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This is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of the company or the route, it is simply report about my experience traveling from Salida to Denver by bus last week.
As a person who drives to Denver all too often, my friend Steve, aka Dr. Stewart “that wonderfully level headed City Councilman,” suggested I try out the new service. Though it’s been years, I’ve ridden the Greyhound, and felt the footy stench of travelers on a significantly lower budget, some with a traveling axe to grind, others with a criminal record. For this reason, my journey down 285 last week was like floating on feathers of efficiency, safety and comfort.
It cost me twenty-three clams for a one way ride. I was picked up just before eight in the morning behind Patio Pancake, where, I might have conveniently purchased a fast and delicious cafe breakfast. But, that’s another review.
The bus was of the new coach variety, and it was clean with racey red letters on the side (suggesting speed, or possibly turbo engines), and enough chrome and stern headlighting to give me a heady sense of traveling prestige. I was able to read and relax, arriving three hours later at the classic Union Station in the mile high city. I could have gone on to DIA if I’d wanted to make it an international experience, but where else but busy Denver would I want to be? Since I was going to a conference at the downtown Hyatt, I walked a few blocks, checked my backpack into a locker under the Blue Bear and breezed in fully caffeinated, pressed and clean for a noon meeting. Later that night I hopped on a free, electric, and decidedly cuter 16th Street Mall bus up to Broadway, then grabbed a $2 city bus to a friend’s house for the evening. Bingo! I’m urban.
The service returns from Denver at 1:40 pm for another $23. The bus, ..er Coach runs seven days a week. Additional bags are $10, but the vehicle is about fifty yards long and virtually empty, so unless you are packing your anvil collection, I think this is a pre-emptive fee for a crowded bus. I saw a guy packing on a couple duffel bags with no hassle from the friendly driver. I booked the ride the night before online and printed out my ticket. When the bus …dang, I mean Coach, arrived, it was an effortless interaction as the receipt acted as my ticket.
Having a few quiet hours to be whisked through the Rockies may well be worth taking the ride just for the eight-wheeled pleasure of it all. This is a great service for Salida and surrounding mountain towns. Support it, or it may go away. Have you taken the trip? What are your thoughts Salida?
Two words: baseball anyone?
Arrow/Black Hills Stage Lines.
Thank you to the staff at Arrow for their help with this review.
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We have taken the trip! A few times now! Can’t beat it! Support it!
Thanks for the heads up Bill. As someone who travels to DIA all the time for work I would love to be able to make that service work for me. The drive to airport is taxing.
Thanks for the review Mr. Donavan. I’m flying out of D.I.A. next week and decided the new bus service would be the best way to get there. At $23 it’s worth the money to not have to deal with parking fees at the airport. Cheers.
My parents have used the bus multiple times when flying from DC to Denver and not wanting to rent a car and then make, what they call, the “long” drive. The rides have always been smooth and easy, and the driver kindly remembered my dad from his first trip. My boyfriend and I have also used the continued service to Gunnison and have noticed many Western students riding too; it would be fun to take it to Gunnison and then catch the free bus ride to Crested Butte for a day of skiing. What a great service for our community! Thanks for the review Bill.
The coach to Denver is indeed very smooth and takes only a few minutes longer than driving. Getting off at the Denver Bus Terminal (instead of Untion Station), allows you to receive a FREE transfer on the RTD SkyRide ($10 value) all the way to DIA. The trick is in the timing, as the Salida-Denver bus only runs once a day, each way, so allow enough time for the RTD connection, as well as any flight delays.
Yes, the Denver Bus Terminal is a little funky (see Bill’s recollection of Greyhound above), but it’s safe and warm and the wait time is short. As for cost, you can’t beat it if you are traveling solo. $23 each way barely covers gas, let alone wear and tear on your car. The IRS allows $.50/mile, all-inclusive and it’s 170 miles from Salida to DIA, so that means the REAL cost of driving your clunker to DIA is $85.00 each way even if you pretend it isn’t. Then there’s parking @$6-$18/day at DIA and downtown Denver is expensive also. Finally, you’ll make the valley a little greener by “taking the bus and leaving the driving to us”.
I encourage everyone to try this out the next time you have to go to Denver or DIA, especially if you have some flexibility on timing. It’s great for an overnight to take in the sights of downtown or if you’re headed off on vacation. The service has been running for over a year and if I recall, the contract was for just that long and included a subsidy (that’s why the fare is DIRT CHEAP). The point is – use it or lose it. Even if ridership is robust, funds to keep it running are hard to come by and many people worked a long time to make this happen.
Gee, Merrell where have you heard THAT slogan before—-”and leave the driving to us”. The old grey dog use to be down Jones st a couple of blocks after they got kicked out of downtown. Then they just disappeared. Do you think because nobody rode them? Right!!!! The feeling was, “Why should I ride those old stinking buses? When I can take my nice new 9 passenger SUV all by myself and drive to DIA”.
I see you’ve done the math. Great!! See you on the bus.
A retired Greyhound driver.
George Hinman
The Bus is great! I’ve ridden it to DIA and downtown Denver a few times. It’s really neat to see South Park from the massive windows of the bus. Good connections to the Denver and Boulder bus systems as well. Can’t beat the price. I think you can even take it to Alamosa. How about some Salida representation at a few Rockies games!!
Does the same bus go on to DIA from downtown???
See my post of 04/13. NO, the Arrow/Black Hills Stage Lines Bus from Salida to Denver leaves you off at either Union Station or Denver Bus Terminal. If you want to go to DIA, you get off at Denver Bus Terminal and wait for the RTD SkyRide – Route AF bus. When it arrives, show the driver your Black Hills Stage ticket – they let you on for free. The RTD coach then goes to DIA West and East Sides of the Main Terminal. There are two good web sites for routes and schedules. Black Hills is http://www.blackhillsstagelines.com/ and RTD schedule for this route is at http://www3.rtd-denver.com/schedules/getSchedule.action?routeType=9&routeId=AF
Thanks for the great write up. I’m glad to learn of this route.
Haven’t ridden the coach yet, but have used it to ship a 6×2x2 foot wood box to St. Louis for under $100. They connect with Greyhound for package freight. See Skye at Pak-Mail for info.