How to Go Skiing in Colorado Without a Car
One of the complaints that I had for the longest time about Colorado was lack of easy access to the mountains. If you’ve ever met Coloradans (Denverites) who’ve never been to the mountains-that likely happened during the time when we didn’t have deliberate, consistent transit service to the mountains.
Those times have changed. If you’re from Denver or are looking to visit Denver and go on a car free ski trip, it’s possible. Here’s How to go skiing in Colorado without a car. I’m sharing what I do, some things to consider and why these changes to regional transit are a game changer and a gift to ski enthusiasts, mountain tourism as a business and Coloradans.
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Best Time to Book a Car Free Ski Trip to Denver
Are you in the process of booking your flight to Denver? You’d like to go car free and aren’t sure if it’s possible to do-especially during ski season? Fortunately, Denver is a great place to travel all year long without a car. But, there are a few things to consider before you finalize your trip details.
- Are you bringing your gear with you? Or, will you rent your gear once you arrive?
- Skis
- Snowboard
- What other items are you bringing with you.
- Which mountain with transit accessibility has the best Aprés Ski vibes? I have some thoughts.
The early you make your plans, the better. While some locations experience a dip in demand during the winter months, locations with a ski industry (such as Colorado) do not.
Get Some Travel Insurance
Always a good idea for a ski trip! Travel Insurance-Check your insurance coverage and pick up some additional travel insurance-Skiing is not without some measure of risk. Check out what it does and does not cover.
Cowtown Denver Newsletter
Going to Ski Resorts in Colorado Without a Car
I hate driving in the mountains during the winter. I grew up in Colorado and I have finally thrown my hands up in the air and just said F#ck it! I’m not going to do it. Why do I hate driving in the mountains during the winter?
- Heavy ski traffic starts on Thursdays through Sunday-it’s literally mind boggling how bad it has gotten.
- Winter driving conditions suck-I do no not like driving steep grades at high speeds during the winter. I typically use a different route to go to the mountains that is much easier to drive-but I still have to go over a mountain pass to get to my final destination.
- We have buses to the mountains now! There’s fairly reliable public transit to the ski resorts that I want to visit.
How to Go Skiing in Colorado Without a Car: Bustang
Several years ago a new transit system called Bustang. I am a HUGE fan of Bustang and use it regularly to visit the mountains throughout the year. What makes Bustang so great is the following:
- Ease of use-If you’re in Denver you can board the bus at Union Stations bus depot-located below the station. Before you board you can enjoy Union Station’s amenities, eat at a restaurant in the venue or nearby and grab a great cup of local coffee to enjoy during your ride up the mountains.
- It’s affordable-The price is hard to beat. I typically pay $24 round-trip to go to Breckenridge.
- All of the locations served-It’s amazing to think of all of the towns served throughout the state by Bustang.
- Amenities included on the bus-The most important one for me is the bathroom. The second most important is internet service.The bathrooms have always been immaculate when I’ve needed to use them. The internet is not always reliable. In fact, I would say that the internet service is one of the weakest aspects of the Bustang service. If they manage to fix this issue and have it consistent across the fleet-I would have very little to complain about.
Ride Snowstang
Snowstang is specifically run throughout the ski season. As the name implies, it’s specifically a winter route with a focus on ski resort services. Here is a list of the current resorts served by Snowstang.
- Arapahoe Basin (Ikon)
- Breckenridge (Epic)
- Copper Mountain (Ikon)
- Loveland (Powder Alliance)
- Steamboat Springs (Ikon)
This direct service also eliminates the need to transfer if you directly to Frisco. Many of these locations are served by the free Summit Stage transit system that will take you to the Frisco Transportation Center. After a day of skiing you could head there and stay in: Frisco, Breckenridge, Vail or Silverthorne.
7 Hotels or Bougie Hostels I Recommend Staying At When You’re On a Car Free Ski Trip
I’ve picked a few hotels and bougie hostels (several that I’ve stayed at) that are all served by public transit. These places are also close to your favorite slopes.
- Gravity Haus-Breckenridge
- Curious About Gravity Haus Memberships? I’ll be adding a post about that soon.
