Drive from Denver to Beaver Creek (Vail: rental car, rental, cost of)

[nismospec]

Flying into Denver soon and staying in the Beaver Creek area.
Never driven in snow, so i'm asking for advice from the locals.

Is it that treacherous of a drive if I attempt a rental car, or is it best to just shuttle over there. Looking at costs, the rental is a bit cheaper.

But if anyone has any experience with companies and/or ways to get there, please chime in!

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by nismospec

Never driven in snow

I would suggest a shuttle.
Me, I am biased towards VailRides.com

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

If you've never driven in snow, it's foolish to even think of driving in the mountains in winter. For one thing, driving in the mountains even in clear weather is going to be a new experience. So even with a little bit of snow, you will be in trouble. And, the weather in the mountains can change quickly. You could leave Denver in good weather and be in the middle of a snowstorm in less than a half hour. Would you really like to be stuck at the top of a 10,000 foot high pass (Vail Pass) in a blizzard?

You say that the cost of the rental car is a "bit" cheaper. I think driving in snow in the mountains for the first time would be very, very costly. Spend a little money and get there safely.

[nismospec]

the more I look at it, the more it does seem reasonable to take a shuttle.
it's nearly $400 for 2 people round trip, so I was just seeing if anyone had any better references.

and while i've never driven in snow, i'm not an amateur driver by any means. auto-x frequently, and have raced a few of our tracks here in Texas. so while snow would be a factor, the basics of knowing braking points, the apex of a turn, turn in speeds, that you learn in racing puts you far above the average driver.

i've been to colorado and didn't deal with the altitude sickness, but that would honestly be my biggest fear of driving...being too fatigued to make the 2-3 hr drive.