Denver is popular among residents and visitors in the city that is located in the South Platte River Valley and near the famed Rocky Mountains.
Denver, an urban metropolis with a history traced back to the era of the Old West is small and vibrant, and popularly called the Mile High City because it’s really easy to navigate without a car if you live within the heart of it. So, it’s common to see visitors and residents do so. Denver is widely regarded as the fittest city in the world because of the fact that people like to get up and get about.
But if you’re looking to access the city’s edges and memorable places at the outskirts, you have to do more than just walking. The city’s transportation system has fallen a bit short in recent times, but there’s still a lot of options to travel around Denver with relative ease asides from walking.
Ways of getting around Denver
Car Rental Service
Car rental in Denver CO is a great effortless way to navigate the city if you’re visiting and need to get to places fast, say for business, and want to avoid the high cab costs. Renting a car here is among the cheapest in the country and you get lots of equally cheap parking spots. If you want to get to the Rocky Mountains to see the sights, opt for car rental in Denver CO. It’s also great for road trips around the area and general getting around. Keep in mind though, that private car rental services are much cheaper than airport rentals.
Taxi
If you’re visiting and not using a car rental service, taxis are the next best way to traverse the city to save time and energy. Hail a cab from the curb, in front of a hotel, or call in advance. It’s comfortable but one of the pricier options as cab fares quickly add up. You start each ride at $2.50 and pay an extra $2.25 for every mile you cover after the first. You also have to pay $1 per extra passenger. Apart from the city cabs, services like Uber also operate here.
Light Rail
The light rail is run by the Regional Transportation District and consists of nine lines that traverse 53 stations in downtown Denver and its surrounding suburbs. Light rail service runs from 4 AM up until 2 AM with slight variations per route. Train fares vary with routes but are flexible across fare zones between as little as $2.40 – $4.50
Airport Rail
The airport rail is a very cheap means of travelling from the airport to Union Station, and you can get a seat for as little as $9 for a round trip. The rail features superfast response times as each train leaves every 15 minutes between the hours of 6 in the morning to 8 at night.
Bus
Also managed by RTD, the bus service has 125 routes through Denver, suburbs and nearby communities. Buses are available 24/7, 365 days a year. One way trips are cheap and typically range between $2.40 and $4.50 depending on the zones (intra or inter zonal transport). You pay in cash; no change. There’s a free bus route if you intend travelling along 16th Street Mall to Civic Center and Union stations.