Fly into Vail/Eagle County Airport (IATA EGE) or Denver International Airport (IATA DEN). Note: Vail/Eagle County Airport is still about 35 miles from Vail, a shared ride in a Van from there to Vail will cost you about $70 per person. If you are traveling with your family or in a group, there are a number of private charter services that are also available. These are often more convenient than a shared ride service since they transport you door to door. Although you might think about renting a car, parking is expensive in Vail and most everything is in walking distance or a short ride away on the town's extensive free bus system. If you fly into Denver, you might think about renting a car, but you should be warned that the 100+ mile trip from Denver takes you over 2 mountain passes at elevations of 11,000 and 10,600 feet. The safest way to get from Denver Airport to Vail is to take a private chartered service such as All Mountain Transportation that employs experienced drivers that are familiar with the drive and road conditions.

Another Option from Eagle Airport is to use the county bus system (ECO). This is difficult to find: Exit the airport out the front door, make a right and walk about 100 feet to the bus stop. The bus takes about 80 minutes. The bus runs from Eagle airport through most of the towns and goes to the Vail Transportation Center. The cost in 2011 was $4 each way.

Most private "transport companies" quote prices of $120 to $180 each way for a trip into Vail.