Money

Generally, Colorado is not particularly expensive, especially compared to destinations on the East and West coasts. You'll find a wide range of prices for lodging and dining; admission to most museums is less than $10. Hotel rooms in the state are typically $100 to $200, but there are exceptions that are lower and higher -- particularly higher when it comes to peak seasons. You'll find main courses for dinner typically running $10 to $20 up and down the Front Range.

Those traveling away from the major cities will discover prices in small towns are usually quite reasonable, but ski resorts such as Vail and Aspen can be rather pricey, especially during winter holidays. Hotel rooms tend to start well over $200 a night in ski season in these resorts, and condos are more.

Traveler's checks and credit cards are accepted at almost all hotels, restaurants, shops, and attractions, plus many grocery stores; automated teller machines for all the major national networks are practically everywhere.

The most common bills are the $1 (a "buck"), $5, $10, and $20 denominations. There are also $2 bills (seldom encountered), $50 bills, and $100 bills. (The last two are usually not welcome as payment for small purchases.)

Coins come in seven denominations: 1¢ (1 cent, or a penny); 5¢ (5 cents, or a nickel); 10¢ (10 cents, or a dime); 25¢ (25 cents, or a quarter); 50¢ (50 cents, or a half-dollar); the gold-colored Sacagawea coin, worth $1; and the rare silver dollar.

The easiest and best way to get cash away from home is from an ATM (automated teller machine). Look at the back of your bank card to see which network you're on; then call or check online for ATM locations at your destination. Be sure you know your personal identification number (PIN) and daily withdrawal limit before you depart. Also, if you have a five- or six-digit PIN, change it to a four-digit PIN before coming to Colorado.

Remember that many banks impose a fee every time you use a card at another bank's ATM, and that fee can be higher for international transactions (up to $5 or more) than for domestic ones (where they're rarely more than $2). In addition, the bank from which you withdraw cash may charge its own fee.