How much is TAM8 going to cost end to end?

[oldhat]

Hi everyone, I couldn't afford TAM7 because I didn't have enough saved up but I want to plan on going to TAM8.

About how much should I budget? I'm talking tickets for the conference, hotel room, food, taxis/bus/rental car. Anything else I'm not thinking of? Plus plane tickets but I'll take care of that separately.

Is Las Vegas a bike friendly city? Could I bring a bike and use that instead of a cab or a car? Would there be a place for me to store it in the hotel or is that too hippie?

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Hi everyone, I couldn't afford TAM7 because I didn't have enough saved up but I want to plan on going to TAM8.

About how much should I budget? I'm talking tickets for the conference, hotel room, food, taxis/bus/rental car. Anything else I'm not thinking of? Plus plane tickets but I'll take care of that separately.

$1000 should be more than enough.

Is Las Vegas a bike friendly city? Could I bring a bike and use that instead of a cab or a car? Would there be a place for me to store it in the hotel or is that too hippie?

At TAM VII, I left the hotel once in 5 days. That was to see Penn & Teller, for which a bus was provided. I think you can leave your bike at home.

[oldhat]

$1000 should be more than enough.

Wow. How much were tickets to the conference and the hotel?

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Wow. How much were tickets to the conference and the hotel?

Conf is around $350, IIRC. Hotel is usually around $80/night, but last year they were ridiculously cheap due to a half price sale.

[paperskater]

Here's my TAM7 cost sheet that I still have:

Hotel for 6 days = $386.95 (Split with roommate = $193.48)
Airplane tickets = $346.40 (Split with roommate = $173.20)
TAM Registration = $425.00 each person
Penn & Teller tickets = $65.00 each person
Wireless Internet access = $14.00 per day (Used it for 4 days?)
Cab Rides = $20 to $40 per cab ride, depending where you go, but can be split up with other people
Shuttle driver tips = $10
Food = $20 to $30 per day, depending where you go
------------------------------------------------------------

Rough total for my TAM7 trip = $1146.68


Of course, this doesn't include alcohol because I don't drink. I bought one drink at TAM7 for Marquis with a $5 bill I found on the ground. I heard people say that the Del Mar Lounge was very reasonably priced, but I would have no idea.

The city bus to the strip from the hotel costs about $5 one way, if I recall. You have to take two different buses. I left the hotel twice, once for Penn and Teller, and another time so I could go see the water show at the Bellagio. The Del Mar was plenty fun by itself. :)

[Hutch]

Oldhat, costs vary, but here is what I would suggest you budget. I will assume that you are arriving on Wednesday and leaving on Monday--obviously, arriving Thursday and leaving Sunday is also possible, but much less fun.

CONFERENCE FEE: I think it was $425.00 this year and may be about the same in 2010. If you're on a budget, consider joining the JREF: It'll save you about $50.00 in the cost of registration.

HOTEL: The hotel this year was $60.00 for Wed/Thur/Sun and $90.00 for Fri/Sat. That's $360.00 + taxes, or about $400.00. You can save money by (1) Finding an internet price that is cheaper, (2) Staying at another, cheaper, hotel (but then you have travel costs) or (3) Find a roommate(s) and halve the cost.

FOOD: You get breakfast and lunch included on Friday and Saturday and a breakfast on Sunday. It's buffet, so you get what you pay for, but it will keep the body together. The days of $4.99 all-you-can-eat is pretty well gone, but you can find the menus for the South Point Restaurants on their website. Budget about $25-30 day on non-TAM days and you should be OK. Other options is to seek out fast food places (couple of miles away, IIRC) or buy snacks at the nearest shop and live off them.

TAXIS/BUSES/RENTAL CAR: South Point is 6-8 miles from the Strip, and you'll have to change buses at least once, but it is fairly cheap ($2.00 per ride, IIRC). Taxis are abundant and not horribly expensive, depends on how much you plan to travel. Rental cars--you can check expedia, probably $200 rents you a compact or maybe a larger vehicle for 5-6 days.

OTHER COSTS: You will want to buy book(s) and maybe some of the other items for sale during TAM. The hotel has bowling and movies if you don't want to gamble, fairly inexpensive but not free. And pocket a few dollars for gambling--at least drop $5.00 in nickles in the slots...

Hope this helps.

