# need some advice on driving from Denver to Keystone



## rustydomino

hi all,

My family is going to Keystone for a conference later this February. I was blown away by how expensive the ground transportation is ($80 one way per person from the Denver airport), so I tentatively decided to rent a car and drive. While doing some research on the road to Keystone, I saw that Loveland Pass on Rte. 6 in the winter can be treacherous (lots of steep switchbacks and not necessarily well plowed).

For those of you that have rented a car in the mountain states before, do they throw in tire chains or is that extra? Will rental cars have the appropriate snow tires?

For easier driving, do you recommend going through the Eisenhower tunnel and approaching Keystone on the west side via the Dillon Reservoir area instead? If I do that, how much longer is the drive?

Will a front wheel drive with chains be sufficient or should I rent a 4WD? Is the hassle of winter mountain driving worth the savings in $$$, or should I just pay the shuttle fee? I've some experience driving in snow, but that's all city driving.

Our flight home is Saturday evening, we plan to head back toward Denver very early afternoon. How bad is traffic, and if we do get back too early, is there anything fun to do with a 10 year old in Denver?

thanks,
Mike


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## linvillegorge

rustydomino said:


> hi all,
> 
> My family is going to Keystone for a conference later this February. I was blown away by how expensive the ground transportation is ($80 one way per person from the Denver airport), so I tentatively decided to rent a car and drive. While doing some research on the road to Keystone, I saw that Loveland Pass on Rte. 6 in the winter can be treacherous (lots of steep switchbacks and not necessarily well plowed).
> 
> For those of you that have rented a car in the mountain states before, do they throw in tire chains or is that extra? Will rental cars have the appropriate snow tires?
> 
> For easier driving, do you recommend going through the Eisenhower tunnel and approaching Keystone on the west side via the Dillon Reservoir area instead? If I do that, how much longer is the drive?
> 
> Will a front wheel drive with chains be sufficient or should I rent a 4WD? Is the hassle of winter mountain driving worth the savings in $$$, or should I just pay the shuttle fee? I've some experience driving in snow, but that's all city driving.
> 
> Our flight home is Saturday evening, we plan to head back toward Denver very early afternoon. How bad is traffic, and if we do get back too early, is there anything fun to do with a 10 year old in Denver?
> 
> thanks,
> Mike


If you're worried about it, just go through the tunnel and take 6 out of Dillon to get to Keystone. It'll take you a little longer, but not a huge difference. Just keep an eye on the weather. If there's been recent snow, take the tunnel, if not, take the pass. I recommend the pass if there hasn't been recent snow and the weather is nice simply because it's a beautiful drive.

If your flight is Saturday evening, you better get your ass on the road Saturday morning. I-70 is always a crap shoot. Don't fuck around with it.


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## Toecutter

You do not have to drive over Loveland Pass. Take the tunnel instead, then highway 6 from the town of Dillon. The pass is more scenic but if you're white knuckled then who's appreciating the view?

An FWD with chains in the trunk should be fine unless there is a huge storm happening. It's a major route so they probably plow it and sand it frequently. When I was a kid we _had_ to drive over the pass (no tunnel yet) in a RWD Ford Torino (no FWD or AWD yet)with bias belted tires. SUCKED!

The DIA is all the way across Denver and out in the plains a bit. I'd get there early and let the kid play inside the play area.


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## killclimbz

Get a rear wheel drive with racing slicks. Drive fast, take chances.

Or you might want to listen to these other guys...


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## t-mac

Every time it snows, Loveland Pass closes. That should tell you something.

Take the tunnel. 

Chains are not required for cars, just the big trucks.


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## rustydomino

*thanks, what about chains?*

hey guys, thanks for the info. For those of you that have done this before (that is, rented a car in a mountainous area in the winter), does the rental agency provide tire chains, window scrapers, etc? Or do I need to get them myself?

cheers,
Mike


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## Toecutter

rustydomino said:


> hey guys, thanks for the info. For those of you that have done this before (that is, rented a car in a mountainous area in the winter), does the rental agency provide tire chains, window scrapers, etc? Or do I need to get them myself?
> 
> cheers,
> Mike


What did the rental car agency say?


