Winter Park Express: Denver-Winter Park Ski Train

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 11:31 pm

electricron wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 12:41 am I do not understand how baggage claims at Denver International Airport has anything to do with Amtrak's Ski Train.
May I suggest taking the California Zephyr to downtown Denver instead?

Read the OPs remark: His wife said NO.

Great
Since when has railraod.net turned into airline.net?

ryanwc wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2024 2:49 pm
The usefulness of the ski train seems mostly limited to Denverites, given it's sparse service and downtown terminus. If it were just me and my wife, maybe, but with the kids, getting from DIA to Denver Union Station with skis and luggage adds just enough to logistics that I can't see doing it. (Or rather, can't see convincing my wife.)

The new Denver heavy rail airport line goes directly from the airport to the DUS terminal, one track over (maybe 3) from the Ski Train. This assumes a same day connection which might be rough given the ski train leaves at 7am. That means you would have to land at like 5am, thus leaving Chicago at 3am. Probably not workable unless you stay in Denver overnight near the station. The new Crawford hotel is nice but expensive.

ryanwc wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2024 2:49 pmThere's so much traffic on the road over the Berthoud Pass and so little chance of expanding the roadway, and yet the train and bus options are really not great. To meet up with us after arriving late, my nephew took a $150 Uber (after tip).

There is no easy win here and it makes the whole trip a lot less fun. When we were in our 20's we'd rent a car for the group, but thats a lot harder with spouses and kids now. So everbody has to rent their own car, rental cars can get sparse on big weekends... the mountain express bus is EXPENSIVE. And lift tickets are obscene as well now.