Denver → Beaver Creek
Denver to Beaver Creek Car Service
Beaver Creek sits 132 miles from Denver International, past two passes above 10,000 feet. It also sits 28 miles from a regional airport most visitors never look up.
Elevation profile
- Distance from DEN
- 132 mi
- Typical drive
- 2h 28m
- Elevation
- 8,100 ft
- Climb from DEN
- 5,878 ft
- SUV from
- $550
Passes on this route
- Eisenhower Tunnel 11,158 ft highest vehicular tunnel in the United States
- Vail Pass 10,662 ft
Rates by vehicle
One way, per vehicle — SUV, up to 6 passengers. Taxes, tolls and gratuity included. Photos show the models we drive, not our own cars.
Get a quote for this vehicle
Two airports, two completely different drives
Denver International is 132 miles from the resort. Eagle County Regional (EGE) is 28 miles.
That gap decides more than any vehicle choice does. It also gets decided when you book flights, weeks before anyone thinks about ground transport.
The DEN route
I-70 west, over the Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158 feet, then Vail Pass at 10,662 feet. Beaver Creek lies past Vail, so this drive is the Vail run plus another 12 miles.
Clear roads put the trip near 2h 28m.
We do not publish a peak-weekend number for Beaver Creek. Other routes have a verified one and this route does not. Ask for a current estimate when you request the quote rather than trusting a figure nobody checked.
Why Eagle County reads differently here
28 miles removes the tunnel and Vail Pass from your day entirely.
Every mountain town has a regional-airport argument. On this route the arithmetic is lopsided enough to change the trip: 28 miles against 132, no summits against two.
We run both airports. Name yours in the request, because the rates are not the same.
What $550 buys
From $550 covers an SUV with up to six passengers one way to Beaver Creek. The price attaches to the car, not to the head count.
2 passengers and 6 passengers pay the same number.
9 months of traction law
The law runs September 1 through May 31. That is 9 months, which catches October and May travelers who assume the rules follow the ski calendar.
It covers I-70 between Dotsero and Morrison — every interstate mile of this drive past Morrison. It applies to every passenger vehicle under 16,001 pounds GVWR, all-wheel drive included. Plenty of visitors read AWD as an exemption. It is not one.
Tires need a snowflake, all-weather or M+S rating, plus 3/16 inch of tread minimum. Fail a check and the ticket is $100 with a $33 surcharge. Slide and block the road and it becomes $500 with a $157 surcharge.
Our cars carry legal tires across all 9 months, not only the busy ones.
8,100 feet at the base
Beaver Creek’s base sits at 8,100 feet, 2,820 feet above Denver.
The drive climbs well past that first: the Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158 feet and Vail Pass at 10,662, then down into the valley. For comparison, Breckenridge sits 1,500 feet higher at 9,600.
Standard guidance above 8,000 feet is a maximum gain of 1,000 sleeping feet per night. No ski itinerary respects it. Arriving without 2 hours of mountain driving in your legs is the part you control.
Luggage, measured in cubic feet
A Chevrolet Suburban holds 41.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 98.8 behind the second, and 144.5 with both rows folded.
Ski bags fail on length rather than volume, which is why cargo numbers alone never settle the question. Send passenger count, bag count and ski bag count together. Per-vehicle figures sit on the fleet page, and we name the car before you book rather than at the curb.
The return leg
Beaver Creek adds 12 miles to the Vail problem, and those miles come at the front of the drive, when the road east is already filling.
We set the pickup time against your flight and the conditions that morning.
What the price includes
$550one way, per vehicle (SUV, up to 6 passengers), everything included
- Airport waiting included — a delayed flight is not a rebooking
- Flight tracking — pickup moves with your arrival
- Your driver waits at the vehicle in the designated pickup area, not inside the terminal
- I-70 Mountain Express Lane tolls on peak days
- Child seats at no charge, on request
- Bottled water in the vehicle
- Gratuity — included, not added at the end
- Traction-law compliant vehicle, September through May
No meter, no surge pricing, no fuel surcharge. The number you are quoted is the number you pay.
Per vehicle or per seat: the actual math
Shared shuttles charge each passenger. We charge for the car. Which one wins depends entirely on how many of you are travelling.
| Passengers | Shared shuttle, total | Our car | Per seat with us | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $69–$169 | $550 | $550 | Shuttle |
| 2 | $138–$338 | $550 | $275 | Shuttle |
| 3 | $207–$507 | $550 | $183 | Shuttle |
| 4 | $276–$676 | $550 | $138 | Depends on the date |
| 6 | $414–$1,014 | $550 | $92 | Depends on the date |
For one or two people the shuttle is cheaper, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. From 4 passengers the answer starts depending on the date you travel. Shuttle rates come from the operator's own page: shared shuttle seats run $69 off-season to $169 in winter.
Price is not the only difference. A shared shuttle, bus or train carries other passengers, makes other stops and leaves on its own schedule. The private car leaves when your flight lands and drives to one address.
Questions we actually get asked
- How long does it take to drive from Denver airport to Beaver Creek?
- 132 miles and 2h 28m in clear conditions. Winter weekends run longer.
- How much is a car from Denver airport to Beaver Creek?
- From $550 one way for an SUV with up to six passengers — the price is for the vehicle, not per passenger. Tolls, child seats and gratuity are included. Larger groups ride in a Sprinter, quoted on request.
- Which high points does this route cross?
- Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158 ft, Vail Pass at 10,662 ft. Weather closes them from time to time, and any detour adds time.
- Do I need snow chains or a special vehicle?
- Not in our car. Colorado enforces its traction law on I-70 between Dotsero and Morrison from September 1 through May 31, and every vehicle in our fleet carries compliant tires for the full season. In a rental it is your problem: the fine is $100 plus a $33 surcharge, and all-wheel drive alone does not satisfy the law.
- How high is it, and will the altitude bother me?
- Beaver Creek sits at 8,100 ft, which is 2,820 feet above Denver. Standard guidance above 8,000 feet is to gain no more than 1,000 feet of sleeping elevation per night — a transfer covers that in 2h 28m, which is why the first night often feels rough.
- Will our skis and luggage fit?
- A Suburban gives 41.5 cubic feet with all three rows up and 98.8 with the third folded. Ski bags are long rather than bulky, so the constraint is usually shape, not volume — tell us the passenger count, bag count and ski bag count and we will size the vehicle.
- Where do I meet my driver at Denver airport?
- Pre-arranged private cars meet passengers on Level 5 of the Jeppesen Terminal, at Island 2. Your driver waits at the vehicle in the designated pickup area, not inside the terminal.
- What happens if my flight is delayed?
- Airport waiting is included in the price. A delayed flight is not a rebooking.
- Should I fly into EGE instead?
- EGE is about 28 miles from Beaver Creek. Tell us which airport you are landing at when you request the quote.