Getting around Denver

Drivers have a lot of good choices for renting a car in Denver that will each have different benefits. It’s super easy to get around downtown Denver, and even some spots in the greater metro area, without a car, but for travelers who want to go to Rocky Mountain National Park or any of the ski towns, having a car will save time for those journeys. Be prepared for winter driving conditions, or leave it to the professionals of the shuttles and buses.

Rental cars are available at the airport, and often agencies will have better rates for pick up and drop off here. There are also rental cars available from agencies in downtown Denver, if you choose not to rent from the airport or have arrived via train or bus. A valid driver’s license is required, and drivers must be over 21 years of age to rent a car.

Getting a taxi in Denver requires calling them, using an app, or going to a large hotel, such as The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa or The Crawford Hotel where taxis are often waiting for customers. You simply cannot hail a taxi from the curb as it drives by here.

Taxi companies in Denver include Metro Taxi and Yellow Cab, among others. Taxi rates vary depending on your destination, with the exception of rides to and from the airport that are $51 plus fees. Sometimes a taxi can be cheaper than Uber or Lyft due to peak usage on those apps.

It is customary to tip your taxi driver 15-20% of the fare.

What does “ride-share” mean to you? It can mean different things: ride-sharing apps such as Uber or Lyft or car-sharing services such as Avail or Turo that connect car owners to someone who needs to borrow a car.

Basically, you’re renting a car on demand and this can be a way to save money as you can just return the car when not using it (so no overnight hotel parking costs or paying for rental on days when you can just walk). Services like Zipcar charge a monthly or annual fee, then you can pay by the hour or day, depending on your need.

It can be a little confusing at Union Station to understand the difference between the Amtrak train and the light rail train, so it’s worth mentioning the differences here. The light rail train is operated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and totally separate from Amtrak, although you will see both on the rail lines here. The light rail provides transportation around the city and metro area.

If you are not renting a car, but want to go skiing, the Amtrak Winter Park Express, will take you to the Winter Park Ski Resort Village, which is owned in part by the city of Denver. You can plan to take the train there and back in the same day, or spend a couple of nights in the mountains before scheduling the next train back to downtown Denver.

The light rail trains are an affordable way to get around Denver and to some nearby places such as the city of Golden.

A day pass on the light rail covers a one-way to the airport for a cost of $10.50, and there are also local and regional passes that range from $3 to $5.25. There are fair zones, but most trips around the city remain in the same zone.

The W line goes from Union Station to Golden with stops at Empower Field at Mile High (for seeing a Denver Broncos football game), the Ball Arena (for seeing a Denver Nuggets basketball game or concert); or the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The E line makes these same stops, but then keeps going south at the DCPA and takes you to the University of Denver and then goes on to the suburbs of Greenwood Village and Lone Tree near the Tech Center.

The A-line is the light rail train between the airport and downtown.

Buses are the most affordable way to travel around the city and beyond to cities likes Colorado Springs and Boulder. Both Bustang and RTD use Union Station as a hub for service where local and regional bus service depart and return. The bus terminal is found on the west side of Union Station, where you exit, then take an escalator down into the bus concourse.

Bus fare with RTD is local or regional with local fares being $3 one way and regional fares are $5.25 one way.

Bustang provides seasonal and regional bus service with single one-way fares starting at $5. Fares from Union Station to the Tech Center are $9, They also provide service to mountain towns, with fares varying by day of the week and how far it is from Denver.

If you are relying on buses to get around, check the schedules ahead of time as some routes will have very limited available, and many may not run at all after a certain time of night. Always check on the transportation connection, such as taking the regional bus to Boulder and then the local bus schedule in Boulder to get you to your destination.