I guess I should add that I would like to stay at a place that is closest to being like the Strip in Vegas. I want to be able to walk to a few other Casinos. Are the casinos in Reno all in one area, or are they spread out. Is the Peppermill near other casinos?

Reno is similar to Vegas when you are in the big casinos.

After that, the similarities end.

We stayed at El Dorado, excellent hotel, linked to Silver Legacy and Circus Circus with an internal 'corridor'. They were the main properties there as far as we were concerned.

To be brutally honest, we were reasonably wary of venturing outside too much. Lots of people begging.

Having said that we did go out and about on public transport and visited a few of the hotels that were not downtown.

In terms of possible day trips out of town, they are limited to say the least. We had a great day tour to Carson City and Virginia City but that was pretty much all that was available, apart from skiing.

We enjoyed our stay but probably wont go back anytime soon.

If you want to visit other casinos within walking distance then you will want to stay downtown. Downtown Reno is more like downtown Las Vegas, not Vegas Strip. Downtown Reno is getting nicer a long the river.

The Peppermill is one of the best casinos and places to stay in Reno. It isn't downtown, but not far from downtown.

What other casino options do you have? Downtown I would stay at Silver Legacy, El Dorado then Harrahs, in that order IMO.

Hi,

First Reno is not Vegas. It depends on what you are looking for though. In my opinion, i like Reno better. Reno is much cheaper to visit. Comps are easier to come by. Hotels are cheaper. There are alot less crowds in Reno. The Peppermill is my fav place to stay while in Reno. The only thing is, it is a mile or two away from the main casino area. The Atalantis is close by though. The Peppermill is huge. No reason to leave there really.

If you are wanting to stay downtown, near other casinos, i would recomend either The Eldorado, or Harrahs. Both are nice.

I forgot to mention, i would not stay at the Silver Legacy. Rooms are dumpy. Harrahs has been updated recently. Even the Circus Circus rooms are better then what i got at the Silver Legacy. The one nice thing is the Silver Legacy, Eldorado, and Circus Circus are all connected by an indoor walkway. You never need to go outside. They all run together.

Although the Tuscany tower at the Peppermill is superb, it is NOT within walking distance of the downtown "strip" area; you would need to hop a bus or take a cab.

I agree that the El Dorado or Harrah's would be good choices downtown: comfortable rooms, very affordable, within walking distance of all of the big casinos downtown.

There is absolutely NO comparison in Reno to Vegas, and I believe this is a problem for people who visit presuming it will be an equal experience. Reno is more "old school", not as glitzy, no "wow" factor, but it is very navigable and more relaxed. One of the great things about coming to Reno is the number of side trips you can make in just a half day or day (i.e. Tahoe, Virginia City, Carson City, Pyramid Lake, Donner Lake). Reno is also currently going a huge overhaul in closing a lot of the older casinos and converting them to condos, so you're bound to see a lot of construction and boarded up buildings, just to warn you!

I always find it interesting to read about the beggars on the strip, because I have been harassed way more in Vegas than I have in Reno! Anywhere you mix free drinks and the anonymity of the casinos, you are bound to find vagrants, though.

We like to stay downtown Vegas (Freemont Experience) because of the ability to walk casino to casino while enjoying the lights and glitter. And there is some begging going on but with the security always present and visible it doesn't seems to affect you. They scatter pretty fast. We are able to get real good deals with club cards and comps are plentiful too. More entertainment going on also..Used to stay in Reno and preferred it above Vegas for years. But with all the casino closures and the lights not so bright anymore and a lot of dead spaces in between the casinos, it isn't so exciting. There are some good casinos left though. And when you are inside it all seems the same, like Vegas. Just if you like to get out and mill around casino to casino you might be a bit disapointed..when we were there last,night time was a bit quiet out on the streets at an early hour. And finding a place to eat was a bit tough after 11 P.M. Until all the changes happened Reno was our favorite place of all time to visit and gamble at and we would visit 3-4 times a year and stay 3-5 days each time. Always included a day trip to Virginia City when there..it and Carson City are still very enjoyable.

Reno compares to Vegas in alot of ways, but the city is in no way shape or form Vegas YET. The casinos are alot smaller, there aren't as many nightclubs, we don't have the Fashion Show Mall, but we do have some pretty decent shopping. If the economy improoves, we're supposed to get Station Casinos, some say that would bring the Vegas to Reno, ALOT of shopping destinations are coming on line, like the Fonz said, lots of old hotels being converted to condos, the nightlife is stepping up too, Samuel L. Jackson stopped by the Eldorado's Bubinga once, Nikki Beach is a chain brand, great nightlife. I would suggest you stay at Peppermill, Vegas style ambiance and close to downtown. You should like Reno, it's a smaller, cheaper alternative to Las Vegas, most call it "Mini-Vegas"

I very much enjoy both Vegas and Reno, but they are not alike apart from they both have casinos. The other posters are right, if you are inside a casino you can't much tell the difference between Vegas and Reno. I stay at Harrah's and absolutely prefer Harrah's Reno to Harrah's Las Vegas. I also suggest you try Reno. If your choices are between the Indian casino and Reno, in my opinion you should try Reno. The hotel and casino service is great and the people friendly and helpful.

Sadly the street vibe is a bit lacking. I have never felt uneasy walking the strip in Vegas. But in Reno, I felt DT was pretty deserted save for a few people who to me seemed down on their luck.

For me, I prefer Nevada for gaming. No matter if it's Vegas, Reno or Tahoe, you have wonderful casino choices and other activities and sites to see that make the experience so much more enjoyable than a visit to the local casino.

If you go it would be interesting to hear your experience, best of luck!

Comparing Reno to Vegas is kind of like comparing say Seattle to New York. Both nice but no real comparison.

Now having said that I prefer both Seattle & Reno to the other two but I am a small town kind of guy.