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## rustydomino

dunno, I booked online via their website.


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## Toecutter

rustydomino said:


> dunno, I booked online via their website.


Do you have their phone number? I will call them for you and ask.


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## rustydomino

Toecutter said:


> Do you have their phone number? I will call them for you and ask.


sure I could call but where's the fun in that?  

Besides, if Hertz provided free chains and Enterprise didn't, that'd be kinda interesting to find out (if someone on this forum knew, that is).


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## rustydomino

In the interest of not doing any real work, I called the rental agency and apparently they DO NOT ALLOW chains on their cars. This sort of changes my perspective. I'm a little wary of driving in the mountains in the winter without chains in the trunk. Obviously I-70 and presumably State Hwy 6 into Keystone will be well-plowed, but given that with a rental car chains will not be an option, do you guys recommend to just suck it up and take the Mountain Express shuttle? Or do they generally keep Rte 6 into Keystone pretty clean, making chains unnecessary?

thanks,
mike


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## killclimbz

What are chains???

Seriously, in the 21 years I have lived in Colorado, I have never had to put chains on a vehicle. The roads, especially up to Summit County, will be closed before they have chain restrictions for passenger vehicles. I do have a set in my trunk, but have never had to put them on. This is not California.

If you don't know how to handle yourself in snow is a different question. If that is the case, then I would recommend taking CME or some other similar service. 

Personally, I'd just rent the car, buy some chains at Wal-Mart on the way up. Then return them on the way back because you didn't use them.


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## Toecutter

If the upcharge isn't too great for an awd vehicle then that would be a good option.


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## t-mac

CDOT does a pretty good job of keeping I-70 open through Vail. When it snows, normally Berthoud Pass into Winter Park and Loveland Pass will close - partly for accidents, but mostly for avalanche control. 

The only stretch that ever seems bad is from Bakerville to the tunnel, and part way from the tunnel down. Even then, it is only 10-15 miles and it just moves slow.

AWD and 4x4 are good options, but not required. Most of the rentals will be front-wheel drive and you will not have a problem with any of them.

And like another poster said, if it gets really bad, they will close the highway first, and since all of our state's tourist dollars comes from the ski resorts, it does not happen that often.

That being said, on the way back to Denver, be very careful around mm 243. After passing Idaho Springs there is a little tunnel and then some curves. According to a tow truck driver I know, EB mm243 is the most dangerous spot between Glenwood Springs and Morrison. It is a combination of road surface, mag chloride, ice, winds and the curves. He's pulled many cars from the creek below.


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## rustydomino

thanks for the all the informative answers!


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## Tarzanman

I live in the southeast (Atlanta, GA) and I rented a car on my two trips out to Breck/Key/Vail last season in January and February.

They do a pretty decent job of keeping I-70 plowed considering all of the snow they get out there. Yes, you're driving up in the mountains, but even in the winter with ice on the shoulders it is still far safer than many mountain roads I have been on during dry summer days.

A four wheel drive is always better in the snow (even for just putting around town), but it is more important to lower your speed and drive conservatively if you want to stay safe.

I drove an Impala on my first trip (just me) and a Suburban on my 2nd trip (6 of us). I was quite nervous the first time I went out there as I'd never driven on long grades *in the snow*, but when I returned a month later I drove the same exact route (Denv.Int.Airport to Breck) and in similar conditions and wondered what all the fuss was about last time.

What should be of more concern to you than the snow is the traffic and the fog. Visibility when I left on my first trip was probably 20-30ft or something... the fog was very, very thick that Saturday morning on the way back in to the city.