[Miss_Kitt]

oldhat -- I have some advice counter to what is given by several folks above. I have been to TAM twice, and I never needed any transport except to Penn & Teller that was not provided by the hotel. I also had a budget of $0 for gambling, and never missed it. If you eat sensibly and drink things without alcohol, you can spend surprisingly little on food. I am decidely not a "Vegas Strip" fan, so I'm perfectly okay with just hanging at the South Point. Generally, my problem has been needing more sleep than was convenient to talk with everyone I wanted to.

I did bring a crossword puzzle and other word/number games book for the flight and before bedtime; I also usually spend about $75 on books, etc. at the table at the back of the lecture room. I am not a party-hardy person per se, so I don't have a roommate (except when my husband came down) so I spent more on hotel room than is needed if you are flexible about bed time and/or a sound sleeper. I also did not bother with internet connection, but again, I think I am atypical in my relaxed attitude towards teh Innertoobz.

I definitely recommend that you stay over Sunday night, if for no other reason than to avoid the Ginormous Line of Checkout that occurs Sunday morning. If you are flexible about your arrival and departure times, you can save a lot on airfare, too.

The really important point, though, is that TAM is more than listening to some lecturers speak. It is recharging your sense of joy in life; it is discovering that you are not, after all, the lone voice in the wilderness. It is now non-negotiable in my budget, even if we take no other vacation at all. (And I hate Vegas!)

If you make doing TAM part of doing a Vegas trip -- shows, sights, dining, drinking -- it will be pretty expensive. If you just do TAM, it will be much cheaper.

Just my thoughts, Miss_ Kitt

[Fitter]

Several people stayed up all night, at the Del Mar this year and the Garden Bar last year and whatever that place at The Riv was called, without spending a cent on alcohol. I was not one of them but if you enjoy quality conversation you need not feel compelled to buy booze to join in.

[ejk]

Based last year's experience, as reflected by other comments here, you can spend quite a range. Estimate $400 for TAM registration and $50 per night for the hotel if you're willing to share.

Many meals are provided. Breakfast was better than I expected from the description "continental", including yogurt and fruit as well as pastries. Lunch was probably fine if you're not a vegetarian. Dinner you're on your own for, and you can probably get away with $15-20, or spend a whole lot more. So with no extras, sharing a room, and staying 4 nights, you're looking at maybe $700 above airfare and a cab or other ride to the hotel.

Of course, Thursday pre-meetings, Penn & Teller, other evening events, nicer meals, trips to the Strip, more for the room if you don't want to share, etc.

Is Las Vegas a bike friendly city? Could I bring a bike and use that instead of a cab or a car? Would there be a place for me to store it in the hotel or is that too hippie?

It's a very flat city, not good distances for walking but reasonable for a bike. However, it's not a bike-friendly climate. Unless you're used to riding in the desert heat, I wouldn't recommend trying it. Stay at the South Point, there's no need to leave.

Also, re: bar tabs, the hotel definitely sets prices and makes all other decisions to discourage you leaving. Prices in the bars are moderate, and there is a gift shop with a range of alcohol you can buy and mix your own drinks. Which no one objects to you walking around with. Their price structure is designed to get people into the hotel and close to the casino floor.

[saganite]

I've been to 3 TAMs and my budget has fallen into the $1000 range all three times. It's nice to have a little money to shop with at the booths, which sell books and DVDs and jewelry and skeptic-wear.

[CriticalThanking]

Your soul. Cheap at twice the price.

CT

[Hokulele]

Is Las Vegas a bike friendly city? Could I bring a bike and use that instead of a cab or a car? Would there be a place for me to store it in the hotel or is that too hippie?


One of the problems with biking is that are very few places you can park and lock it in the touristy areas. As was mentioned, it is also not a very bike-friendly climate in July, unless you have a thirty gallon Camelbak. There are usually enough people with cars or who are willing to split a cab to make any sightseeing fairly cheap.

[Dicon]

re: Bikes.

If your intent is to use the bike to get up to other places of interest on the Strip, then I would advise against it. Traffic can be very thick and it's safe to assume that a few drivers have been imbibing. I think I would rank the side streets as even more dangerous because traffic moves very fast on them, and I really don't think many people are on the lookout for cyclists. The sidewalks don't provide much of an alternative as they are usually packed with slow-moving peds. A battle-tested NYC bike messenger would probably have a fine time with all this, though.

