas, are you sure you really want to spend many hours tooling through the desert watching a fewe tumbleweeds in a crowded tour bus ? Not to mention that you will be exhausted after such a stressful,lenghty day, so you actually need to calculate a lot more time than just the 15+ hours you will be on the tour.In all honesty, I think a round trip transatlantic flight is less stressful than a cheap bus tour to the Grand Canyon. Contrary to what some of the tour advertisers web sites advise, it is a huge haul by road to the GC.

Nonetheless, enjoy your trip to Vegas, its one of the most fun cities on the planet.. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

Edited to add:

Reagrding the "herding", we did the plane bus thing, i.e. small 12 seater aircraft, and once we arrived we were still herded into a bigger bus with people from otehr planes and driven around.Even though it was a rather expensive tour it still felt a little like a cheapy package tour. I can only imagine what the economy bus only option is like..&lt;shudder&gt;. I would not be surprised if they have a few cattle prods to herd the people to and fro... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by JohnG (edited 04-05-2003).]

Thanks guys, in light of that info I think I will reconsider - the bus option sounds like it would be hellish!

Kris Rao - Air Vegas Independance Tours look like a possibility (although the price I got was $179 http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/frown.gif ) It sounds like the time/amount of frustration saved would make it worthwhile though.

Thanks! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

Another very creative option would be to book one of the $73 dollar round trips from LAS to Phoenix on Southwest. Go down during the day, sit at a window on the left side of the plane, and take in both the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. Probably not as up-close & personal as the air-tours, but you still get a decent view of the western end. Sit on the right side coming back for a re-run, that can vary a bit each flight. Or, come back after dark and enjoy seeing the Strip from the air! The big bonus is getting to spend part of a day in our fair city!

JP

I used Scenic Airlines last year because I wanted to see the South Rim but I didn't want to take another long bus tour. I had already done it to see another rim of the canyon. I spent the night and saw the sunrise which was spectacular. I got a 10% off with a coupon. It was worth it. I think they increased the price this year but here is the link in case that you want to check it.

http://www.scenicairlines.com/saws1grandcanyon.htm