What Happens When I-70 Closes? A Former Trooper’s Guide
Read More
Airport Transfers and Days in Aspen
Summit Black Car provides private, prearranged chauffeur service in Aspen. We are based in Breckenridge, founded by Andrew Siegel, a former Colorado State Trooper and executive protection professional, and our chauffeurs live in the mountain towns they drive. Every trip is booked in advance with a named chauffeur, a late-model black SUV or Sprinter, and flight tracking on every airport pickup. We operate 24/7 across Pitkin, Eagle and Summit Counties.
Aspen guests use us for the short run from Aspen Airport, the longer transfers from Eagle County and Denver, dinners and events in town, and ski days at Snowmass, Highlands and Buttermilk. Discretion is part of the job here. Get an instant quote at summitblackcar.com/book-now or call 970-485-3494.
At a Glance
Closest airports
Aspen (ASE) about 10 minutes; Eagle County (EGE) about 1 hour 30 minutes; Denver (DIA) about 4 hours
Home base
Breckenridge, Colorado, with chauffeurs who live in the mountain towns we serve
Typical trips
ASE, EGE and DIA transfers, private jet pickups at Atlantic Aviation, dinners and events, Snowmass and Highlands ski days, down-valley residences
Vehicles
Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Mercedes-Benz Executive Sprinter, Ford Transit, Rolls-Royce Cullinan by request
Availability
24/7, every day of the year
Booking
Instant quote at summitblackcar.com/book-now or 970-485-3494
-
Law Enforcement-Owned
Based in Breckenridge
Late-Model SUVs & Sprinters
Open 24/7
Our Vehicles
Late-model luxury SUVs for up to five passengers, the Executive Sprinter for thirteen, and an executive van for fourteen. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is available by request.
LUXURY SUV
LUXURY SUV
LUXURY SUV
Explore Our Cars
Getting to Aspen
Three airports serve Aspen, and the right one depends on where you are flying from and how much weather risk you are willing to carry.
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) is the closest by a wide margin. It sits on Highway 82 about 4 miles from the core, and the drive to a downtown hotel is about 10 minutes, or 15 in winter traffic. Commercial flights are limited and the field is weather sensitive; diversions commonly land at Eagle County, Grand Junction or Rifle, and when that happens we reroute the pickup rather than leave you to sort it out. Details on the ASE pickup are on our Aspen Airport transportation page.
Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) in Gypsum is the dependable commercial alternative. The drive is about 70 miles and 1 hour 30 minutes in good conditions, or 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes in winter. From EGE the chauffeur takes I-70 west through Glenwood Canyon to exit 116 at Glenwood Springs, then Highway 82 southeast through Carbondale and Basalt to Aspen. EGE has nonstop winter flights from many hubs, but fewer flights and more weather sensitivity than Denver. See the EGE to Aspen route page.
Denver International Airport (DIA) is the long option: about 220 miles and 4 hours in summer, 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes in winter or on holiday weekends. The route runs I-70 west over Floyd Hill, through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel at the Continental Divide, over Vail Pass, past Vail and Eagle, through Glenwood Canyon, and then Highway 82 to Aspen. It is the choice when ASE and EGE have no flights that fit. See the DIA to Aspen route page.
ASE closure in 2027. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is closed to all commercial and general aviation from April 4, 2027 at 11 p.m. to November 19, 2027 at 7 p.m. for runway and terminal construction. During that window every Aspen arrival comes through EGE, DIA or another regional field, and we will plan the ground leg accordingly.
For private aviation, Atlantic Aviation is the FBO at ASE and Vail Valley Jet Center is the FBO at EGE. Our private jet transfer page covers ramp-side pickups.
Winter Roads and Closures
From roughly the first week of November until the Thursday before Memorial Day, Highway 82 through Glenwood Springs and Basalt is the only road in and out of Aspen. Independence Pass, the summer shortcut east of town, closes each winter; the closing date over the past decade has ranged from October 25 to November 17. Once the pass is shut, every trip to Aspen from Denver, Vail or Eagle comes down valley on Highway 82, and every departure goes back out the same way.
