Public Transport is a great service in Denver at an affordable price. You can use RTD buses and light rails to go pretty much anywhere you want to.
Cost
Fees will usually be $2.25 if you are in the Denver area but can increase if your destination is farther. Be sure to carry exact change as the drivers DO NOT provide change. You can also buy a 10 ride local pass book at Union or Civic Center Station for $20. If your destination requires you to change bus routes or will take less than three hours, ask your bus driver for a transfer (they will give you a rectangular paper) and with it you can change routes as many times as needed for the following three hours.
The Ride
Learn how to ride RTD Here! The bus ride is a very comfortable experience. You can almost always find a place to sit and there is space for large bags or suitcases. They also offer special seating spots to people with wheelchairs. You can even ride with your bike! RTD bus drivers announce stops with connecting routes. The stops will always be displayed on a LED board located over the driver so it is very easy to know the next stop. To signal your stop just pull on the yellow cord located over the windows. RTD bus drivers are very friendly so if you aren’t feeling confident as to where you should step off, ask your driver and they will help.
During week days, buses usually run every 10-15 minutes but during the weekends it can extend to every 30 minutes which is why I recommend to plan your trip ahead of time especially during Sundays.
A typical RTD bus in action.
Planning your Trip
The RTD Denver website offers an excellent “Trip Planner” option where the recommended route will be displayed once you enter your location, destination and the time you need to arrive at your destination. Google Maps is also a good option to plan your trip as it displays the route options, when the next bus is supposed to arrive, how long it will take to reach your destination and the name of your stop. Each bus contains brochures of their route map and schedule. For mobile tools on planning your trip click HERE.
Taking the bus to/from the airport
If you want to catch the bus from the airport to downtown Denver and vice versa you can use the Sky Ride route AF (AF is the ONLY route that arrives in downtown Denver!). Fare will be $11 and the bus leaves/arrives from Union Station located right in the heart of downtown.
Visit the complete website for more information: http://www.rtd-denver.com/
This red sign indicates RTD bus stops