“A single woman on vacation in Vegas. . .alone?”

“Yeah. Weird. We’re looking into it.”

(CSI Investigator Nick Stokes and Captain Jim Brass, CSI, “Play With Fire”)

The above exchange, when it first aired on TV in 2003, sparked quite a few outraged posts on some Las Vegas message boards I frequent. Mostly by women like me, some of us single, who travel to Vegas—Gasp!—alone. So what’s the deal? Are we all just freaks of nature? If it’s so weird for a single woman to vacation alone in Vegas, then how come there are so many of us doing it?

As much of the free world already knows, Las Vegas, Nevada is a favorite vacation destination for millions. But it’s not just for conventions, bachelor parties, and inveterate gamblers any more. The nineties brought us the “family friendly” Las Vegas, which included rollercoasters, shopping, animal habitats, and special effects-laden attractions to keep the non-gambling members of the family happy and entertained. More recently, almost every hotel on the Strip has opened up trendy nightclubs and ultralounges to lure in the young, hip, Paris Hilton wannabes. All this and gambling too have lured any number of people to Las Vegas, and since more and more women are traveling alone these days (to regions of the globe far more exotic and remote than the Las Vegas Strip), it makes sense that some of these Vegas visitors will be single women.

I have been the “single woman on vacation in Vegas. . . .alone.” I would recommend to any woman who would love to go to Las Vegas but is hesitant because she cannot find a travel companion: Just Do It. Don’t wait for someone else to go with you, or you may never go. However, do come prepared. Most of the questions that solo travelers have about going to Vegas are the same questions they have about going anywhere alone: Will I be safe? Will I feel awkward eating alone in a restaurant? Will I get lonely? Will I get stuck with a single supplement? (The short answers, in order, are: Yes, as long as you use common sense and are careful; maybe; maybe; and yes, room rates are based on double occupancy—however, they’re much cheaper in Vegas than anywhere else I’ve seen.)

SAFETY

As a woman, my primary consideration when traveling solo is safety. I use some basic strategies to avoid being a target of crime, and I have never felt unsafe while in Vegas.

• Stay in well-lit, well-traveled tourist areas. You will probably want to spend most of your time on the Strip and the area of Fremont Street with the overhead light canopy. Be aware of everyone around you as you walk from casino to casino, and at night, consider taking cabs or the Strip monorail from one destination to the other. Do not go into dark parking lots or parking garages by yourself (ask your hotel or casino security to accompany you if you must go to your car in a dark garage late at night). Most Strip hotels I’ve stayed at have a security officer at the elevators in the lobby checking room keys after 9 p.m. If your hotel does not check keys and you feel uncomfortable going to your room by yourself, you can always ask for a member of security to escort you to your room. Also ask security to escort you if you have won a large sum of money in the casino.

• Keep your valuables hidden and safe. Only take what money you need for the day (including one credit card if necessary), and leave the rest in your room safe or safety deposit box at your hotel’s front desk. Purse snatchers have nothing to snatch if you’re not carrying a purse. I keep my money, ID, etc. on my person. I find cargo shorts work the best, as the buttoned pockets are difficult for a stranger to dip into without my knowledge. Also jeans—the pockets of my jeans are snug enough that I would feel it if someone else’s hands were in there. If you need to carry something to hold your makeup, hairbrush, etc., try a small knapsack, fanny pack, or a purse slung across your body and clutched in front of you at all times. Never hang any of these items on the back of your chair; thieves in Vegas take advantage of the sensory overload this city has to offer and will brazenly lift your property off the back of your chair and walk off with it in a matter of seconds. The free tourist shows on the Strip tend to draw thick crowds; keep an eye on anyone invading your personal space, just in case they’re pickpockets.

• Don’t overindulge in alcohol when traveling alone. A drink now and again isn’t going to hurt, but you’ll want to be alert and aware of everything going on around you at all times, so don’t drink too much. Also, always keep an eye on your drink so no one else has the opportunity to slip something unfriendly into it.

• Try not to “dress like a target”. Leave the expensive jewelry at home. If those heels are so high you can barely walk or dance in them let alone run if you need to, I don’t care how great they make your calves look, they’re a bad choice. Same goes for tight skirts that keep your thighs pinned together. I know, I know, part of the fun of Vegas is getting all dolled up to go out on the town. But if you don’t have a posse there watching your back for you, make sure you are able to defend yourself if needs be.

