Las Vegas offers a lot of bang for your vacation dollar, especially when you find a package deal that combines airfare and hotel.

There’s lots of competition among airlines for Vegas, which keeps fares low. When those fares are bundled with hotel rates, you can save even more.

Along with bundling, the days of the week you travel can make a big difference in price.

The best days to depart are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday or Friday departures with Sunday returns will bring the highest fares, and hotel prices are highest Friday and Saturday nights.

If you want to spend the weekend in Las Vegas, depart early on Saturday and come back on Monday or Tuesday; you can save about $100 per person on your vacation.

Check airline websites for air/hotel/car packages (Alaska, United and Southwest are among those offering vacation packages from Seattle) or use a travel company.

Here are some other ways to save in Vegas:

Avoid resort fees: When booking rooms, watch out for resort fees. Quite a few hotels in Las Vegas charge a resort fee per room for certain amenities, and you have to pay whether you use those amenities or not. The Gold Coast charges $3 per day, while Red Rock Resort charges $24.95. Some hotels, such as Harrah’s properties, don’t charge resort fees.

Show tickets included: You’ll get two free show tickets when you book an air/hotel package with stays at a participating MGM property for three or more nights from Nov. 6 through Feb. 2. The show choices are “Viva Elvis,” “Lion King,” Terry Fator, “KA,” “Jabbawockeez,” “Zumanity,” “Criss Angel Believe” and “Tournament of Kings.”

Stays are available at 13 hotels, including Aria, Vdara, Bellagio, MGM Grand, Signature, Mandalay Bay, THEhotel, Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York New York, Luxor, Excalibur and Circus Circus; see www.mgmresorts.com (click on “Show Tickets”).

The offer must be booked by Aug. 16, and show tickets must be reserved within 72 hours of booking your room. Blackout dates apply. Be aware that these properties charge resort fees that vary, such as $6.95 at Circus Circus and $22.40 at the MGM Grand.

Eating large: If you book a room at a Harrah’s property under the Buffet of Buffets promotion, you get two free all-day buffet passes with unlimited access to seven Harrah’s buffets.

Such passes normally cost $44.95, and you can get them even when you stay at the Imperial Palace with rates as low as $53 per night. You can head to different buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks in between. www.harrahs.com/buffets/

Getting around: An economical way to get around the Strip and to downtown Las Vegas is to take the Deuce, a city bus that shuttles along the Strip day and night. A 24-hour pass costs $7, and you can hop on and off as much as you’d like.

Compare that to a taxi ride that could easily cost $15 one-way, or the Monorail, which costs $12 for a day pass and covers only the Strip, and you will be happy to ride the Deuce: www.rtcsnv.com/transit/route/.

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