The Only Times I Don’t Ride The DEN Airport Train

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The University of Colorado A Line Commuter train (aka the train that goes to Denver International Airport) began service in 2016 and is still one of my favorite things about the Denver Airport experience.

I live in downtown Denver, so I use this train as often as I can. I also have visitors do the same when they fly in and fly out. There are a few situations, however, when I don’t take the train and prefer other ways of getting to or from the airport.  

Here are the only times I don’t use the train between Denver Airport and downtown Denver.

Very Early in the Morning or Late at Night

The first train runs from 3am at Denver’s Union Station, and the last train leaves Denver Airport at 1:30am.

My personal window for riding the train is somewhere between 7am – 6pm. Outside of those times, I prefer a different method of transit.

Overall, the Denver airport train is very safe, but it does tend to get a bit sketchy after-hours. Obviously, this is a matter of personal preference and I’m writing this from a perspective of being a woman who is traveling alone.

When I’m By Myself with My Toddler

Flying toddlers are wildcards. You never know what mood you’re going to get!

What is known, however, is how much luggage you’re going to have with you when travelling with a toddler. The answer is always – A LOT.

No matter how efficiently you pack, your toddler has at least 2x more luggage than you when you add up their car seat, stroller, suitcase, etc.

The airport train has plenty of space to store your luggage, so having a lot of luggage isn’t an issue on its own. But when you add in a busy toddler that either wants to be held or won’t hold your hand, it gets a bit trickier to carry all those bags yourself.

For those reasons, I’m out.

If I’m just doing a day trip

As mentioned above, I prefer to not take the train if it’s super early in the morning or late at night. Most times, if I’m doing a day trip, it either involves a super early morning flight or a late-night flight – or both.  I normally drive and park at the airport when this is the case.

Sometimes, though, I’ll do a combination and train one way and Uber the other (using the same logic as above, of course).

When Picking Up Grandparents or First-time travelers

The Denver Airport is massive, and it can be quite overwhelming, especially if you’re visiting for the first time. While there are easy step-by-step instructions for how to get on the Airport train, it’s sometimes a little too much for a first timer.

And, of course, it’s just nice to provide door to door service to the occasional visitor!

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