As for traffic... if you're leaving on a Saturday afternoon then make sure you get on the road well before the slopes close because I-70 turns into a parking lot very often. Make sure you don't go west bound saturday morning and make sure you don't head eastbound Sunday evening. It suuuuuuuuuucks.


rustydomino said:


> hi all,
> 
> My family is going to Keystone for a conference later this February. I was blown away by how expensive the ground transportation is ($80 one way per person from the Denver airport), so I tentatively decided to rent a car and drive. While doing some research on the road to Keystone, I saw that Loveland Pass on Rte. 6 in the winter can be treacherous (lots of steep switchbacks and not necessarily well plowed).
> 
> For those of you that have rented a car in the mountain states before, do they throw in tire chains or is that extra? Will rental cars have the appropriate snow tires?
> 
> For easier driving, do you recommend going through the Eisenhower tunnel and approaching Keystone on the west side via the Dillon Reservoir area instead? If I do that, how much longer is the drive?
> 
> Will a front wheel drive with chains be sufficient or should I rent a 4WD? Is the hassle of winter mountain driving worth the savings in $$$, or should I just pay the shuttle fee? I've some experience driving in snow, but that's all city driving.
> 
> Our flight home is Saturday evening, we plan to head back toward Denver very early afternoon. How bad is traffic, and if we do get back too early, is there anything fun to do with a 10 year old in Denver?
> 
> thanks,
> Mike


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## hwa

I visit my friend out in Colorado and hit the local Breck/Keystone/Vail areas. Always rented a 4-wheel drive SUV from the airport and never had a problem. Just don't drive too fast when conditions get messy and you'll be fine. Saving a couple bucks isn't worth dealing with all the insurance issues and whatnot if you do end up bonking someone/something.


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## jdang307

I went to keystone last year. We didn't research routes to the resort, just used GPS. That loveland pass was honest to god one of the scariest roads I've even been, we still talk about it. It was clear for a few days. It started snowing lightly on our way out and as soon as we hit the interstand it dumped so much snow there was a crash 2 minutes later. Lucky for us we were off that god forsaken pass. The crash however, got us stuck on that interstate. We didnt' make it to Denver for 4 hours. Yes it was about 3 hours to go about 3 miles (past the crash). About 1.5 hours stuck in one spot.

Anyway I digress. If I ever go back it isn't going through that pass. Ever. I wasn't driving, the driver is a cocky summbitch (he wasn't hot dogging it at all, just pretending it wasn't a thang). So I think that's worse, because I'm looking over the ledge ...

Oh by the way, we did get a 4wd, but we were still slipping and sliding a little bit. Just go slow. No chains. I think it dumped 12+ inches that night. It was a great time, too bad I was only learning because now I yearn to go back


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## noahj

Let me reiterate what others have said (from a fairly new Colorado resident)...

#1 You won't need chains

#2 Take the tunnel

#3 Leave the mountain early early early on Saturday. all it takes is some bad weather and a wreck and you are stuck on I-70 for hours with no other way down. last month we were at Breck and headed home when a huuuuuge storm hit. add in a couple spin outs and wrecks and it took us 4, yes 4 hours to make it from Breck to the tunnel. normally that is just a 20 minute trip. 

if i had a flight to catch on a weekend and i was up in the mountains, i'd be leaving half the day early to make sure i made it down in time.


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## AWNOW

jdang307 said:


> That loveland pass was honest to god one of the scariest roads I've even been, we still talk about it.


You should see the passes that are actually scary out here


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## jdang307

I'm good with that! That was enough!


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## rustydomino

Well, we made it there and back in one piece! The advice you guys gave was spot-on. No problems on I-70, with the minor exception of one or two icy patches. Other drivers doing 80 mph on the downgrades was much scarier than the road conditions themselves.

I'm really glad we drove instead of taking the airport shuttle. I made the last second spur of the moment decision to get one more morning of riding on Saturday (would not have been possible if on a shuttle schedule). The evening before we got something like 4-6 inches of fresh pow and I got on the first chair for my first pow experience. You old timers might laugh at 4-6 inches of barely ankle deep pow but the first tracks was worth it for this n00b!


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## rustydomino

jdang307 said:


> I went to keystone last year. We didn't research routes to the resort, just used GPS.


yeah, when researching the drive I figured the GPS would put me through the Loveland Pass because it's closer, and I made a mental note to avoid that exit. Interestingly, though, the GPS routed me through Dillon, even though I asked it to find me the closest route.


