As the calendar continues its advance to the opening day of the 2027 SHOT Show® — now less than 100 days away — it’s an ideal time to firm up your team’s travel plans to Las Vegas.
During SHOT Week®, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with more than 2,700 exhibitors across The Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum exhibit halls. Every opportunity to maximize the value of your stay at SHOT Week is worth a consideration. And it starts with getting to Las Vegas.
Getting to Las Vegas
When it comes to airfare, there are a lot of so-called ways to save while traveling, such as booking flights on Tuesdays, flying in on a Sunday, price-checking one-way and round-trip airfare, etc.
Some of these approaches work. One that saves you time and heightens the possibility of securing lower prices is using price tracking tools (such as those available from Google Flights, Skyscanner, Expedia and Kayak), which monitor airfare changes and send notifications when prices change. These tools allow you to track prices for exact travel days. If timing is flexible, the “any dates” option is available. A drawback, of course, is this approach delays your ability to secure lodging while in Las Vegas.
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), about a 15–20-minute drive from The Strip, handles around 500 flights daily from 30 carriers. Several budget carriers, such as Allegiant, Frontier, Southwest and Sun Country, have extensive networks throughout the U.S. and have a major presence at LAS with multiple flights a day. These carriers offer significant cost-saving potential for business travelers.
For international travelers, there are select nonstop access from major destinations that include Paris (Air France), London (British Airways), Sydney (Qantas) and Seoul, South Korea (Korean Air). Announced in February, the first-ever Sydney-to-Las Vegas connection will begin as a seasonal service in December with three weekly flights lasting through March 2027.
SHOT Show attendees located within driving distance of Las Vegas have a ready-made opportunity to save. Flexibility with this mode of transportation gives drivers the opportunity to stock up on the week’s essentials outside of The Strip, bringing significant savings. Map out your trip to Las Vegas ahead of time and plan where to get gas in advance, look out for inflated prices at isolated stops and at the state line.
Upon Arrival: Taxis, Rideshare Apps — and Robotaxis?
As previously noted, the airport is nestled just minutes from The Strip, along with The Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum.
Taxis are conveniently available at the airport and throughout Las Vegas, but often have higher fares compared to rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft. However, unlike rideshare apps, taxi service operates with flat-rate zone pricing on rides from the airport to The Strip — so you’ll know what to expect ahead of time.
For taxi rides originating at LAS, all SHOT Show official hotels (other than Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas) are in Zone 3. This zone is the most expensive, with a flat rate of $30.25. A savings tip: if you pay your fare with cash, you’ll avoid a $3.00 credit card processing fee. Factoring in gratuity between 15–20 percent, you can expect a taxi ride to The Venetian Expo will be about $35 for cash payments.
For those arriving during off-peak hours (late at night or very early in the morning), ridesharing apps represent a cost-effective option. One drawback of these services is they tend to result in longer wait times, are not as conveniently located at LAS (taxis are located directly outside the baggage claim area) and have surge pricing during high-demand periods. It would be to your benefit to have both the Uber and Lyft apps installed on your smartphone ahead of time, so you can look at live prices from each source before choosing the more economical alternative.
To recap: Upon your arrival in Las Vegas, pull out your phone, check wait times and pricing on rideshare apps and compare them to what you already know about the flat-rate taxi fare. For those not in a hurry and the price is comparable, go with your personal preference.
While not a cost-savings measure — yet — autonomous robotaxis have a growing presence in Las Vegas. After debuting in Las Vegas with free public rides in Sept. 2025, Amazon’s Zoox self-driving taxi launched a paid service Aug. 10. It is the first robotaxi operator with official authorization to pick up and drop off passengers at LAS. Waymo is the only other autonomous operator currently active in Las Vegas, restricted to destinations on The Strip. While there is no need to tip driverless taxis, prices range above the other services examined here.
Competition for this market is quickly heating up: Waymo, Tesla Robotaxi and Aviari were recently approved to operate a combined 7,000 autonomous vehicles by the Nevada Transportation Authority. In time, as supply rises, perhaps prices will fall into more budget-friendly confines.
A Word on Rental Cars
For those lodging in short-term rental properties outside of The Strip and needing to transport gear/team members to and from the show, a rental car could prove useful during SHOT Week.
If convenience is preferred, the LAS Rent-A-Car Center is located three miles from the airport. Getting there requires a shuttle bus from the main terminals. Something to keep in mind: Prices at the airport are elevated compared to off-airport locations. Choosing your preferred rental car company in advance has the potential for cost savings by taking a taxi or using a ridesharing service from the airport to an offsite rental location.
January is a busy month for trade shows in Las Vegas (the World of Concrete Expo takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center Jan. 19–21), so it behooves you to book car rentals early for wider availability and to lock in pricing.
Another consideration: Free parking in or near The Venetian Expo is becoming harder to find, so be prepared as you budget.
Getting to the Show During SHOT Week
For those attendees not staying at The Venetian/Palazzo or nearby hotels like Treasure Island, Harrah’s and the LINQ Hotel, there are both discounted and free options for getting to The Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum each morning before the SHOT Show.
One is the Las Vegas Monorail for SHOT Show attendees staying along The Strip. During SHOT Show registration, take advantage of an exclusive discount and add an unlimited Monorail ticket to your registration. Your SHOT Show badge doubles as your ticket to ride; a Monorail pass is embedded in your badge’s QR code, so there’s no separate ticket to keep track of while in Las Vegas. Simply scan your badge at the faregate to activate the pass. Your unlimited-ride period begins with your first scan and continues for the length of the pass you purchased.
The Monorail has seven stops, with stations located at the Sahara, Westgate Resort (near Fontainebleau, Circus Circus and Resorts World), Las Vegas Convention Center, Harrah’s/Linq (this stop serves the SHOT Show, which connects directly to Caesars Forum), Flamingo/Caesars Palace and Horseshoe/Paris. The Monorail runs from 7:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m. Monday, 7:00 a.m.–2:00 a.m. Tuesday–Thursday and 7:00 a.m.–3:00 a.m. Friday–Sunday. Trains run every 4–8 minutes (sometimes as frequent as 5–6 minutes), depending on the time of day and day of the week.
Another resource is a free shuttle bus service. Routes serve 11 official SHOT Show hotels, bringing guests to to and from the SHOT Show during morning and afternoon service. Shuttle bus schedules will be posted online, as well as in the SHOT Show Mobile App prior to the show.
Everyone. Everything. All Together.
For four days in Las Vegas, the people, products and possibilities across our industry come together at the 2027 SHOT Show. With more than 2,700 exhibitors, thousands of new products on display and key decision makers all in one place, the opportunities available at the SHOT Show are unmatched.
Attending the show for multiple days represents a substantial investment, but there are plenty of other ways to stretch your budget throughout the week. To help you further experience SHOT Show on a budget, look out for additional articles covering lodging, entertainment, dining and more coming soon.
– Jade Moldae, Director of Content, NSSF