But if your intent is get out and peddle through some wide-open spaces, then you could certainly head away from the Strip and go go go. I don't, however, recall ever noticing dedicated bike lanes anywhere. Not saying they don't have them, just never noticed them.

[rustypouch]

A grand should do it if you go easy on the booze.

About the bike, I would not consider it because of the heat.

[oldhat]

I don't drink and since it's neither basketball or football season in the summer, I have nothing to bet on at the sportsbook. Maybe a baseball game or two. I hate gambling in Las Vegas, poker with friends is as far as I go.

Thanks everyone.

[SkepticScott]

About how much should I budget? I'm talking tickets for the conference, hotel room, food, taxis/bus/rental car. Anything else I'm not thinking of? Plus plane tickets but I'll take care of that separately.

Is Las Vegas a bike friendly city? Could I bring a bike and use that instead of a cab or a car? Would there be a place for me to store it in the hotel or is that too hippie?I was there for several days before TAM and took the bus many times. You can get a 24-hour pass for $7, which lets you ride all the buses. It's a short walk to the bus stop, ride to the south transit terminal, then transfer to another bus to go along the strip. It's slow; it took about an hour to cover the 8 miles to the Flamingo area of the Strip.

I don't think LV is bike-friendly. During peak traffic hours there are a lot of cars on the Strip, and the sidewalks are jammed with people. The temperature is also a factor at 105°F (41°C).

I was lucky and was able to rebook at the half-price rate during the 48-hour sale. Others have quoted the prices and pointed out the advantages of roommates.

The reception Thursday, breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday were all included in the TAM7 price. I found menus with prices at http://www.southpointcasino.com/dining/index.php . A meal at the Deli, Coronado Cafe or the Garden Buffet would be about $13.

During TAM I only left the hotel for the P&T show. The JREF rented a bus and sold tickets for $5 or $10 (I don't recall which), but they sold out quickly. I shared a cab ride to and from the Rio, which cost $20 each way. The cab can hold four, so the price was low.

Add in money for hanging around with skeptics in bars and other extracuricular events too. On Sunday afternoon after TAMs, groups have gone to the Atomic Testing Museum ($10 + transportation) and the Gun Store ($100 if you want to shoot + transportation). Don't forget the merchandise tables. JREF, the Skeptics Society, and others were selling books, DVDs, magazines, toys, clothing, and jewelry. The JREF also auctions off items as a fundraiser. Those items go for anywhere from about $100 to a couple thousand. Last year a pair of bullets and casings signed by Penn & Teller, with a custom-built wooden display box, was auctioned off for about $1200 (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=146365).

[Horatius]

I found menus with prices at http://www.southpointcasino.com/dining/index.php . A meal at the Deli, Coronado Cafe or the Garden Buffet would be about $13.





The hotel also had a booklet of coupons that gave you discounts on a lot of the restaurants. A big group of us went to the breakfast buffet on Thursday morning, and used all the 2-for-1 coupons we had, so we got a good breakfast for about $4 each or so.

[Cleon]

re: Bikes.

If your intent is to use the bike to get up to other places of interest on the Strip, then I would advise against it. Traffic can be very thick and it's safe to assume that a few drivers have been imbibing. I think I would rank the side streets as even more dangerous because traffic moves very fast on them, and I really don't think many people are on the lookout for cyclists. The sidewalks don't provide much of an alternative as they are usually packed with slow-moving peds. A battle-tested NYC bike messenger would probably have a fine time with all this, though.

But if your intent is get out and peddle through some wide-open spaces, then you could certainly head away from the Strip and go go go. I don't, however, recall ever noticing dedicated bike lanes anywhere. Not saying they don't have them, just never noticed them.

You're forgetting one issue:

IT'S *********** HOT!!!!! I mean, REALLY *********** hot!!!!

Anyone who wants to get out and ride a bicycle around Vegas in July needs to save their TAM money and get themselves a good therapist.

[Geek Goddess]

Don't forget that the JREF gives a number of scholarships which covers the registration fee. You are certainly encouraged to apply for that which, which will eliminate the $400 registration.

The hotel had quite a few sales, sometimes as low as $35-$50 but you can't count on that when budgeting. However, it seems that people are always finding roomies.

