Buses to and from Denver International Airport (DEN)

Denver International Airport, also known as DIA, and by the airport code of DEN, is located approximately 25 miles, or 40km from downtown Denver, a city in the state of Colorado, America. The airport is large, handling around 52 million passengers per annum, and is a hub for the airline company United Airlines, as well as a few others such as Frontier Airlines and Great Lake Airlines. Passengers can travel to or from the airport by public airport buses that are frequently available.  Denver buses are also considered to be a cost efficient form of transport available to passengers, and a good way to travel to various destinations from the airport.

The airport has one large terminal building and three concourses. The terminal is named as the Elry B. Jeppesen Terminal, in honour of an aviation safety pioneer, and the concourses are lettered A, B and C. The terminal is quite far from the concourses, therefore a people mover train is in operation, to link passengers to their departure gates at the various concourses. Terminal A, however, which is the concourse for international flights, can also be accessed by a large pedestrian bridge that is high enough for airplanes to pass beneath it. Passengers arriving at any of the concourses will travel to the main terminal, and will find the airport buses on Level 5, which is the level of the Jeppesen Terminal from where the majority of ground transport options are found. Level 6 is the departure level of the airport. The Denver International Airport buses provide transport to a number of city locations, and are reasonably priced.

The RTD Buses

The public buses are operated by the company RTD, or Regional Transportation District. There are five bus routes to and from the airport that are specifically provided with airport passengers in mind, as they have ample room for luggage. The coaches are also clean and comfortable. SkyRide is the name given to the public buses at the airport. Arriving passengers will find the skyRide buses at Level 5, Island 5, and outside doors 507-511 on the east side of the terminal, and outside doors 506-510 on the west side of the terminal. Passengers travelling to the airport will also be dropped at the same location.

The skyRide bus services are frequently available from the airport, as they leave at least once an hour, and even every fifteen minutes during peak times of the airport. There is no reservation required for their services, and bus tickets can be purchased from the skyRide sales counter in the ground transportation area of the west terminal (Level 5 inside door 506). A number of RTD kiosks are also available in the main terminal. RTD at Denver Airport provides their customers with schedules for the bus services, and further information regarding travelling with RTD. Passengers who would like more information before they arrive at the airport can visit http://www.rtd-denver.com, or contact the company at the following telephone number: 303-299-6000. An email address for enquiries is cismail@rtd-denver.com.

The public buses from Denver Airport will cost just $9.00, $11.00 or $13.00 for a one-way ticket, depending on the destination required. The exact change should be provided when purchasing a ticket at the airport. The buses run from approximately 03:30am to 01:00am, with the last bus leaving shortly after 01:00am. Passengers can take the AA bus for transport to Westminster, Northglenn, Thornton and Commerce City, the AB bus for travel to Boulder, Louisville, Superior, Broomfield and Westminster, the AF bus for Lakewood, downtown Denver (Market Street Union) and Northeast Denver and the AS bus for Northeast Denver as well. The fifth airport bus runs to Greenwood Village, Southeast Denver and Central Aurora, and is referred to as AT. All bus routes are available in the opposite direction as well, to Denver International Airport, at frequent times. All Denver buses are accessible to disabled passengers.

An additional two bus services operated by RTD are the Airport Limited buses and the Airport Express buses, which are regular public buses that are not really meant for carrying luggage. These buses are mostly used by airport employees, and travel to and from South and East Aurora, Northeast Denver and Brighton.

Denver International Airport buses – Commuter shuttles, Mountain carriers, Charter buses and Hotel shuttles

From DIA, commuter shuttles, or shared-ride services, are available from several companies, as well as charter bus services and shuttles that carry passengers to the popular ski and mountain resorts nearby Denver. Commuter shuttle services are available from Level 5 of the Jeppesen Terminal, Island 3, outside doors 505-507 on the east side and doors 510-512 on the west side. The companies include Denver Metro Express, Shuttle and Limousine, Greeley Shuttle, Super Shuttle International Denver, Aspen Express Airport Shuttle and many more. The mountain carriers are services which should generally be pre-arranged, and are found on Level 5, Island 2, outside doors 507-511 on the east side and doors 506-510 on the west side. The bus operators include Colorado Mountain Express, Colorado Tour Transportation LLC, Estes Valley Transport, Fresh Tracks Transportation, Go Alpine and Golden West Airport Shuttle.

Charter bus companies offer travel from Denver Airport to a wide number of locations within Colorado, and to cities in surrounding states as well. A reservation is usually required for their service. The buses collect passengers on Level 5, Island 5, outside doors 505-507 on the east side of the terminal, and outside doors 510-512 on the west side. Charter companies available include Ace Express, All Aboard America, Americoach of Cheyenne, Arrow Stage Lines, Charter of the Rockies, Colorado Charter Lines and many others.

Hotel shuttles are also provided by many of the nearby places of accommodation, and are free of charge. A reservation for the shuttle should be made when booking a hotel room. Some of the hotels offering transport services include the Aloft Denver International Airport, Baymont Inn and Suites, Cambria Suites, the Comfort Inn Denver International Airport, Country Inn and Suites, the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the Courtyard. Hotel shuttles collect passengers from Level 5, Island 3, outside door 511 on the east side and door 506 on the west side of the terminal.

The Ground Transportation Information Counter is found in the central area on Level 5 of the Jeppesen Terminal, and is able to provide further information regarding the Denver International Airport buses. The Ground Transport Counter is open from 06:00 to 23:30, seven days a week, and may be contacted at (303)342-4059.