Colorado Travel Tips

Weather and Altitude

Colorado's varied terrain and location in the middle of the Rocky Mountain West result in quickly changing weather nearly year round. Colorado is the highest-altitude state in America. The state's average height is 2,073 meters above sea level. Altitude sickness, typified by headaches, nausea and/or fatigue can be contracted when travelling to a high elevation too quickly from a lower elevation. Make sure to drink more water than usual, curb alcohol and tobacco consumption, and plan to spend a night or two at an intermediate elevation (such as Denver, Colorado Springs or Grand Junction) before traveling to higher elevations in the mountains.

Average Temperatures

June: 22 to 28 degrees Celsius (highs) / 3 to 12 degrees Celsius (lows). January: -1 to 7 degrees Celsius (highs) / -15 to -9 degrees Celsius (lows).

Clothing

When it comes to packing for your trip, keep in mind that Colorado's weather can change quickly. That sweater needed in the morning might need to be shed for a light shirt in the afternoon. The best advice for travelers is to dress in layers.

Additional Information

Time: Colorado's clocks run on Mountain Standard Time (MST). The time difference to the East Coast of the USA is two hours behind (+2 hours) and one-hour ahead of the West Coast (-1 hour).

Consumption of Alcohol: The minimum age for alcohol consumption in Colorado is 21. Bars and restaurants strictly obey this law and may ask visitors for identification.

Gratuity: The standard gratuity in the United States is between 15 and 20 percent of the bill. In some restaurants, the tip is already taken into consideration and added to the total. Read the receipt before you pay. In bars, tips are common for individual drinks or large drink orders. For bellhops and other luggage handlers, the average tip is one dollar per luggage item.

Credit Cards: American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover are widely accepted in Colorado, as are travelers' checks in U.S. dollars. Cash machines are also abundant.

Changing Money: Money can be changed at Denver International Airport. Exchange offices are also found in Denver's city center and in Cherry Creek Shopping Mall. Banks in popular destination cities, such as Vail and Beaver Creek, will also change money, but these locations are limited.

Tax: The national value added tax amounts to 2.9 percent. The combined city and county tax averages 6 percent.