Booking flights this week. They are about the same price for me into Grand Junction and Durango from the east coast. Too expensive into Montrose for my family.
Which one would you choose we are flying in Tuesday and out the following Tuesday in the morning?
Grand Junction or Durango?
We usually fly from Chicago to Montrose, but one year flew to Durango. That worked fine–it’s an easy two and a half hour drive (if you go the west way over Lizard Head pass–if you go straight north through Silverton and over Red Mountain pass it’s about 3 hours and a scarier drive if you aren’t used to driving the high passes with no guard rails–but it’s also more scenic). From Grand Junction it’s also about 3 hours if you go sound and through Montrose to Telluride. It’s not as scenic a drive until you get to Ridgeway, but it’s an easy drive.
Either way it isn’t bad. I’d go with the cheapest flight (and also consider the cost of the rental car if you’re doing that–I’ve found the cost can vary a good bit between those regional airports).
Happy Festivation!
Montrose has been my choice for the past 8 or so years. Grand Junction would be my second choice…
Good luck!
It’s about the same time to get from Telluride to the airports in either GJ or Durango (about 2:30 no stops).
While price and timing generally dictate the lions share of my decisions re: which of the area’s regional airports to fly out of, I weigh several other factors: aircraft type, layover times, how many legs, connecting cities, total travel time.
Prefer jets over turbo props, not too short a layover (these days with every seat taken, it’s not worth the risk of missing a connection), try to keep it to two or less legs, some airlines will fly commuter legs to destinations other than Denver (i.e. Phoenix, Dallas, SLC, etc.) which might be more in your direct overall flight path and make your overall journey shorter.
Pretty & BEAUTIFUL, but without guard rails in parts, from Durango.
Pretty flat and full on desert until you hit the mountains, with a major speed trap in Delta, from Grand Junction.
If at all possible, fly into one, fly out of the other. :thumbsup
Auntie Hope :festivarian2 :green
Thanks for advice. I wish Montrose was cheaper. It is close to 300 more than the other two.
I live in Grand Junction. The drive from here to Telluride is easy (3 hours) but has much difference scenery than driving from Durango. From here you drive through desert for the first couple hours and then finally hit the awesome mountains for the last hour. From Durango you’ll need more fortitude while driving the winding, narrow, harrowing mountain passes. I’d suggest Durango for scenery but Grand Junction if you want an easy in/out.
Looking like it will be Grand Junction. More flight options just in case something gets canceled.
I have to deal with this all the time flying from Cleveland. GJ is usually cheaper tha Montrose, as you’ve already found. It’s an easy drive from GJ, although relatively boring. Drive from Durnago is more scenic, but it’s hard to really enjoy it when you’re behind the wheel. Just get to Telluride safely, enjoy all of the beauty that it has to offer and then if you have some time after the festival, you can drive around and see the sites.
And GJ does have more flight options. I’ve had flights out of Montrose cancelled and made the drive to GJ to catch a flight later the same day.