No airlines fly direct from the UK to Aspen, which is served by Aspen Sardy Field local airport and is four hours drive west of Denver. With this in mind, you've three options of how to get between the two.

1. Fly into Aspen. The best choice by far - Aspen is relatively compact with good local shuttle busses, so you don't need a car to get around. At the time of writing there was significant restructuring of flight schedules within the US so it's worth checking to see which carrier offers the best flight options at the moment.

2. Shuttle bus from Denver. Colorado Mountain Express. It's about a five hour run from Denver Intl. Airport to Aspen/Snowmass, and at a cost of $102 per person each way it's debatable as to how much cheaper this really is than flying to Sardy Field. And for two people or more, hiring a car becomes financially attractive.

3. Get a hire car. On paper the drive from Denver to Aspen isn't that complicated - follow I-70 to Glenwood Springs, then head up Route 82 to Aspen. In reality you've got to get across the continental divide and through the Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,000'. Roads are generally cleared quickly in the case of a snowfall, but either way it's wise to overnight in Denver and head out in daylight than jump straight in the car on landing in case there's a delay getting over the pass.