A local’s guide to the I-70 corridor getting from Denver to Vail — transportation options, the towns people don’t know about, and what to do once you get there.
Nobody warns you about the drive.
You land in Denver, grab your bags, and assume Vail is a quick hop up the mountain. It is not. Depending on traffic, weather, and time of year, you are looking at anywhere from one and a half to three hours of driving through the Rocky Mountains before you pull into Vail. I have done this drive more times than I can count. I have also picked up my brother from the airport after closing a bar at 2am, shown up thirty minutes late, and listened to him give me a hard time about it ever since. Now I send people on the bus.
Here is everything you need to know — how to get there, what you are driving through, and what the towns along the way are actually like.
Understanding the I-70 Corridor from Denver to Vail
Most people think of Vail as a single destination. It is actually one stop on a long stretch of mountain towns running west from Denver along I-70, each with its own personality, price point, and reason to stop. Understanding the geography makes the whole trip make more sense.
You leave Denver airport, merge onto I-70 West, and stay on it for the next 100-plus miles. Here is what you pass through:
Loveland and Loveland Pass
The first ski mountain you hit is Loveland — a smaller, no-frills mountain that locals love precisely because it is not Vail. Right after Loveland you climb Loveland Pass, which is your first taste of real mountain driving. If there is weather, this is where you will first feel it. The road bends, the elevation climbs, and you get your first sense of what the rest of the drive is going to demand of you.
Summit County — Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain
Past Loveland Pass you drop into Summit County, which is its own universe of ski resorts. Keystone and Breckenridge are both here, along with Copper Mountain a little further west. If you are staying in this area you have already arrived. If you are heading to Vail, keep going.
Vail Pass
This is the one people underestimate. After Summit County you climb again — up and over Vail Pass at over 10,000 feet. Your engine will work for it. Then you come back down the other side, which is a long, steep descent that requires attention and respect, especially in snow or ice. I have watched people arrive in Vail looking like they needed a drink just to recover from the drive. If you are not comfortable with mountain driving, the shuttle or bus is genuinely the better call.
Vail
You come over the pass and drop back down into the 8,000-foot range and suddenly Vail appears. The town is divided into three sections along the highway: East Vail, Main Vail, and West Vail. East and West Vail are primarily residential with some grocery stores and accommodations. Main Vail is where all the action is — it sits between Vail Village and Lionshead, the two main base areas of the mountain, and is where the bulk of the restaurants, bars, and hotels are concentrated. If someone tells you their hotel is in Vail, make sure you know which part. If you are staying in East or West Vail there is a free bus service to the mountain that you can take all your ski gear and during the seasons runs pretty frequent from morning till almost midnight.
Minturn
A few miles past Vail on I-70 you will see the exit for Minturn — a tiny, largely overlooked mountain town that is absolutely worth a detour for dinner. It has real character, lower prices than Vail, and some genuinely excellent restaurants including a BBQ spot where I worked for a season Kirby Cosmos. More on Minturn in the dining guide.
Avon and Beaver Creek
Keep going west and you hit Avon, which is the town that services Beaver Creek ski resort. Beaver Creek itself is a self-contained ski village on the mountain with its own hotels, restaurants, and that legendary Bachelor Gulch apres scene. But Avon below it is a proper local town — grocery stores, affordable restaurants, a less polished but more lived-in version of Vail. A lot of people who work in the resort industry live in Avon because it is cheaper and still close to everything.
Edwards
A few more miles west is Edwards, which is where a lot of the area’s money quietly lives. There are high-end neighborhoods tucked into the surrounding hills, a small but excellent restaurant scene, and a more neighborhood feel than the resort towns. It is not a ski town exactly but it is close enough to both Vail and Beaver Creek to make it a solid base, and the dining options here are some of the best in the whole corridor.
Eagle Gypsum and Glenwood Springs
Continue west past Wolcott and you reach Eagle, which has become the go-to town for locals who cannot afford to live closer to the mountain. It is growing fast, with good mountain biking trails, a climbing gym, and a genuinely local feel that the resort towns have mostly lost. Past Eagle you hit Gypsum, a little cheaper and still growing as more people get priced out of the valley. With that growth has come some solid restaurants and breweries, and yes, a Costco, which is a bigger deal than it sounds when the nearest one used to be an hour away. Keep going west and you eventually reach Glenwood Springs, which sits at the other end of the famous Glenwood Canyon, one of the most dramatic drives in Colorado. Glenwood has the hot springs, a Target, and actual shopping infrastructure that the resort towns lack. A lot of locals make the drive out here for their big grocery runs.
Your Three Options for Getting There
Option 1: Rent a Car
Renting a car gives you the most flexibility. You can stop wherever you want on the drive, detour through Idaho Springs for a meal, spend a night in Denver, and once you are in the valley you can drive to Edwards for dinner or out to Glenwood Springs for the hot springs without depending on anyone else.
For a group it makes a lot of sense, you split the cost and the freedom is worth it. For a solo traveler or a couple, the math gets harder. Car rentals add up, gas is expensive in mountain towns, and parking at Vail hotels is notorious, some properties charge substantial nightly parking fees, so check before you book if you are planning to drive.
The drive itself is beautiful but demands respect. You are gaining and losing serious elevation, the roads bend, and sections are almost always under construction. In winter conditions it is a different experience entirely. Anyone can do it, just go in knowing what it is.