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## jdang307

rustydomino said:


> Well, we made it there and back in one piece! The advice you guys gave was spot-on. No problems on I-70, with the minor exception of one or two icy patches. Other drivers doing 80 mph on the downgrades was much scarier than the road conditions themselves.
> 
> I'm really glad we drove instead of taking the airport shuttle. I made the last second spur of the moment decision to get one more morning of riding on Saturday (would not have been possible if on a shuttle schedule). The evening before we got something like 4-6 inches of fresh pow and I got on the first chair for my first pow experience. You old timers might laugh at 4-6 inches of barely ankle deep pow but the first tracks was worth it for this n00b!


Got almost 2 feet out here in Sunny Southern California and it was my first pow experience of more than 3 inches (that's what she said!). After two trips to Tahoe and one to Denver, I finally hit a some powder


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## Colorado311

rustydomino said:


> hi all,
> 
> My family is going to Keystone for a conference later this February. I was blown away by how expensive the ground transportation is ($80 one way per person from the Denver airport), so I tentatively decided to rent a car and drive. While doing some research on the road to Keystone, I saw that Loveland Pass on Rte. 6 in the winter can be treacherous (lots of steep switchbacks and not necessarily well plowed).
> 
> For those of you that have rented a car in the mountain states before, do they throw in tire chains or is that extra? Will rental cars have the appropriate snow tires?
> 
> For easier driving, do you recommend going through the Eisenhower tunnel and approaching Keystone on the west side via the Dillon Reservoir area instead? If I do that, how much longer is the drive?
> 
> Will a front wheel drive with chains be sufficient or should I rent a 4WD? Is the hassle of winter mountain driving worth the savings in $$$, or should I just pay the shuttle fee? I've some experience driving in snow, but that's all city driving.
> 
> Our flight home is Saturday evening, we plan to head back toward Denver very early afternoon. How bad is traffic, and if we do get back too early, is there anything fun to do with a 10 year old in Denver?
> 
> thanks,
> Mike


You should definitely go to Eisenhower on 70 and then go all the way into dillon and take 6 back into keystone. i was just at breck and keystone all last week and for your purposes i would just rent a car thats reliable, and i know alot about cars that would make better sense to drive up there. 4wd isn't needed but is very nice. i drive a 2009 honda accord with front wheel drive and shitty tires lol. i got up there easy. you want a car with a little power because those hills when your pushin 70-80mph can stress your car a little. if your driving in the mountains remember to use your gear shift. 1-3 if an automatic car. this will seriously save your life and brakes if something were to go wrong. i fly down the mountains at 80mph so my brakes pretty much blow. west of the tunnel when it snows....it dumps and its like a whiteout but on the east side of the tunnel theres virtually no snow most days. good luck bud!! and what time saturday evening. because i left keystone at 330pm and got back to denver (thorton) around 550pm. so the drive to DIA is definitely going to take you longer than that. if you have GPS you'll be okay. but the mountain roads get CROWDED during the weekend. leave yourself at least 3.5 hours to get to DIA to be safe because 50 miles through the mountains with bumper to bumper traffic blows hard!


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## Toecutter

Colorado311 said:


> You should definitely go to Eisenhower on 70 and then go all the way into dillon and take 6 back into keystone. i was just at breck and keystone all last week and for your purposes i would just rent a car thats reliable, and i know alot about cars that would make better sense to drive up there. 4wd isn't needed but is very nice. i drive a 2009 honda accord with front wheel drive and shitty tires lol. i got up there easy. you want a car with a little power because those hills when your pushin 70-80mph can stress your car a little. if your driving in the mountains remember to use your gear shift. 1-3 if an automatic car. this will seriously save your life and brakes if something were to go wrong. i fly down the mountains at 80mph so my brakes pretty much blow. west of the tunnel when it snows....it dumps and its like a whiteout but on the east side of the tunnel theres virtually no snow most days. good luck bud!! and what time saturday evening. because i left keystone at 330pm and got back to denver (thorton) around 550pm. so the drive to DIA is definitely going to take you longer than that. if you have GPS you'll be okay. but the mountain roads get CROWDED during the weekend. leave yourself at least 3.5 hours to get to DIA to be safe because 50 miles through the mountains with bumper to bumper traffic blows hard!


The OP said he was going in February, as in your advice is too late.


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