[Big Frankie C]

I think that if you are okay cycling in Vegas i July, you might be eligible for the Million Dollar Prize, because as Penn said, "If Superman lived in Vegas, he's take a cab."

I plan on renting a Lincoln Town Car with a couple friends, and Driving down from Portland. I did the math, and even overestimating gas costs by a factor of around two times, it would be cheaper for me and 2 friends to drive down, stay for a week, and drive back, than it would be to fly. Also, how styling would it be to roll into Vegas in a shiny, new, Lincoln Town Car?

[exarch]

Yeah, the road trip from LA with Loon and Stimpson J. Cat a couple years ago was lots of fun, and still way cheaper per person than even the simplest flight. And what's more, we then had a car in Vegas, so we didn't have to spend money on cabs either.

The rooms at the South Point are dirt cheap. Compared to the big casinos in the center, they're already at half the price. The added half-price sale and the fact I had a roommate to split the expenses made the hotel room an average of $20 a night!
But even staying there for 7 nights, I still spent more money at the Del Mar Bar than I did on my room.

For budget purposes, I'd earmark about $400-450 for the conference itself, about $40 a night for the hotel room (with roommate), and as others have mentioned, about $20-30 for food every day. I don't think you'll spend less on food if you're only staying during the conference, because while lunch is included, I've found that you mostly just end up having a big breakfast and a big dinner on the days outside the conference.

So the only variable is booze. Always the booze ...

[Doubt]

You're forgetting one issue:

IT'S *********** HOT!!!!! I mean, REALLY *********** hot!!!!

Anyone who wants to get out and ride a bicycle around Vegas in July needs to save their TAM money and get themselves a good therapist.

You are understating things a bit.

As Jas described it, being in Vegas in July is like living in a hair dryer.

[Horatius]

You are understating things a bit.

As Jas described it, being in Vegas in July is like living in a hair dryer.



Exactly right. the only reason I needed a towel getting out of the pool was to avoid sunburn. I was dry within minutes just from the steady hot wind.

[SkepticScott]

As Jas described it, being in Vegas in July is like living in a hair dryer.A hair dryer if you're in the wind, an oven if not.

[Geek Goddess]

But it's a dry heat

[Starthinker]

I didn't think it was that hot. Of course, I have a layer of insulating fat.

[Big Frankie C]

As a giant, hairless, bi-pedal, albino walrus, in a black outfit, I found Vegas to be oppressively hot. Probably not smart that I plan on moving there.

[wafonso]

But it's a dry heat

Very.

The average summer day in Vegas is exactly identical to the hottest summer days in Melbourne, even including the hot, gusty wind. The thing is, we get four or five of those a year (maybe ten in a really bad summer). Vegas gets seven of those a week for a few months.

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Do not forget about the TAM scholarship fund, which pays your registration fee. Watch for information when the TAM 8 page goes live.

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/amazing-meeting.html

~~ Paul

[TsarBomba]

Here's my TAM7 cost sheet that I still have:


Airplane tickets = $346.40 (Split with roommate = $173.20)

------------------------------------------------------------



Just out of curiosity, how did you split the cost of your airplane tickets? Did you share a seat?

[Fitter]

Just out of curiosity, how did you split the cost of your airplane tickets? Did you share a seat?

Naw, she's small enough to fit in the overhead bin.;)

[paperskater]

Just out of curiosity, how did you split the cost of your airplane tickets? Did you share a seat?

LoL, I meant that our two tickets cost $346 total, but since I booked them and paid for them originally, I had written it down as such. He paid me back later for his ticket, $173. :)

[roger]

But if your intent is get out and peddle through some wide-open spaces, then you could certainly head away from the Strip and go go go. I don't, however, recall ever noticing dedicated bike lanes anywhere. Not saying they don't have them, just never noticed them.there are plenty out towards Red Rocks, IIRC. Of course, you would be dead by the time you got there from heat exhaustion.

[ejk]

For anyone who wants to plan far ahead, the South Point web site says they'll be having a 48-hour 50% off sale starting 9 a.m. PST tomorrow, Nov. 11:

http://www.southpointcasino.com/

It doesn't indicate if it will extend to reservations as far out as July, but might be worth keeping an eye on. And in any case if the past is any indication there's likely to be more short-term sales from time to time that will cover the TAM period.