If you’re planning a thrilling adventure to Denver from Calgary, you’re on the right page. We’ll show you three ways to make the trip so you have less to worry about and more time to just party!
First, we categorized these based on the kind of traveler you are. There’s one for the extremely adventurous traveler, the relaxed traveler, and the curious traveler. Why those labels? Read on and see!
Table of Contents
- How do you get to Denver from Calgary?
- 1. Calgary to Denver via Plane Ride (for the relaxed traveler)
- 2. Calgary to Denver Via Bus Rides (for the extremely adventurous traveler)
- Step 1: Head over to Westbrook Mall
- Step 2: Get in the bus at Vancouver Pacific Central Station
- Step 3: Alight at the Seattle bus station
- Step 4: Hop on the bus operated by Greyhound at the Seattle bus station
- Step 5: Ride the bus operated Jefferson Lines at the Spokane station
- Step 6: Alight at Buffalo
- Step 7: Ride the bus operated by Express Arrow from Buffalo to Denver
- 3. Calgary to Denver via Bus and Train (for the curious traveler)
How do you get to Denver from Calgary?
There are several ways to get to Denver from Calgary, namely via plane, bus, and train. The easiest and fastest method is to take a plane, which takes a mere 5 or so hours.
1. Calgary to Denver via Plane Ride (for the relaxed traveler)
The easiest way to get to Denver from Calgary is by riding a plane, making it ideal for the relaxed traveler.
The prices range from CA$166 to $920. The cost generally depends on the airline, how early you’re booking, and such.
Anyway, to know more about how to book your ticket, check out the steps!
Step 1: Go to the airline’s website
There are multiple airlines you can choose for your flight such as Air Canada, Delta, American, United, and WestJet. Choose whichever suits your needs best!
Step 2: Finalize the flight schedule
Before booking, make sure that you’ve finalized the flight schedule to avoid the hassle of rebooking or canceling your flight. Once you’re sure when you’re going to fly out, find your desired time of departure at the airline’s website.
Step 3: Book your flight
Once everything is set and you’ve completed all the information the airline is asking for, you can now book your flight! Make sure to add an additional check-in luggage if you’re planning on bringing a lot of stuff.
Otherwise, carry-on luggage should be good enough. Just a reminder though – read the things you can and can’t include in your carry-ons and check-in luggage to avoid inconveniences. Additionally, print your tickets or keep them on your phone.
Step 4: Pack your bags
Now that your ticket is ready, it’s best to pack your bags. Don’t forget the travel essentials like earphones/headphones, powerbank, travel pillow, eye mask, etc.
Step 5: Book a ride to Calgary International Airport
You’re flying in a few hours – sounds thrilling! For a seamless trip to the airport, we suggest booking a ride through popular hailing apps like Uber and Lyft.
Step 6: Check in
Check the flight information display system if your flight is already accepting check-ins. If they are, find the counter and you’re good to go!
Step 7: Find your assigned gate
After going through the security checkpoints, you are now free to explore the airport.
However, we like finding our assigned gate first so that we know where to go when the plane is ready for boarding. If you’re the complete opposite, feel free to skip this step and go straight to Step 9.
Step 8: Enjoy your flight!
Once your flight number is ready for boarding, you can finally head over to your assigned gate. Give your passport to the flight attendants for scanning and walk towards the entrance to the aircraft. Enjoy your flight and your trip to Denver!
2. Calgary to Denver Via Bus Rides (for the extremely adventurous traveler)
You can take the bus from Calgary to Denver, but it’s not much recommended. In fact, it will take you about 66 hours and 33 minutes according to Rome2Rio.
However, if for some reason you can’t take the plane and want a more challenging trip, a bus ride might just be perfect for you. This is also perfect for the extremely adventurous travelers who don’t mind visiting a lot of cities before they reach their destination.
Do note that there’s no direct bus ride from Calgary to Denver so you would need to change buses from time to time.
Step 1: Head over to Westbrook Mall
Your journey will start at Westbrook Mall where you can hop the first bus ride on this trip. You’ll be on the ride for 13 hours and 35 minutes until you find yourself in Vancouver.
Step 2: Get in the bus at Vancouver Pacific Central Station
Through Flixbus, you should be able to ride from Vancouver to Denver at the Vancouver Pacific Central Station. While it should be easier from here, do note that there will be 4 transfers during the trip, which Flixbus should assist you in.
By the way, we suggest booking tickets in advance. There are usually seats, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Step 3: Alight at the Seattle bus station
From the Vancouver Pacific Central Station, there are three stops before you can reach the Seattle bus station. It’s a fairly quick ride. However, you usually need to wait for hours before your next bus.
Step 4: Hop on the bus operated by Greyhound at the Seattle bus station
Your next stop is Spokane station, which is just 4 stops away from the Seattle bus station. You should arrive in an hour or so.
Step 5: Ride the bus operated Jefferson Lines at the Spokane station
Once you’ve arrived at the Spokane station, expect to wait for a few hours before your next ride. You should hop on the one operated by Jefferson Lines and alight after 5 stops or when the bus arrives at Billings.
Step 6: Alight at Buffalo
If you find yourself hopping on the bus at Billings (operated by Jefferson Lines), make sure to alight when you reach Buffalo. There’s only one stop before Buffalo, but the journey would take 2 hours or so.
Step 7: Ride the bus operated by Express Arrow from Buffalo to Denver
Once in Buffalo, you no longer need to do any other transfers to get to Denver. Just wait until after 5 stops, which is around 8 hours.
After that, you should be in Denver. It’s been a long journey, but we’re glad you arrived safe and sound!
3. Calgary to Denver via Bus and Train (for the curious traveler)
This journey starts with a lot of bus rides and ends with a long train ride – perfect for the curious traveler willing to try different modes of transportation. Make sure to do a lot of stretches because you’re going to be sitting down a lot!
Step 1: Ride the bus at Westbrook Mall in Calgary going to Vancouver
To start your exciting trip to Denver from Calgary, you first need to make your way to the Westbrook Mall in Calgary. For directions to the mall from your location, check out Google Maps.
Anyway, once you find the bus, make sure that it will take you to Vancouver because that’s where you’ll be alighting.
Step 2: Travel via bus from Vancouver to Sacramento, CA
Once you get on a bus in Vancouver, make sure to alight at Sacramento. By booking a ride from Flixbus, you can easily complete this trip. We find this much better to do in advance.
While this specific part of your trip would take about 22 hours, you’ll only need to transfer once, so it’s not much of a hassle.
Step 3: Ride the bus to 7th St & H St (Sb) at the Sacramento bus station
Once you’ve alighted at the Sacramento bus station, you would usually have to wait for an hour or so for the next bus.
Make sure that the bus you’re on will alight at the 7th St & H St (Sb).
Step 4: Ride the train at Sacramento headed to Denver
After you get off at the 7th St & H St (Sb) station, you should be able to hop on a train headed to Denver. You can purchase a ticket at Amtrak.
