Denver Union Station to Denver Airport Questions

[PVD]

Something else to consider... cashless tolls on the tollway from the airport to I-25 the car rental companies will include a toll-pass for a per day fee, which may be a rip off if you only use the tollway once or twice, but have the car for any length of time. Some companies will mail you a bill for the tolls if you don't take the transponder, along with an "administrative fee" You can bypass the tollway, but it will often add quite a bit oftime to a DIA to springs trip.
https://www.e-470.com/Pages/HowE470Works/Rental-Cars.aspx

 

[basketmaker]

Something else to consider... cashless tolls on the tollway from the airport to I-25 the car rental companies will include a toll-pass for a per day fee, which may be a rip off if you only use the tollway once or twice, but have the car for any length of time. Some companies will mail you a bill for the tolls if you don't take the transponder, along with an "administrative fee" You can bypass the tollway, but it will often add quite a bit oftime to a DIA to springs trip.
https://www.e-470.com/Pages/HowE470Works/Rental-Cars.aspx

Excellent point! E-470 isn't cheap either. $13.35 from DIA to I-25 South. From the airport 31 minutes via E-470 toll and 34 minutes via Pena/I-225 no tolls. Though a lot lower chance of delay via E-470. From Union Station it is 22 minutes to the same point south on I-25.

 

[PVD]

Because of the delay possibility, if you are from out of the area, they will usually point you to E-470. It also comes up on a GPS because it's a bit faster and shorter. I usually take the train,but one of the times I flew out with a friend who was also attending the USA Hockey Congress. Pick up the car and head out. My friend tells me I should go faster, I'm driving like an old lady, we'll never get to our meetings. I pick up the pace, and about 20 seconds later I see red lights in my rear view mirror. Luckily, my traveling companion was a decorated detective, and a good talker, and the Denver officer extended courtesy to my friend (he admitted to pushing me to drive faster) and sent us on our way....

 

[Notelvis]

Another consideration if coming in off a late #6 and then commuter railing to the airport is that the rental cars at DIA are WAAAAAAY off-site. As in another 10 minutes by shuttle bus AFTER your 35ish minute ride out to the airport.

I have had much better success (and I do go out to Colorado about once every two or three years for the narrow gauge steam railroads) over the years finding rental car rates at the Colorado Springs airport. Perhaps, if you have the flexibility, you might want to reorient your trip to fly into Colorado Springs, do the car rental there, and then bus up to Denver and catch #5 home from there.

And yes....... I have done the bus, the $65.00 cab (coming in dog tired off a late #6), and the new commuter rail all in Denver. In spite of the glitches, the new rail rocks!

 

[PVD]

Thats not a bad plan, either, but is partially dependent on where the flight would originate from. If the option ends up being fly to DIA and connect to an RJ for the run to COS, that is a short but often unpleasant flight. I used to go non-stop LGA-DIA and srive, by the time I waited for my connection and flew to the Springs I could be there anyway. I was given the option to change in Chicago to go direct Springs, but that would put me on the CRJ for 3 hours