Budget Arizona/Nevada trip

[Busylady]

Considering a trip to the Grand Canyon area this summer. It would be myself, husband and teenage daughter.

We would have to fly and would need to rent a car.
Not sure about where we want to stay but would consider flying into Las Vegas. We are not gamblers so that part of Vegas is not a draw to us.

Or is there a better place to fly into and stay? We would like to see the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, just really the sites of the area as this is not an area we have visited before.

Thanks!

 

[Sagginit]

I went to the Grand Canyon and Vegas a few years ago. What we did is we flew into Phoenix and drove up to Vegas. Arizona was beautiful and I think you may really enjoy it. From my experience if you are not gamblers and have a teenager Vegas could be seen in 1-2 days. If you are not there to go out or gamble it is like Times Square, a lot of lights and sights, but a giant shopping mall at the end of the day. As an adult I feel like I just hang out when there, the highlight is the restaurants but the good ones are pricey. My second trip I was there for 3 1/2 days and we were both kinda bored by the end of it.

We also got a much cheaper flight into Phoenix than Vegas and found motels for decent prices along the way. The one downside is you always pay a fee for pickup in one place and drop off. We used Fox car rentals and it was cheap. We had no issues or hidden fees either. The other thing to consider is the drive from Vegas to Grand Canyon (or Hoover if you stop there) isn't that spectacular. We found this to be the most boring part of the trip. We preferred our drive in Arizona, so if you fly in/out of Vegas you are repeating a long desert drive if you go to GC.

 

[HollyL]

If time allows, be sure to visit Sedona. I consider it one of the most beautiful places on earth. We even got married there.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

If time allows, be sure to visit Sedona. I consider it one of the most beautiful places on earth. We even got married there.

I was coming here to mention this. Do NOT miss Sedona. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Just a short (2 hours) drive from the Phoenix airport.

 

[Alexle2007]

When DH and I visited the Grand Canyon with our 2 nieces, we drove from Phoenix. We went through Sedona and then stopped at Slide Rock and let the girls play. Drove to see the meteor crater that was a little bit past Flagstaff. We spent the night in Flagstaff and then drove to the Grand Canyon. And then back to Phoenix. We've been to Vegas many times so we had no need to go there.

 

[hpfan100]

I would fly into Phoenix and then drive to Grand Canyon area. Sedona and the rest of the high country in Arizona is spectacular. I love the pe tried forest and painted desert...many love to stand on the corner in Winslow and hit up Route 66 too.


Tips for visiting Phoenix area in summer.....book an early or late flight...you do not want to be landing in hottest part of the day or driving in it. You will likely have a bumpy descent into airport from the heat...this is normal car rentals tend to be pricy in Phoenix du to airport fees so plan for that

 

[ten6mom]

Highly recommend the Pink Jeep Tour (Broken Arrow is our favorite) in Sedona if you stop by. Excellent way to see the famous red rocks.

 

[katie111]

We did this trip last April with our 3 kids. We flew into Phoenix and did 2 nights at the GC (Wishe we had stayed 3), 3 nights in Sedona, 2 nights in Page, and 2 nights at a resort in Phoenix. We got a great deal on the resort (about $120 for a 4 and 1/2 star hotel) on Hotwire the day before we went back to Phoenix.

In the GC, I highly recommend staying inside the park. I would start looking for rooms now & book your trip around whatever dates you can get rooms. We rented bikes there for a day & it was definitely the highlight of the trip.

Look up Page on Tripadvisor. The dam there is almost as big as the Hoover and much less crowded. Antelope canyon & Horseshoe Bend are both spectacular. We also did a float trip down the Colorado River there that was awesome.

Sedona is just beautiful. We did a lot of hiking there but that might be tough in the summer heat. Pink Jeep your was really fun but not cheap.

 

[HollyL]

Depending on where you are coming from, or what weather you are used to, I don't think Sedona is too bad in the summer because of the high elevation. Most people would think Phoenix is horrible in the Summer where temps can average about 110 degrees, but last summer, we were there for about a week in June, and it felt fine, even in 115 degrees. Probably because we live in Houston and are used to 100 degrees and humidity. Because it's a dry heat in Phoenix, we didn't think it was that bad.
My family all relocated to the Phoenix area about 10 years ago, after living in San Francisco for their whole lives, and they were able to adapt to Phoenix weather pretty easily.

Another honorable mention for the Grand Canyon area (Williams, Az.) - they have a cute little drive through wild animal type park called BeArizona. We all really enjoyed it.

 

[katyjeka]

Depending on where you are coming from, or what weather you are used to, I don't think Sedona is too bad in the summer because of the high elevation. Most people would think Phoenix is horrible in the Summer where temps can average about 110 degrees, but last summer, we were there for about a week in June, and it felt fine, even in 115 degrees. Probably because we live in Houston and are used to 100 degrees and humidity. Because it's a dry heat in Phoenix, we didn't think it was that bad.
My family all relocated to the Phoenix area about 10 years ago, after living in San Francisco for their whole lives, and they were able to adapt to Phoenix weather pretty easily.

Another honorable mention for the Grand Canyon area (Williams, Az.) - they have a cute little drive through wild animal type park called BeArizona. We all really enjoyed it.

Bearizona was amazing, our kids are still talking about it. We also did Oatman AZ and they cant stop talking about it. The donkeys walking all over were so much fun. We also did a side trip to Horseshoe Bend, what an amazing place.

 

[Busylady]

Thanks for all the tips and info!

 

[agavegirl1]

I will second Oatman on "old Route 66". Great place and free fun is all around you.