I don’t mean to imply that there are predators around every corner in Las Vegas, because really, I’ve never had anything unsafe happen to me. But I think that’s because I set the above precautions in place and then don’t need to think about it again.

DINING ALONE

Many people feel awkward eating alone in their home towns, and it’s no different on vacation. They’re afraid they’ll feel conspicuous, that people will stare at them with pity, or that waitstaff will treat them shabbily. I was one of those people. But no one in Las Vegas has ever made me feel like a second-class citizen for dining solo. On the contrary, I have found waitstaff to be very attentive. Other diners don’t even bat an eye. Everyone is accustomed to seeing solo diners in this day and age—especially in Las Vegas, where so many people travel alone for business. If you think you might be uncomfortable eating alone, try these tips:

• Go to a buffet. Not only is there no awkward wait time between when you place your order and when the food arrives, but with so many people getting up from their seats all the time for more food, no one will be able to tell that you’re dining alone. Don’t assume that because it’s a buffet, you’re getting an inferior meal, either. Gourmet buffets are all the rage in Vegas these days.

• Ask to be seated at a table with a view for people-watching. Many restaurants in the casino-hotels are located along the casino itself or a shopping area, providing many opportunities for people-watching.

• Eat at a restaurant that has a counter or a bar that serves food. At a counter or bar, you will be sitting next to other solos, where you won’t feel as conspicuous, and you might even strike up a friendly conversation with the person next to you or the barkeep.

• Bring something to do while you wait for your food to arrive. Many people bring a book, magazine, or newspaper to read. I carry a small journal with me to restaurants and take notes on what I’ve seen and done during the day, or I review the photos I’ve taken on my digital camera.

• There’s always room service. If none of the above makes you feel comfortable eating alone in public, indulge yourself in the time-honored tradition of hotel vacationers everywhere. Personally, I hate room service; it’s more expensive and it makes me feel lonelier. But your mileage may vary.

COMBAT LONELINESS

It seems odd that in a place like Las Vegas, where there are so many things going on every minute of the day, that anyone would have time to get lonely. But it sometimes happens when you’re traveling alone. You look around and you see people with friends and family, laughing and having fun, and you suddenly feel incredibly alone. There are some things you can do to overcome this feeling:

• Keep busy. Since boredom and loneliness often go hand in hand, plan a full itinerary for each day—including sufficient down time as necessary—with something fun to look forward to each evening. Also, if there’s something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the chance, here’s your opportunity. I’ve always wanted to fly in a helicopter and was able to take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon on my last trip to Vegas. When you fill your days with fun activities, you won’t have time to get bored or lonely.

• Strike up a conversation with a stranger. I know, I know, your mother taught you to never talk to strangers. But your mother probably never traveled alone! Striking up conversations with others can be hard for the shy and introverted among us. But believe it or not, it’s very easy to do so in Las Vegas—in elevators, in lines, or sitting at a bar or slot machine. Most people are approachable, because everyone’s in a good mood—why not? They’re on vacation in Vegas! I like to use two standby opening lines: “Are you winning?” and “Are you having fun?” Seriously, they work. Disclaimer: Please use common sense and good judgment about whom you approach for company.

• Call someone back home. When you’re feeling lonely, call a friend, relative, or coworker back home and tell them what you’ve seen and done on your vacation. They’ll feel envious of how much fun you’re having while they’re stuck at home, and you’ll feel better about being there, even if you are alone.

• Break up your trip with a social interlude. My uncle used to live in Laughlin, Nevada. During my second solo trip to Vegas, I decided to build in some social time by traveling to Laughlin for a day to see him and his wife. That way, I figured, if I did get lonely during my first two days in Vegas, I’d have social interactions with them to look forward to. It worked like a charm. By the time I checked into my Vegas hotel after my Laughlin interlude, I felt like I was on my third vacation! You can do this with friends or relatives who live within driving distance of Vegas, or perhaps you can visit a business associate or do an informational interview with someone in your career field. Be creative.

• Join a Las Vegas message board on the Internet before your trip. Not only are they wonderful sources for “insider tips” that will make your first visit more enjoyable, many of them set up regular “meets” for board members who happen to be traveling to Vegas at the same time. Attending a meet could give you the company you crave for an hour or so.

One thing you don’t want to do is gamble or drink more than you intended to simply because it keeps you from feeling lonely. This is an easy trap to fall into in Las Vegas.

