general information

[BRaTaX]

I'm from Belgium (small country in Europe) and I would like to come to Defcon10..

I've got a few questions:

1. What should I bring with me (is a laptop necessary? or can I just come to listen, dig up some information,...?)
2. Can you guys give me an exact address of where it is plz?
3. An address/phone number of a nearby hotel is also welcome :)
3. Does Las Vegas has an airport? (I suppose it does) and how is it called? coz the site of my local airport sux and I can't find it..
4. How much money will I need? (hotel, defcon itself,....)

sorry for all these questions but it's the first time i'm comming to defcon.. (I want to be sure I arrive at the right place, and I have a place to sleep,..

thx in advance!
BRaTaX

[This message was accidentally posted in the section Al3xis Park Reservations - srry for that]

[simon]

Well lets see...

Airport: Yes, Las Vegas International

Go to the U.S. page http://travel.yahoo.com/ and follow the link "Air"... As in travel by air.

The Con is held at : The Alexis Park Hotel & Resort

http://www.alexispark.com/

That has addresses and maps etc.


You will need $50 for DefCon entrance fee, +$10-30/day for food, and how ever much you can get a room/rooms for. Some people dont reserve rooms and sleep outside or in the lobby =]


You don't need to bring a computer. I would suggest a cellphone instead. Some people go to spend the whole weekend on their computer as where I go to spend time talking and interacting with people.

Hope that helps...
simon

[octalpus]

The airport is actually called McCarran International, and the airport code is LAS. That might help you a bit in finding it.

If you wish to stay at the Alexis, reservations are being made now, and they usually fill up pretty fast. There are several hotels nearby that we *usually* get a discounted rate at that DT *usually* posts contact info for when the Alexis is full.

If you're staying anywhere that's more than 1 block away, you'll need to bring taxi money or rent a car. Vegas blocks are like a mile long, and it's HOT during the day. Taxi to the Stratosphere (close to the other end of the strip) from the Alexis ran us about $12 one way. If you're planning on site seeing, it's well worth the cost of a rental (around $30 a day for a smaller car, IIRC), if you're able to rent a car (license, age, etc.).

For a laptop, it's convenient, but not necessary. I find that mine stays back in the room for the most part, and is only used for an occassional e-mail fix. Sure, it's nice to be able to try things out once you learn them, but most of my notes were stuffed away and forgotten until after I returned and had time to sort them out. This is my one chance a year to see many of my friends in person... I'm not going to spend it behind a screen!

Hope that helps!

octalpussy

[Contrarian]

If you plan on drinking - DO NOT rent a car.

I rented a car my first time in Vegas, and regreted it. In the first 2 hours I think I barely missed hitting 4 pedestrians. I take cabs now.

Vegas is so filled with so many sights and eye-catching things that it is way way too easy to turn your head for a few seconds and bang, you just hit a drunk pedestrian who thinks you were actually being carefull. And if you been drinking - just consider yourself fucked.

Besides, cab drivers can be very entertaining and informative.