That makes Glenwood Canyon the section that matters most. The canyon stretch of I-70 between mile markers 116 and 133 is prone to closures for rockfall and mudslides, and when it closes there is no short detour. Our chauffeur holds at a sensible point, watches the reopening, and adjusts your timing rather than committing to a detour of hundreds of miles. Further east, the Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Pass close for storms and crashes several times each winter, which mainly affects DIA transfers.
Colorado’s traction law is in force from September 1 to May 31 on I-70 between Morrison and Dotsero, which covers the highway portion of any Aspen drive from Denver or Eagle. It requires AWD or 4WD with adequate winter tread, or chains. Our SUVs and Sprinters meet it every day of the season, so it is never something you have to think about.
Where We Pick Up and Drop Off in Aspen
The Aspen core is compact, and most of our downtown pickups and drop-offs are within a few blocks of each other. We serve The Little Nell at the base of Aspen Mountain, Hotel Jerome on Main Street, the St. Regis, The Limelight, W Aspen, and Aspen Meadows at the west end of town. Each has its own loading area or entrance, and the chauffeur will confirm the right spot with the door staff so you are not waiting in a lane.
Aspen Highlands has its own base a few minutes from town, quieter than Aspen Mountain and popular with locals on a powder day, and we drop directly at the base for skiers and for families booked into ski school there. Buttermilk is a short drive from both the core and the airport. Aspen Mountain is served from the core; the Silver Queen Gondola loads a short walk from The Little Nell.
For private residences in the West End, on the hillsides above town, and in the outlying neighborhoods off Castle Creek and Maroon Creek roads, we work door to door. Tell us the address and any gate or access instructions when you book, and the chauffeur will have them before the pickup. We also serve homes and rentals down valley in Basalt and Carbondale, and the ski-in/ski-out slopes of Snowmass Village, which has its own page below.
At ASE, prearranged pickups meet in the Ground Transportation Circle directly outside baggage claim. Private jet passengers are met at Atlantic Aviation.
Getting Around Aspen Without a Rental Car
Most Aspen visitors never need to drive. The core is walkable, the hotels sit close to the lifts, and the trips that do need a car are the ones we handle best.
Dinners and evenings. Book a pickup for the drive to dinner and a return at an agreed time, or keep the chauffeur on an hourly basis for a night with more than one stop. The chauffeur waits nearby so you are not standing on a cold sidewalk waiting for a car that may or may not be coming.
Ski days at the other mountains. Aspen Snowmass is four separate ski areas. Snowmass Village is about 15 minutes from the core, and Highlands and Buttermilk are a few minutes each. A morning drop at the base and an afternoon pickup means no parking lot, no shuttle wait, and skis already on the rack.
Grocery runs and errands. Guests staying in private homes often book an hour or two on arrival day to stock the house, pick up rentals, or run to the down-valley stores in Basalt.
Weddings and events. We move wedding parties, guests and families between hotels, private homes and venues in the Sprinter and SUVs on a coordinator-friendly schedule. Our wedding transportation page has more. For a day with several stops, an hourly booking keeps one chauffeur with you throughout.
Vehicles for Aspen Trips
The 2025 Cadillac Escalade is the default Aspen vehicle for up to five passengers. It is quiet and carries a rooftop ski carrier in winter. The 2026 Chevrolet Suburban seats the same five with more luggage room behind the third row, which matters for a week-long ski trip with hard cases.
For groups, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz Executive Sprinter seats up to 13 with skis and boards carried inside, and the 2025 Ford Transit seats up to 14. Both are the right call for extended families, corporate retreats and wedding parties moving between Aspen and Snowmass.
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is available by request for guests who want the ultra-luxury option for an arrival, a dinner, or a special occasion.
Every vehicle is AWD or 4WD on winter tires, with Wi-Fi, bottled water, and child seats on request. The chauffeur loads and unloads the luggage. When you book, tell us the number of passengers, bags, ski bags and child seats so we assign a vehicle that fits everything comfortably. Fleet details are on our fleet page.
Planning Your Departure from Aspen
For a flight out of ASE, plan on a 10 to 15 minute drive from the core plus your airline’s check-in time, with a little extra on powder mornings when the road to the airport is busy. If the field is weather-closed on departure day, we can reposition you to EGE, and we will tell you as soon as we know.
