Getting to Colorado by Airplane
Fly to Denver International Airport (DEN), which is located approximately 40 miles from the conference venue.
Getting to Boulder from Denver International Airport
By Bus
Cost: $10 (includes all local buses for the same day)
The most convenient and cost-effective way to reach the conference hotel is to take the public Regional Transportation District (RTD) AB1 bus from Denver Airport Station to the Broadway & University Ave stop right in front of the Limelight Boulder hotel.
The ride takes approximately one hour, with AB1 buses leaving Denver Airport Station every hour (with AB2 or AB3 buses adding frequency during peak times). The bus will be a distance bus with luggage storage.
Use the Transit app or Google Maps to get real-time bus arrival information.
Denver Airport Station is accessed from the south exit of the Terminal (under the large American flag). Follow the airport signs for public transportation. You will exit the Terminal and go down a long escalator. The station is below the Westin hotel, so you will see the hotel before going down the escalator. At the bottom of the escalator, you will see a train. The buses are behind you when you exit the escalator, so walk around to the other side of the escalator. You should see signs for each bus. The AB1 bus generally leaves from Gate 8, which is to the right as you’re looking at the road. See below for a step-by-step on how to get to the bus.
The bus driver will start loading luggage ~15 minutes before departure and will ask you for your stop when they load the luggage. If you are going to the Limelight (conference venue), the Broadway & University stop will drop you just outside the hotel.
Tip: If you have some extra time before the bus arrives, the plaza outside the Terminal before going down the escalators has activities during the summer. There is a coffee shop at the far end of the plaza just inside the hotel on the left, and there is another coffee shop down the escalators in the station.
Stops are announced, but the buses don’t always stop if stopping is not requested. If your stop is next, either hit the request stop button or pull the yellow cord.
The AB1 bus is the only airport bus line that stops outside the Limelight. The AB2 and AB3 buses also go to Boulder but take a slightly different route through Boulder. If you don’t mind transferring your luggage, you may take an AB2/AB3 and transfer to a FF1/FF2 at US 36 & McCaslin Station to reach the Broadway & University stop in front of the hotel.
Tip: Or, if you take an AB2/AB3 to Boulder, you can take an Uber/Lyft to the hotel when you reach the US 36 & Table Mesa Station (the first Boulder stop) for ~$10. Note that there is currently construction at Table Mesa Station, so the bus drops off across the street from the parking garage. Cross the street to the parking garage for an area to request an Uber/Lyft pickup.
Make sure to check the schedule if your flight gets in very late or very early to make sure there will be a bus running then.
When planning scheduling, allow at least 30 minutes to get from your flight to the bus. This will likely take longer if you’ve checked bags and/or if you’re traveling from outside the US and need to go through customs. Denver is a large airport and can take a little while to navigate.
If you arrive from an airport within the US, you will generally take the train to reach the main Terminal. If you arrive directly from outside the US, you will exit inside the main Terminal at the north end.
RTD supports tap-to-pay with your mobile wallet or tap-enabled card. Or, you can buy tickets through the Transit app, the RTD MyRide app, or the kiosk or sales outlet in the station.
More information about bus schedules and fares can be found at the RTD website.
By Taxi or Uber/Lyft
Cost: Uber/Lyft ~$80; Taxi ~$115
The Limelight is approximately 45 minutes from the airport by car. You can find taxis or rideshares through Uber and Lyft at any time of day or night.
By Rental Car
DEN has many car rental options. Note that you need to take a shuttle from the main Terminal to the rental car area, which can add 15-20 minutes to your total travel time. Also note that the toll road from the airport to Boulder that avoids congestion in Denver costs $13.30.
Davidson Mesa Overlook
Whether arriving by bus or by car on US 36, look out for the Davidson Mesa Overlook for a panoramic view of the Front Range mountains, the Boulder valley, and the Flatirons rock formations. If the day is clear, the mountain peak that is looks substantially taller than the others in the distance is Longs Peak, which is at 14,259 feet, in Rocky Mountain National Park, the northernmost 14er in Colorado, and the highest point in Boulder County.
Getting Around Boulder
Walking
The area around the conference venue (Limelight Boulder) is very walkable. Many hiking trails and downtown locations (Pearl St) are within walking distance of the conference venue.
Bus
Fare: $2.75 for 3 hours. Use tap-to-pay with your mobile wallet or tap-enabled card. The maximum fare for the day on local buses is $5.50. The $10 fare from the airport includes local buses all day.
There is also convenient public transportation via bus. The SKIP goes up and down Broadway every 15 minutes and is convenient for going between the conference and downtown if you do not want to walk. The HOP runs in a loop every 12-15 minutes between The Hill (adjacent to the conference venue) and downtown along Pearl St.
Use the Transit app or Google Maps to get real-time bus arrival information. The Transit app also has route planning comparing bus, bike, e-scooter, ride share, and walking options to your destination, along with ticketing for RTD buses and BCycle bikes.
E-Bike, E-Scooter, and Ride Shares
Other common ways to get around include major ride shares (Uber and Lyft), the electric bike-share system (BCycle), and the electric scooter-share system (Lime). Access BCycle and Lime through their respective apps. BCycle is also available through the Transit app, while Lime is also available through the Uber app.
There is a BCycle station at Broadway & University Ave right in front of the conference venue (Limelight Boulder).
Hotel Bikes and Car Service
If you’re staying at the Limelight, the hotel offers complimentary bikes for guests to use. The hotel also offers a car service for rides within a 2-mile radius, which includes Chautauqua Park and just about all locations listed in our Explore Boulder page.
Return to Denver International Airport (DEN)
The AB1 bus also returns to from Denver Airport Station from the Broadway & University Ave stop across the street from the Limelight Boulder hotel.
You can check real-time wait times at the DEN’s two airport security checkpoints here.
Additional Travel Information
See Visit Boulder for more information about getting to Boulder.
Getting to the AB1 Bus Step-By-Step
Denver Airport Station is accessed from the south exit of the Terminal (under the large American flag). Follow the airport signs for public transportation.
The station is below the Westin hotel, so you will see the hotel before going down the escalator.
You will exit the Terminal and go down a long escalator.
At the bottom of the escalator, you will see a train. The buses are behind you when you exit the escalator, so walk around to the other side of the escalator.
You should see signs for each bus. The AB1 bus generally leaves from Gate 8, which is to the right as you’re looking at the road.
