Airports · shuttles · parking
Yes — you can skip the rental counter. Shared and private shuttles run from Montrose and Durango, the condo is walkable once you arrive, and Telluride has a free gondola plus town bus. The Lodge includes one parking space; extra cars have nearby overflow lots.
Times, prices, and overnight rules change by season. The notes below were checked in August 2026. Always confirm with the operator or town parking pages before you fly.
Fly in
Montrose is the default. Durango is a longer reserved transfer. Telluride Airport is close but weather-sensitive. Grand Junction and Cortez are backup airports the same shuttle companies will quote on request.
Closest major airport
Most guests fly into Montrose Regional Airport, then take a shared shuttle or private car over Dallas Divide. The drive is usually about 65 to 70 miles and 90 to 110 minutes, longer in winter weather or with shared-ride stops. This is the easiest no-rental-car arrival for Unit 331.
Southern option
Durango–La Plata County Airport works when airfare is better, but it is a longer mountain transfer — about 125 miles and 2½ to 3 hours. There is no simple public bus. Book a private or on-demand shuttle well ahead, especially on holiday weekends.
Closest airstrip
Telluride Regional Airport sits just outside town, but winter weather and a shorter runway mean flights get delayed or cancelled more often than at Montrose. If you do land here, operators run short private transfers into Telluride and Mountain Village.
No rental car needed
Book the van against your actual flight, not a guessed clock time. Shared vans fill on powder weekends and festivals. There is no reliable walk-up public bus from either airport to the Lodge.
Shared + private
The main in-town operator for door-to-door shared rides and private vehicles from Montrose, Telluride Airport, Durango, Cortez, Gunnison, and Grand Junction. Book the shared van with your flight time; they post the current seasonal grid in the reservation flow.
Shared from Montrose
Another well-used Western Slope operator. Shared Montrose–Telluride vans run on a published seasonal timetable. Private cars cover Durango and other towns. Shuttle prices they list include taxes, fees, and basic gratuity.
Durango specialists
Buck Horn Limousine and San Juan Limousine both advertise reserved SUVs between DRO and Telluride. These are usually private, not walk-up shared vans, so get a quote when you book flights. Winter Wagon also lists a Durango–Telluride shuttle.
Sample timetable
Posted shared times for Telluride / Mountain Village and Montrose Airport. Winter uses a different grid. Telluride Express keeps its current times inside their booking form.
Leave Telluride / Mountain Village
Leave Montrose Airport
Once you are here
Free
Unit 331 sits on Pacific Avenue at Telluride Lodge. Colorado Avenue, groceries, lifts, and most restaurants are an easy walk. Many guests never need a car once they arrive.
Free
The public gondola links downtown Telluride with Mountain Village in about 13 minutes. Typical hours are 6:30 a.m. to midnight, with later Friday and Saturday runs in peak season. It is the easiest way to ski, shop, or dine without parking.
Free
Telluride’s Town Loop bus circles High School, Shandoka, Carhenge, the gondola, Town Park, the courthouse, and the post office. Peak seasons run about every 15–20 minutes. Call (970) 728-2177 for a current audio schedule.
Regional
San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation runs free local routes, a Mountain Village–Telluride bus when the gondola is down in shoulder seasons, and seasonal vanpools toward Ridgway and Montrose. Use this for Down Valley, Lawson Hill, Rico, or Norwood — not as a same-day airport connection.
The extra car question
Most guests do best with a single car, or none. If a second vehicle is coming, plan the lot before you reach Pacific Avenue. Festival and holiday weeks fill early. The closest visitor lot, Carhenge, has been used for street construction and is slated for redevelopment, so treat it as maybe, not a plan.
At Unit 331
The condo includes a single parking space at Telluride Lodge. If you arrive with a second car, an oversized vehicle, or friends driving separately, use a public lot. Street parking on Pacific fills quickly and is often time-limited.
Most reliable extra car
Covered hourly garage on Pacific Avenue, a walk or short Goose ride from the Lodge. Overnight parking is available for a fee. Pay inside the garage. This is the extra-car option to plan first, especially if guests stay more than one night.
West end of town
Free all-day lot at the far west end of Telluride. No overnight parking. A better first daytime backup than Carhenge while that lot and the 700 block of West Pacific keep seeing construction.
Check before you rely on it
This used to be the closest free daytime lot, on the same street as the Lodge. The 700 block of West Pacific has been in active construction (street work, staging, and limited access), and the Town is planning a mixed-use redevelopment of the Carhenge site with housing and structured parking. Spaces can be fenced, used as a yard, or otherwise unavailable. Only use it if posted signs still show public parking that day.
Mountain Village
433 Mountain Village Blvd., next to Market Plaza. Summer daytime parking is typically free; winter is paid. Overnight parking is allowed with a fee. Ride the free gondola down to town. Heritage Garage at 606 Mountain Village Blvd. is a year-round paid, overnight-friendly garage under the Madeline.