I feel frustrated and resentful every time I arrange Los Angeles-to-Telluride travel. The 46th annual festival runs from Friday, 8.30 thru Monday, 9.2. I always fly to Durango, but the cost of getting from Durango-LaPlata Airport to Telluride always seems excessive. There’s no economical shuttle option. The best four-day rental car deal for a midsize four-door (including minimal insurance and gas, leaving from Durango on the afternoon of Thursday, 8.29) is around $350, and around $400 if your rental time stretches to four and a half days.
You’re basically paying $175 to $200 to drive from Durango to Telluride and then another $175 to $200 to drive back. A distance of 72.94 miles that takes 153 minutes. Once in Telluride the rental car just sits in a parking lot until you leave. I’m sorry but I get irritable when overcharged.
For a Durango-to-Telluride round trip, the private shuttle services (Telluride.com, Buckhorn Limousine, Telluride Express, even Uber) charge $550 to $600 round-trip, or more. One service claims to offer a $95 one-way fee, but that’s only if your shuttle is booked with at least four other passengers. Gougers, all. Drooling dog saliva.
The best HE option would be to share car rental and gas costs with a Telluride pass holder who’s also flying to Durango on Thursday, 8.29. So I’m asking here and now if a person or two would like to split expenses. Or, reversing the situation, if you already have a Durango car rental how about accepting a passenger who will share costs?
Last year I drove all the way from Los Angeles to Telluride and back with Variety‘s Chris Willman. A fun, scenic trip. Visited Monument Valley and everything. Sasha Stone is also driving this year with her usual troupe (two friends and her two dogs).