Air

It takes about two hours to fly to Denver from Los Angeles or Dallas, and 2½ hours from Chicago. From New York and Boston the flight is about 4½ hours. If you'll be checking skis, arrive at the airport earlier than normal.

Airports

The major air gateway to the Colorado Rockies is Denver International Airport (DEN), usually referred to by its nickname, DIA. It's about 25 miles northeast of downtown Denver and 45 miles from Boulder. Flights to smaller resort-town airports generally connect through it. Inclement weather, fairly common in winter, occasionally delays or cancels flights. In recent years, the airport has expanded its restaurant offerings to include higher-end spots like Elway’s steak house and the Denver Chophouse, but also includes more casual fare. The Westin Hotel at DIA is adjacent to the main concourse, with additional hotel options 7 miles west.

Colorado Springs Airport (COS) has direct flights from many major cities and is slightly less subject to bad winter storms than Denver. The airport is sometimes still open when bad weather closes other airports (especially those in the ski towns). Some of the major airlines and their subsidiaries serve communities around the state: Grand Junction (GJT), Durango (DRO), Steamboat Springs (HDN), Gunnison–Crested Butte (GUC), Montrose (MTJ), Telluride (TEX), Aspen (ASE), and Vail (EGE).

Ground Transportation

If you are driving, the best route from Denver International Airport to Denver, the ski resorts, or the mountains is to drive west on I–70. If coming from south Denver, bypass some traffic by using the E–470 tollway, which you can access west of the airport. It connects to I–25 both south and north of Denver. When flying into Colorado Springs, take I–25 north and south. Vail, Aspen, Telluride, and the surrounding towns are accessible on Highway 24 without going through Denver.

RTD, the city's public transit, runs a commuter train from the airport to Union Station in the heart of downtown. The train picks up just outside the main terminal underneath the Westin Hotel, with departures running every 15 minutes during busy times and every half hour otherwise. Visit their booth in the main terminal for destinations, times, and tickets ($10.50 per person). There are taxis and various private airport shuttles to cities along the Front Range from the airport, and some offer door-to-door service. Many hotels and ski resorts have their own buses; check with your lodging or ski resort to see if they offer service. The Ground Transportation Information Center is on the fifth level of the main terminal, and can direct travelers to companies' service counters.

Flights

Denver International Airport (DEN) has direct flights from most major U.S. cities, as well as quite a few smaller ones, especially in the West. A few international carriers serve Denver with nonstop flights from London, England; Frankfurt, Germany; Tokyo, Japan; Reykjavik, Iceland; as well as Canadian cities like Vancouver, Toronto, and Montréal. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Frontier Airlines (based in Colorado) are Denver's largest carriers, with the most flights and the longest list of destinations. Colorado Springs is served by Allegiant Airlines as well as by most major domestic airlines. United Express and Great Lakes Airlines connect Denver with smaller cities and ski resorts within Colorado.