Option 2: Epic Mountain Express Shuttle
Epic Mountain Express is the most convenient door-to-door Denver to Vail option and is owned by Vail Resorts. When you book you enter your flight information and destination. They meet you at the airport, load your luggage, and drive you directly to your hotel or rental with stops along the way to drop off other passengers.
When you land, exit the terminal, cross to the transportation pickup area, and look for your van. Denver airport is well marked for this. Drivers make bathroom stops if needed but it is a pretty direct trip.
If you have an Epic Pass you get a discount on the shuttle. If you know someone who works for the mountain, ask them, employee discounts sometimes apply. The downside is cost, especially for a group, since it is priced per person. If your flight is delayed and you miss your shuttle they will work to get you on the next one, but you may wait.
Option 3: The Bus (Bustang or Pegasus)
The cheapest option by far and honestly not as intimidating as it sounds. Total cost including the airport tram runs around $30 per person. Here is how the bus from Denver to Vail works:
When you land, follow signs for the airport train. Take it to the north exit, escalator down to the tracks. The train runs every 30 minutes and drops you at Denver Union Station, a beautiful old train hall worth a coffee stop. On the other side of the station, down a flight of stairs, are the bus terminals. Look for Bustang or Pegasus heading west toward Grand Junction. That is your bus.
Bustang and Pegasus are run by the same company, Pegasus is slightly more expensive and more van-like, Bustang is the full coach. Both stop in Vail, then continue west through Avon, Eagle, and on to Glenwood Springs. Your ticket is good for 30 days and you buy it as general admission, so you have real flexibility on timing.
The bus works beautifully for solo travelers and couples. For a family of five, do the math, at $30 a head you are at $300 round trip and a car rental might actually come out ahead. Know the schedule before you book your flights: the last westbound bus from Denver Union Station to Vail departs at 5:15 PM, arriving around 7:35 PM. If you are landing in the afternoon, plan accordingly, a late flight likely means an overnight in Denver and a morning bus the next day. On the return, the last eastbound bus leaves Vail at 8:30 PM and reaches Denver Union Station by 11:00 PM, which works well if you want a full final ski day before heading home. The first bus of the day leaves Denver Union Station at 6:00 AM and reaches Vail by 8:20 AM, which is great if you want to maximize your first day on the mountain. Buses run roughly every 45 minutes throughout the day in both directions. The schedule runs daily and is consistent on major holidays including Memorial Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Denver Union Station has great hotels right on site if you do end up needing an overnight.
Once You Are There: Getting Around the Valley
Vail has a free bus system that runs between Vail Village, Lionshead, and East and West Vail. For trips further down the valley there is the ECO Transit system, which connects the whole corridor and is more useful than most visitors realize.
The Valley Route runs from Vail all the way to Dotsero with stops in Avon, Edwards, Eagle, Gypsum, and Eagle County Regional Airport. The Highway 6 Route connects Vail to Edwards with stops in Avon and Eagle-Vail and is the one locals use most for work, errands, and getting to dinner without driving. There is also a Leadville Route that connects Vail to Leadville with stops in Minturn and Red Cliff, though it runs less frequently so it is not ideal if your schedule does not align with the departures.
Fares are only required when traveling to or from Eagle County Regional Airport, Gypsum, or Leadville. All other routes are fare-free. Riders 18 and under travel free on all routes through the end of the 2026-2027 winter season.
Most hotels also offer complimentary shuttle service to restaurants and around town. Always ask when you check in and tip your driver. They know things that do not show up on any website.
Ubers exist in Vail but supply is thin. The town has had a worker shortage for years which means fewer drivers. Do not count on grabbing one on short notice late at night. Taxis are reliable but expensive — I once paid $70 for a 15 minute ride from Vail Village to Avon because at midnight they have the upper hand and they know it. With a group splitting a van it becomes more reasonable but go in knowing the late night transportation situation is not in your favor.
Worth the Drive: Things to Do Beyond the Ski Mountain
Glenwood Hot Springs
About 45 minutes west of Vail through the stunning Glenwood Canyon, the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs pools are one of the best non-ski days you can have in this valley. Around $25 per person gets you access to a series of pools at varying temperatures fed by natural mineral springs. When it is cold outside and you are surrounded by canyon walls with steam rising off the water it is genuinely spectacular. Take the highway when the roads are clear, bring a towel, and plan to spend a few hours.
Four Eagle Ranch, Wolcott
If you are traveling with family or want something different from skiing, Four Eagle Ranch in Walcott runs sleigh ride dinners in winter — you go out on a sleigh ride around the property and come back to a sit-down dinner with live entertainment. The property is beautiful and in summer expands to horseback tours, zip lining, and off-road vehicles. Worth knowing about if you have a non-skier in your group or just want a different kind of night.
Eagle
Eagle has a climbing gym if you want to stay active on a rest day, good local restaurants, and a growing food and drink scene without the resort prices. Worth a drive out if you are staying for a week and want to see what the valley actually looks like when it is not performing for tourists.
The Honest Summary
Solo traveler or couple on a budget: take the bus. It is easy, cheap, and the train through Denver Union Station is actually a nice way to start a mountain trip.
Group of three or more: run the numbers on a rental car versus the shuttle and decide based on how much you want to drive once you are there. If you plan to stay mostly in Vail and use the free bus, the shuttle wins. If you want to explore Edwards, Minturn, and Glenwood, the car wins.
First time driving from Denver to Vail: go in knowing the pass is real, leave extra time in winter, and enjoy the fact that the drive itself is one of the more beautiful things you will do on this trip. Just maybe do not offer to pick anyone up from the airport the morning after closing a bar. Ask me how I know.
