Getting to Boulder

Boulder is conveniently located on the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains. Its proximity to Denver, an hour to the south, makes it easy to reach by a variety of transportation options including by air, bus and car. Once in the town itself, you can get around on foot or by bicycle to see most of the interesting sights, but renting a car will greatly help if you plan to venture into the mountains or go anywhere outside of downtown Boulder.

By car

The Boulder Turnpike (US 36) veers off of I-25 north of Denver, offering an easy driving route should you rent a car at Denvers international airport. Interstate 25 is a major north-south highway that connects Boulder with New Mexico to the south and Wyoming to the north. There are also numerous smaller roads which lead to Boulder from the interior of the Rocky Mountains and other destinations around the Great Plains.

By rail

Americas train company, Amtrak (tel: +1 303 534 2812), provides passenger rail service into Denver. The California Zephyr line, which runs daily between Chicago and San Francisco, makes a stop in downtown Denver. From there, you can find alternative transportation to Boulder.

By bus

Boulder is well-connected to the rest of the country by bus via Greyhound (tel: +1 800 229 9424), which makes stops in nearly every town in America. Travelling by coach may be rather slow, but if youve got the time, its the cheapest form of transportation and it lets you see more of the country.

The RTD, as the local public transportation service is known, provides bus service throughout Boulder and to the Denver metropolitan area. The central bus terminal, called the Boulder Transit Center, is located in the heart of downtown. Here you can catch a bus to just about anywhere in the region. The city also runs a shuttle bus called the HOP, which connects downtown, University Hill and Pearl Street areas. The HOP is a great way to get between short distances, as it only serves the main tourist areas.

By air

There is no air service into Boulder. The nearest airport is in Denver, about an hours drive to the south, from where you can take ground transportation to Boulder. Denver International Airport is the major air hub for Colorado and much of the region. It handles millions of passengers each year from destinations around America and all over the world.

Denvers impressive tent-like terminal has all the facilities a traveller needs including ATMs, currency exchange desks and a post office. The Quest Business Center is located on Concourse B to assist with any business needs, and over 14,000 parking spaces are situated in the two short-term car parks for use by those who decide to drive to the airport.

There are several ways to get directly from Denvers airport to Boulder including by shuttle van, taxi, limousine or public bus. The cheapest and most convenient way is to take one of the private shuttle services, which take a small number of passengers straight to their hotel. The only disadvantage is that your destination may not be the first one they stop at.

Boulder Yellow Cab and Boulder Limousine Service both offer exclusive private door-to-door transportation, but taxis cost significantly more than the shuttle vans. The cheapest option is to take the RTD, Boulders public bus system, which drops passengers off in the downtown area. This method is easy and convenient, but if you have a lot of baggage, it is not the best option. Denver Airports Ground Transportation Information Center, which is located in the Baggage Claim area, can help arriving visitors to arrange all of these transportation methods.

Taxis

Boulder Yellow Cab is the only taxi company in town. They wont stop for you if you hail them on the street, and there are no taxi stands in the city. You can call them 24 hours a day for a pick up (tel: +1 303 777 7777).