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As part of the trip I'll be staying in downtown Denver and need to get to and from Denver Intl Airport. I know there is an airport shuttle, but it's $20 each way; so I was wondering about the lightrail. Does it go to the airport? Does it run early morning and late evening? It will be a weekday. When last I was in Denver I did ride it but I remember it being a little tricky to use the machines to get a ticket; do you need exact change or something? Thanks!!!
smitty195 Member # 5102
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Nope--unfortunately, light rail does not go way out to DIA. Denver RTD has a trip-planner where you could take light rail to an express bus to DIA. Here is a link:
I picked a random time in the middle of a weekday afternoon, and from Union Station to DIA would take 82 minutes and requires two buses. You get on the "A" bus and take that to the city of Broomfield, where you then wait 6 minutes and get on an express "AB" bus to DIA.
notelvis Member # 3071
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I was last in Denver in 2005. The RTD bus to the airport is called SkyRide and they use intercity coach buses (like Greyhounds) instead of city buses.
The SkyRide bus departs from a downtown transit terminal which is only 3-4 blocks from Union Station and there is a free shuttle bus from Union Station up 17th street (or is it 16th?) to where this transit terminal is located.
Finally - do some research on the link smitty provided. I know fuel prices are a huge issue everywhere but when I used the SkyRide buse three years ago, the fare was only $8.00 each way. Is that the one you're now seeing as being $20.00?
smitty195 Member # 5102
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I forgot about SkyRide--thanks, David! I've never taken it, but I was aware of it and just forgot about it. Their fares are still pretty decent. It's a range from $7 to $11, depending on destination ($7 for DIA level 3, $9 for DIA level 2, and $11 for DIA level 1). That is the one-way cash fare. Although I'm not sure I understand the different "levels" that they are charging, as on the same page that gives the fares and different levels, further down it says that everything is done on Level 5. ????
smitty195 Member # 5102
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soujourner:
Maybe it's just me, but the more I look at the RTD website, the more confused I get! When clicking on the Route Map for the AirRide buses, I fail to see why their trip planner would have a person take a regular city bus way out to Broomfield, and then get on another bus to basically take you back where you just came from enroute to DIA. This is one of the problems I have found with city transit websites. They are NOT user-friendly to tourists or folks unfamiliar with the area and the system. I would love to use transit in areas that I travel in, but it is for exactly this reason that I skip it and take a cab or Super Shuttle. It's not worth the headache to figure out the complexities of each city's own way of doing things. Here is RTD's toll free number:
303.299.6000
Hopefully it goes to someone in the USA who speaks English and can translate their confusing schedules/maps and help out better than I can.
Liberty Limited Member # 4300
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I used the Denver RTD bus last year to get from DIA into Downtown. The route you need is called the "AF" line, and it boards from the transit center in the middle of town. Fare was $8.00 and this bus took you directly to the airport on a coach type bus.
The same route also runs through the 35th-Downing terminal for Light Rail, but you'll likely want to use it from Downtown instead.
sojourner Member # 3134
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Thanks so much for the info. The $20 was for a hotel shuttle, I think. I might take that one way and the bus the other. Too bad there's no light rail there!
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