STAYING HEALTHY

Most healthy solo travelers don’t consider what would happen if they should become ill or have an accident while on vacation, but everyone should. Illness and accidents leave us feeling vulnerable, and if you’re alone in a strange city, that vulnerability compounds. The worst that has happened to me in Las Vegas is mild dehydration due to the desert climate. But I have heard horror stories of people who have gotten food poisoning, wound up in the emergency room, etc. How can you be prepared?

• Heal thyself whenever possible. I am a big believer in supplementing, which is even more important when I travel, since it’s hard to eat as healthy on the road as I do at home. I bring my multivitamins, my calcium, my antioxidants (to boost immunity against any viruses I come in contact with). I also pack Immodium-AD just in case I eat the wrong thing. Not only does this save me from paying the exorbitant prices in the hotel sundries shop should I get ill, but if I’m too sick to even leave my bed, I have what I need right in my room. I also pack band-aids for small, treatable cuts.

• Carry on you at all times a health information card. If you don’t wear a medic alert bracelet, but you have a health condition (i.e., allergies, heart problems), you’ll want to make sure that health care providers know about it in case you are unable to tell them. Also on the card should be noted any medications you may be taking and your blood type if you know it.

• Do your homework ahead of time so you know what medical options you have. There are medical doctors who will do house calls for tourists in their hotel rooms in Las Vegas, and the Imperial Palace, located on the center Strip, has a medical clinic. Find out where the nearest hospital to your hotel is, in case you need to go there.

• Bring your health insurance card.

Remember that severe illness and accidents on vacation (especially when traveling domestically) are rare and should not prevent you from traveling alone.

WHY VEGAS?

Sure, there are some downsides to visiting Las Vegas alone. Unless you’re good at discerning who to trust to take your picture with your expensive camera (I recommend hotel and restaurant staff), you will have no pictures of yourself having fun on vacation when you travel alone. Your photos will look generic, the kind anyone could have taken. And you really notice (and resent!) how much more everything costs when traveling alone. Sharing a room with someone and using two-for-one coupons can save you a bundle in Las Vegas, but they usually don’t apply a 50% discount for solos (some do, but not many).

But there are so many positives to experiencing Vegas alone. Your time is your own. No need to negotiate with travel companions about which show to see, what restaurant to eat at, or what to do next. No waiting for your partner to finish playing blackjack so you can go eat. You get to do everything you want, when and how you want to do it. Also, I tend to meet more people when I’m alone. Sometimes, more interesting things happen to you when you’re alone than when you’re with a companion. On one trip in from the airport, I got a very chatty cabby who turned out to be the lead singer in a lounge band. To prove it, he sang Tom Jones’s “She’s a Lady” to me on the way to the Mirage. I loved it! Only in Vegas.

Vegas is, in my opinion, one of the most perfect travel destinations there is. I have found the customer service here to be second only to the all-inclusive resort I stayed at in Mexico. It’s relatively inexpensive compared to other tourist destinations (where else can you stay in a 3 star hotel for as low as $50 a night, or a 5 star for as low as $149 a night?), and it can conform to the needs of the traveler. If you want to lie around the pool all day reading a book, you can do that. If you want to dine in fine restaurants or all-you-can-eat-buffets, Vegas has plenty of both. If clubbing is your idea of the perfect vacation, have no fear, every major hotel has nightclubs—however, they’re not cheap. If you’re the “shop ‘til you drop” type, you will love the Fashion Show Mall, Caesar’s Forum Shops, the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood, and the Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes, among others. If you like to visit museums with fine art, try Bellagio’s Gallery of Fine Art or the Guggenheim at the Venetian. Want to spend the day at the spa? Take your pick; all the hotels have them (including Canyon Ranch at the Venetian and the Bellagio Spa—which is, from my personal experience, heavenly). If you’re a people-watcher, simply wandering up and down the Strip can provide you with hours of entertainment. Shows run the gamut from top-notch and pricey (Cirque du Soleil, Barry Manilow) to Broadway-style imports (Mamma Mia, Phantom of the Opera) to magicians (Lance Burton, Penn and Teller), comedians (Carrot Top, Rita Rudner), and more. Oh yeah, Vegas has gambling, too—lots and lots of gambling—if that’s your thing.

No matter what your tastes, you’re bound to find so many activities to keep you busy and entertained (or rested and relaxed), that you’ll almost forget you were ever nervous about traveling alone.

Now that I’ve extolled the virtues of a solo trip to Vegas, I’ll be compiling a list of solo-friendly restaurants and activities in Las Vegas on my SoloFriendly Las Vegas page, coming soon.