Are you sure this is the USA? (Transport in Denver)

Member Name: ermintrude

Product:	Transport in Denver
Date:	21/06/01 (191 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Many buses, cheap fares, lovely airport

Disadvantages: Buses can be confusing for non-residents, airport far from town

--Buses--
Denver has a bus service.

Okay, you can pick yourself up off the floor now. Yes, Denver is an American city that's actually heard of Public Transport.

There are plenty of routes, and plenty of buses, from the wee small hours until, well, the wee small hours, some routes at least being 24 hours. Travel is cheap, too - $1.25 at peak times, and $0.75 at other times, no matter how long your journey. And if you need to take more than one bus to get where you're going, just ask for a "transfer", a little green ticket that will get you on the next bus free (and, pretty much, any bus all day, but sshhhh :o). Airport buses (or Skyrides, all have routes beginning with A) are $4 or $8, and again you can get a transfer.

The buses are big, some being the jointed ones that pivot in the centre. The driver also has a PA to announce the stops, both of which are helpful for foreigners travelling from the airport like I was (as long as the announcements are clear). Watch out for buses with an L after the route (e.g. 15L as opposed to 15) - they make only limited stops en route. Also, when you want to leave the bus, you signal by pulling on the cable which runs along the windows (I spent ages looking for buttons!).

It's clear that the buses are primarily designed for commuters who know the route. You'll be lucky to find timetable information at a stop, and lucky to find a shelter as well, although thankfully the regularity of many routes makes that less of a problem. I wouldn't like to wait in winter, though! You can call free for bus information on 1-800-366-7433 (6am-8pm weekdays, 8am-8pm weekends). Also, many buses have paper timetables on board, so you can at least check out your return journey, and often find info on another route.

There's a website too (www.rtd-denver.com), but if you don't know the city, be prepared to spend hours working out what route you need to get and where you
need to change. However, actually having a site with maps and timetables for *every route* is a 100% improvement on all bus companies I know in the UK. Things to watch out for include the fact that timetables read across, not down, and that they don't use the 24hr clock - the first stop after 12 noon on any one bus is shown with a P (likewise after midnight is an A), but after that, they're unmarked.

--Denver International Airport--
The main thing to note about DIA is that it's not actually that close to Denver :) It's about 10 miles away, out in what is currently the middle of nowhere, but I guess that will all be built on in time.

The relatively new DIA is probably the nicest, most welcoming airport I've arrived at, and certainly beats the dingy St Louis, where I changed on my trip from London. Three very light and spacious concourses, plenty of pale green seats, and lots of phones, even free internet terminals! A clean and roomy metro system will whisk you to the main terminal, along tunnels lined with bizarre cutouts of hammer-wielding arms (miners I guess), and cool little propellors which turn in the draught from the train. There's incredibly cheesy electronic jingles played before each stop, which just made me laugh - just what I needed after about 12 hours of travelling with tonsillitis, actually!

Coming out of the metro, you find yourself in the enormous tent-roofed main terminal. A huge fountain plays in front of you, meaning the building is cool and fresh, and it feels absolutely massive after being stuck in a tin tube for several hours. As a first impression of Denver, it's fantastic. In this building you can find baggage reclaim, as well as all the shops, cafes and check-in desks. The concourses also have a couple of restaurants and shops apiece (Mickey D's, Sbarro, etc. plus newsagents and gift shops).

To get to/from the airport/downtown, you need to get a taxi (about $45), a shu
ttle ($17 or so, such as Super Shuttle (303) 370 1300, or Wolf Express (303) 333 4000 (I didn't try them, so don't take it as a recommendation!), a courtesy bus provided by your hotel, or take the Skyride as noted above (there are a number of routes). All buses leave from both sides of the main terminal building, and are well signposted (and the public ones have timetables!). Getting to downtown will take the best part of an hour, depending on whether you need to change, and where.

If you have a friend to meet you/drop you off, there is plenty of parking, and short stay is $1.20 per hour. It doesn't matter if you miss the signs as to which airlines leave from which terminal (East or West) as they are simply two sides of the same relatively small building!

--Other transport--
Downtown has a limited tram route, which I didn't use, and frequent, free buses plying the length of the otherwise-pedestrianised 16th Street Mall. Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains both serve Denver.

--Summary--
Denver is well ahead of all the other parts of the USA I've visited with regards to transport. The public transport is frequent and cheap, and the airport is well-organised and welcoming. It all helps make your trip that much more enjoyable.

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