Denver, Colorado — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Tel: (303) 342 2000.
Website: www.flydenver.com
Denver International Airport is 38km (24 miles) northeast of downtown Denver.
Approximate flight times to Denver: From London is 9 hours 40 minutes; from New York is 4 hours 10 minutes; from Los Angeles is 2 hours 15 minutes; from Toronto is 4 hours 45 minutes and from Sydney is 19 hours 55 minutes.
Airport facilities: Facilities include a 24-hour bureau de change, ATMs, over 40 restaurants, snack bars and grills and an extensive selection of over 60 shops. Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless and Thrifty all provide car hire services. The Qwest Business Center (tel: (303) 317 0988) is located on the Mezzanine level of concourse B and offers a full range of facilities. It is open 24 hours, with an attendant on duty from Sunday to Friday 0800-1800.
Transport to the city: The Ground Transportation Information Counter at the airport (tel: (303) 342 4059) provides information on the wide range of transport options available from the airport. RTD's Skyride buses (tel: (303) 299 6000; website: www.rtd-denver.com) run from the airport to Downtown and many other stops in the Metro Denver area. The service operates on an hourly basis, from about 0400-2400 (journey time - 40 minutes). A number of shuttle buses also operate from the airport to Downtown, including Supershuttle Denver (tel: (303) 370 1300 or 1 800 525 3177). Shuttles depart every 15-30 minutes, daily 0400-2400. There is a separate telephone number for Boulder Supershuttle (tel: (303) 227 0000).
Many of the major hotels operate free shuttle buses and taxis can be hailed outside the baggage claim area. The flat-rate taxi fare to Downtown is just over US$45. Limousines can be pre-booked from a number of companies.
Getting There By Road
America has an excellent system of Interstate Highways (I-1) and State Highways (Hwy-1), as well as smaller country roads with the letter of the state preceding the road number (eg C-1 in Colorado). For British nationals a full UK driving license is acceptable. Other foreign drivers will require an International Driving Permit and a full license from their own country. The legal driving age is 16 years. Liability insurance is required for all drivers in Denver.
Traffic drives on the right. The speed limit in the state of Colorado is 105-120kph (65-75mph) on designated rural Interstates and Highways, 88kph (55mph) on urban Interstates and Highways, 48kph (30mph) in all residential districts and 40kph (25mph) in any business district. The wearing of seat belts by drivers and front seat passengers is compulsory. In Colorado, the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%. It is also an offense to carry alcohol in a car unless it is unopened and in the boot.
Emergency breakdown services
AAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357/AAA HELP).
Routes to the city
Denver is at the intersection of the I-70, running east-west from Pittsburgh to St George, and the I-25, running north-south from Billings to El Paso. Las Vegas and Los Angeles are via the I-70 and I-15, while Chicago is via the I-76 and I-80. Further north, you can get to Toronto on the I-76, I-80 and I-94.
Coach services
Denver is a major hub for intercity buses. Some 60 or so coaches arrive and depart on a daily basis from the Greyhound Bus Terminal, 19th Street and Curtis Street (tel: (303) 293 6555), situated just north of the Capitol building. Greyhound (tel: 1 800 231 2222; website: www.greyhound.com) provides direct services to Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, St Louis and Chicago, among other cities.
Getting There By Rail
Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245/USA RAIL; website: www.amtrak.com) run trains from Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop Street, which is at the northwest end of 17th Street. Facilities include a waiting room, payphones, parking, restaurant and snack bar. Recorded information about train arrivals and departures is available from the Denver Amtrak ticket office (tel: (303) 534 2812).
Rail services: Amtrak's main east-west route runs through Denver. The California Zephyr runs daily between San Francisco (journey time - 10 hours 40 minutes) and Chicago (journey time - 18 hours). The Ski Train (tel: (303) 296 4754; website: www.skitrain.com) makes a stunning scenic journey from Union Station through the Rocky Mountains to Winter Park Resort (journey time - 2 hours). It's open during the Christmas holiday, on Saturdays and Sundays in January, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in February and Thursdays through Sundays in March, and every Saturday from early July to late August.
Getting Around in Denver, Colorado
Public Transport
Denver has an excellent public transport system run by the Regional Transport District (RTD) (tel: (303) 299 6000; website: www.rtd-denver.com). RTD has 180 bus routes, a light rail line and a number of special services, including the Skyride airport buses.
The light rail runs every 10 minutes between 0400-0200, and has 24 stops. The main line is between 1-25 Streets and Broadway to 30th Street and Downing Street, including six stops situated in Downtown. An extension runs south to Mineral Avenue and Santa Fe in the suburb of Littleton.
The local bus service is comprehensive, covering all areas in Metro Denver and Greater Denver. Times vary on the different routes but generally operate between 0500 and 2400. Some buses stop running between 1800 and 1900, although others on very busy streets run until after midnight.
You can buy tickets and passes at RTD sales outlets, which include the Market Street Station, Civic Center Station, Denver International Airport west terminal and selected metro-area King Soopers and Safeway stores.
The free Mall Ride shuttle runs between Broadway and Union Station, daily 0514-0135, and stops at every junction. The Skyride airport service has 30 stops, including Denver International Airport (see Getting There By Air).
Taxis
Taxis can be hailed on the street but they rarely stop. Visitors can instead find them at taxi ranks outside the major hotels and the bus and train stations, or telephone for one in advance. There are two reputable cab companies in Denver - Yellow Cab (tel: (303) 777 7777) and Metro Taxi (tel: (303) 321 5400). Tipping is customary, usually 15% of the fare.
Driving in the City
A car is not necessary for visits limited to Downtown Denver, as everything is within walking distance or accessible by public transport. Getting around by car is easy outside of the peak rush hour periods (0700-0900 and 1600-1800), when there is much congestion on major roads such as the I-25, I-70 and US36 to Boulder.
Parking is expensive in Downtown and although most of the major hotels have parking facilities for their guests, there is still a charge. Most blocks in Downtown either have parking garages or on-street, metered parking.
Car Hire
All major car hire companies have offices in the city, including Avis (tel: 1 800 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: 1 800 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: 1 800 800 3665; website: www.dollar.com), Enterprise (tel: 1 800 261 7331; website: www.enterprise.com), Hertz (tel: 1 800 654 3001; website: www.hertz.com), National (tel: 1 800 227 3876; website: www.nationalcar.com) and Thrifty (tel: 1 800 847 4389; website: www.thrifty.com).
The minimum age for hiring a car is 21 years, although those under 25 will have to pay a higher premium. For British nationals, a full UK driving license will suffice. Other foreign drivers will require an International Driving Permit and a full license from their own country. A major credit card is also required to cover the deposit and insurance excess.
Bicycle Hire
Cherry Creek Bike Rack (tel: (303) 388 1630; website: www.cherrycreekbikerack.com) hires out bicycles for up to four hours, overnight, or by the week. Child bikes and trail-a-bikes are also available.