For EGE, budget the 1 hour 30 minute drive plus 30 to 45 minutes of winter margin for Glenwood Canyon and the Basalt stretch, plus check-in. For DIA, the drive is about 4 hours in summer and up to 5 hours 30 minutes in winter; add the same margin and your check-in time. Sunday afternoons and holiday Mondays are the slowest eastbound periods on I-70, so a Sunday DIA departure should leave Aspen early. Your chauffeur will confirm the pickup time the day before based on the forecast.
Why a Local Chauffeur Beats Rideshare and Rentals Here
Aspen is a town where a car is more of a liability than an asset for most visitors. Parking in the core is limited, and a rental SUV spends most of the week sitting in a garage while you walk to the gondola.
Rideshare in the mountains is thinner than in a city. Drivers are fewer, they cluster around the busiest hours, and availability drops when the weather is bad, which is exactly when you need a ride most. A prearranged chauffeur is committed to your pickup before you land, tracks your flight, and is at the curb when you walk out.
The roads are the other factor. Highway 82 is the only winter road into Aspen, Glenwood Canyon can close without much warning, and the I-70 stretch from Denver is under the traction law all season. A rental counter may or may not give you a properly equipped vehicle. Our chauffeurs drive these roads every week, know the timing on a storm day, and make the go or hold call so you do not have to.
Finally, altitude. Aspen is a high mountain town, and the tunnel and passes on the way in from Denver are higher still. Arriving after a long flight and driving four hours of mountain highway is a poor way to start a trip. Riding in the back with water and Wi-Fi is a better one.
Ride in Style
Ready to get on the road in one of our luxury black cars? Reserve your ride today!
What to Expect
1
Book Your Service
Request an instant quote on the Book Now page with your dates, passenger count, bags and any child seats, then reserve once it is confirmed.
2
Meet YOUR DRIVER
We confirm the pickup time and location as your date approaches and track your flight on the day. If plans change, call or text us and we adjust.
3
ENJOY THE RIDE
Your chauffeur loads the luggage and gear and drives you to the door. Enjoy the Wi-Fi, the water and the view while we handle the road.
About Summit Black Car
Based in Breckenridge and founded by a former Colorado State Trooper.
Summit Black Car is a private chauffeur service for the Colorado mountains. Our chauffeurs live in the towns they drive and come from law enforcement, military and professional driving backgrounds. Late-model SUVs and Sprinters, AWD or 4WD on winter tires, available 24 hours a day across Summit, Eagle and Pitkin Counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
About 4 miles on Highway 82, or about 10 minutes to a core hotel and 15 minutes in winter traffic. Prearranged pickups meet in the Ground Transportation Circle directly outside baggage claim, and the chauffeur is in position when you walk out.
Yes. ASE is closed to all commercial and general aviation from April 4, 2027 at 11 p.m. through November 19, 2027 at 7 p.m. for runway and terminal construction. During that window Aspen travelers fly into Eagle County (about 1 hour 30 minutes away) or Denver (about 4 hours), and we run the ground transfer from either.
ASE if your city has a nonstop and you accept some weather risk. EGE if you want a reliable winter alternative with a drive of about 1 hour 30 minutes. DIA if neither works or you are combining Aspen with time in Denver; the drive is about 4 hours. In all three cases we track the flight and adjust for delays or diversions.
Weather diversions from ASE most often land at Eagle County, Grand Junction or Rifle. Because we are tracking your flight, we see the diversion as it happens and reroute the chauffeur to the new airport. You do not need to call.
The Cullinan is available by request for Aspen trips, whether that is an airport arrival, a dinner, or a special occasion. Request it on the booking form or by phone and we will confirm availability for your dates.
About 15 minutes. Snowmass Village is off Highway 82 via Brush Creek Road, about 5 miles down valley from Aspen. Many guests stay in one and ski the other, and we run the connection morning and afternoon. See our Snowmass Village car service page.
Only in summer. Independence Pass closes each winter, typically in the first week of November, and reopens the Thursday before Memorial Day. When it is open, it is a scenic option we can discuss for a summer transfer. When it is closed, every trip uses Highway 82 through Glenwood Springs.
