 Poster: A snowHead
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We're going to Breckenridge next Easter for 2 weeks - any advice on hiring/not hiring a car? We arrive in Denver around 6pm so can either
a) stay over night in Denver then hire car next day & drive to Breckenridge
b) hire car on day we arrive & drive straight to Breckenridge (not favouring this at present due to tiredness after the long journey)
c) transfer coach from Denver to Breckenridge & hire car from Frisco during stay if needed
Any advice would be appreciated
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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blizt, I'd say take the transfer coach, unless there are 4 of you, in which case a car could be cheaper. From Breck you can get to a lot of the other resorts on shuttle buses (or at least you used to) to the likes of Keystone, Frisco, etc.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Assuming two or more travelling, cheapest option is hire a car one way to Breck and ditch it there. Hire again on days you need to go to Vail, and hire again for the trip back to Denver. You can probably figure that out by comparing cost of either options. The only thing I'll add is
1) the drive to Breck is relatively straight forward, on good roads.
2) hiring usually are cheaper for "weekly" so for the two weeks you'll spend there, you might want to have a car for the 2nd week so that you can go to Vail and Beaver Creek. Then drive back to Denver and drop it at the airport.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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blizt, you can't beat having a car for those hours from 3am when you're alone with your jetlag and fancy getting out. You can hang out down at the gas station and drink coffee, go for a drive, find a decent breakfast place etc. Car's handy for trips down to Silverthorne factory stores or easily getting around the nearby resorts (you might fancy night skiing at Keystone for example). You can get away without one, esp if staying up by the lifts (Great Divide or similar) but it's just more convenient having one handy. Worth dossing in Denver on the first night esp if the road conditions are iffy. Better setting off fresh & early but somehow I never heed my own advice - hate unpacking, reloading etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm with Bode Swiller. When we went to Breck we used the car much more than we expected - day trips to neighbouring resorts, stop-offs such as Silverthorne on the journey to and from Breck, the occasional supermarket run, a couple of restaurant trips, etc.
You don't actually need your own transport in Breck, but American life is built around the car. Unless you're really weatching your pennies, I'd get one.
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| abc wrote: |
Assuming two or more travelling, cheapest option is hire a car one way to Breck and ditch it there. Hire again on days you need to go to Vail, and hire again for the trip back to Denver. You can probably figure that out by comparing cost of either options. The only thing I'll add is
1) the drive to Breck is relatively straight forward, on good roads.
2) hiring usually are cheaper for "weekly" so for the two weeks you'll spend there, you might want to have a car for the 2nd week so that you can go to Vail and Beaver Creek. Then drive back to Denver and drop it at the airport. |
It is possible to do your trip without a car, but…how many are in your group and how eager are you to scout out other areas besides Breckenridge? With three or more people it starts to get more economical to hire a car. If there's an interest in visiting Vail, Keystone, Arapaho Basin, etc. a car will be less time consuming then utilizing shuttle bus network. ABC's compromise above may be good one if pricing/availability can be confirmed.
I had a wonderful time at nearby Keystone during Easter week 2007, I wish you similar good luck and weather.
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Last time I was there you could get a free bus to Silverthorne shopping
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Thanks everyone for your advice, I'll contact some car hire places this weekend to get some prices to help make a final decision.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi blizt,
Have done Colorado about eight times now. I'm with Bode Swiller, lucky33 and David Snell and would go for the car option.
As has been said before the US is geared around the car and you'll be able to come and go as you please.
While WTFH is right about shuttles, I always find that they're never there when you want them and you end up getting your butt frozen off waiting.
The other thing is that you can try the resorts in striking distance and not just those on the pass (or "ticket" as our transatlantic cousins call it). I've driven to Steamboat (although it is a long way), Aspen (overnight in a cheap motel in Glenwood Springs and try out the sulphur springs) and Winter Park (worth the trip just to ski a run called Mary Jane's Backside!) or closer in A-Basin and Loveland. If you're there for a fortnight, you might want to consider these options, after all you've come a long way.
Cheers,
CW
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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It bears mentioning that most US car hire firms allow reservations without taking payment. You can cancel quite close to the last minute and thus continually look for better car hire deals via budget, alamo, thrifty, and numerous other car rental companies. When you find a better deal - grab it and drop the first.
FYI: here's an account of my enjoyable Easter '07 visit to the area. http://www.dcski.com/articles/view_article.php?article_id=1022&mode=headlines Did not ski Breck, it's larger than Keystone. I also had a nice, inexpensive day at Loveland ski area on that trip.
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While I'm the first to mention most US resort are very much car-centric, there're times having a car isn't very useful.
- I was at Stowe this past weekend. On Sunday it snow continueously and heavy. It took most people 10-15 min to dig their car out of the snow! In that time, a shuttle bus would usually come and gone. Instead of doing the snow work myself, I took the bus UP the hill but accepted the ride back down. Again, in the time it took (the two of us working together) to dig the car out of its snow tomb, the shuttle bus had come and gone.
- Once you drove your car to the parking at the base, you still have half a mile walk to get from one end of that huge parking lot to the lodge (in many resorts). While a shuttle bus will drop you off right in front of the door.
Having a car is handy. But only if you have plan to use it, like getting to other resorts (which you really should). If you plan to stay put firmly in Breck, there's really not much reason to be saddled with the (cost of the) car.
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You know it makes sense.
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Fair comment by abc, but I really would do the travelling thing since you've gone all that way, and the outlet shopping at Silverthorne & Dillon.
Many resorts have shuttle buses that bring skiers from the car park to the lifts, so it might not be as bad as abc suggests.
Enjoy!
CW
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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