- The Bivvi-Breckenridge
- Gravity Haus-Vail
- The Hythe Hotel-Vail
- The Bunkhouse-Vail
- The Pad-Silverthorne
- 5 minute free shuttle ride to Frisco Transportation Center
- Hotel Indigo IHG Hotels-Silverthorn
- 5 minute free shuttle ride to Frisco Transportation Center
Don’t Forget Pegasus (Vail Resort)
Coloradans have a thing for cute names for their transit routes. Pegasus is a smaller shuttle that is used for direct ski resort service. I like Pegasus because it’s has a lot fewer passengers on it and the price is the same as Bustang. The goal with Pegasus is to provide more direct ski service to the following resorts:
- Frisco
- Vail
- Avon
I really like the Pegasus service. Probably the one downside to it is that there is no restroom in the van. If you’re trapped on the highway-that could become an issue. Also, I’m not sure if it has internet service. But, if you’re looking for nimble transit up the I-70 corridor, Pegasus is it.
Best Practices When Using Bustang
If you’re going on a car free ski trip in Colorado and are using Bustang/Snowstang or Pegasus I have some best practices that I strongly encourage you to embrace.
- Review purchasing information several weeks prior to your trip.
- Download the Bustang App-It’s very easy to use and intuitive.
- Buy your digital tickets EARLY!!! Summer and Winter are busy seasons for this service and it serves residents and tourists. Don’t be left out in the cold. Drivers are able to reference a list and will prioritize passengers who pre-purchased their seats.
- Follow the alerts-Things may happen with the service:
- A bus run may be cancelled (has never happened to me-but, it can happen) this typically is due to bad weather like a snow storm, a rock slide or an accident on the highway.
- Buses are running but may encounter a delay due to one of the issues mentioned above.
- Bring snacks, something to drink and something to entertain yourself that isn’t dependent on the internet. Sometimes the internet doesn’t work.
- Your phone might have limited connectivity as you make your way through the mountains.
- People are typically pretty chill on Bustang. But, it is public transit. For every 20 rides I’ve taken one may have a harmless weirdo. Keeping it real LOL!
- Throw your trash away. Please respect the bus/bus driver and other patrons by throwing your trash away in the trashcan located at the front of the bus.
I’ve ridden Bustang for years and I’m a huge fan of the service. It’s easy to use, affordable and intuitive. However, it is public transit. If you’re new to using public transit that just means that it’s on you to review your routes, service to your destination and any bus transfers that you be doing (especially if you’re using the Outrider service to Telluride or local buses that require a transfer to towns like Aspen).
Have a sense of adventure and you’ll enjoy the experience. Expect the system to run like transportation that you find in Seoul, Paris or Tokyo-you’ll be disappointed LOL!
Bringing Your Gear on Bustang
Bustang and Snowstang, in particular, are regular sized coach buses. So, they typically have plenty of storage available for your gear. BUT, if you don’t reserve your seat at least a day or so in advance-you and your gear might end up waiting for the next bus going up the mountain.
Make sure your gear is in its own bag and neatly together so that it’s easy to remove when you’re departing the bus.
Colorado Public Transit Centers Served By Bustang
I think it’s important to point out some of the transit centers where you’ll be waiting to board or depart your Bustang.
- Denver’s Union Station-I absolutely love Union Station and I continue to be amazed at the thoughtful repurposing of the space. You’ll find restaurants, Whole Foods a block away, a CVS nearby and it’s within walking distance of several notable Denver venues, banks/atms, restaurants and coffee shops. If you have a few hours to burn, I recommend exploring these places which are within walking distance of Union Station and the RTD transit hub located adjacent (and downstairs) from Union Station
- Dairy Block
- McGregor Square
- The Wild-a coffee shop across the street. It’s bougie and I love it.
- Frisco Transit Center-Summit County tore down the old transit center and built a new one. This new one is lovely. It has a freaking fireplace! The transit center is immaculate and it’s also within walking distance to Whole Foods, Walmart, Outer Range Brewery, Bird Craft Chicken (delicious) and Mountain Dweller Coffee Shop.
- Vail Transportation Center-If you’re hungry when you arrive make sure to head to La Cantina Mexican restaurant which is inside the center. Yummy and really affordable food too. You can then hop on the free shuttle that takes you closest to wherever you’re staying while in town.
Yes, It’s Possible to Go Skiing in Colorado Without a Car
And, it has gotten easier to do over the years. One thing I didn’t mention was joining local ski groups that often offer car pooling to the slopes. If you opt to do this make sure to be ready on time and pay for gas or treat your driver.
Looking forward to seeing you on the slopes!