Getting Around

By Plane

Overseas visitors can take advantage of the APEX (Advance Purchase Excursion) reductions offered by all major U.S. and European carriers. In addition, some large airlines offer transatlantic or transpacific passengers special discount tickets under the name Visit USA, which allows mostly one-way travel from one U.S. destination to another at very low prices. Unavailable in the United States, these discount tickets must be purchased abroad in conjunction with your international fare. This system is the easiest, fastest, cheapest way to see the country.

If you don't have a car and don't want to rent one, your options for getting around New Mexico are very limited. Mesa Airlines (tel. 800/637-2247; www.mesa-air.com) flies between Albuquerque, Farmington, Carlsbad, Clovis, Roswell, and Hobbs.

By Car

If you plan to drive your own vehicle to and around New Mexico, give it a thorough road check before starting out. The state offers plenty of wide-open desert and wilderness spaces, and it's not fun to be stranded in the heat or cold with a vehicle that doesn't run. Check with your auto-insurance company to make sure you're covered when out of state or when driving a rental car.

Gasoline is readily available at service stations throughout the state. Prices are cheapest in Albuquerque and 10% to 15% more expensive in more isolated communities. All prices are subject to the same fluctuations as elsewhere in the United States.

Indian reservations are considered sovereign nations, and they enforce their own laws. For instance, on the Navajo reservation (New Mexico's largest), it's prohibited to transport alcoholic beverages, to leave established roadways, or to travel without a seat belt. While there, abide by speed limits and follow traffic signs.

I have received good rates and service from Avis at the Albuquerque airport (tel. 800/831-2847, 505/842-4080, or 505/471-5892 in Santa Fe; www.avis.com); Thrifty, 2039 Yale Blvd. SE, Albuquerque (tel. 800/367-2277 or 505/842-8733; www.thrifty.com); Hertz, Albuquerque International Airport (tel. 800/654-3131 or 505/842-4235; www.hertz.com); Dollar, Albuquerque International Airport (tel. 800/369-4226; www.dollar.com); Budget, Albuquerque International Airport (tel. 505/247-3443; www.budget.com); Alamo, 2601 Yale SE, Albuquerque (tel. 800/327-9633; www.alamo.com); and Rent-A-Wreck of Albuquerque, 2001 Ridegecrest (tel. 800/247-9556 or 505/232-7552; www.rentawreck.com/nm.htm).

Drivers who need wheelchair-accessible transportation should call Wheelchair Getaways of New Mexico, 1015 Tramway Lane NE, Albuquerque (tel. 800/408-2626 or 505/247-2626; www.wheelchairgetaways.com); the company rents vans by the day, week, or month.

If you're visiting from abroad and plan on renting a car in the United States, you probably won't need the services of an additional automobile organization. If, however, you're planning to buy or borrow a car, automobile-association membership is recommended. AAA, the American Automobile Association (tel. 800/222-4357; http://travel.aaa.com), is the country's largest auto club and supplies its members with maps, insurance, and, most important, emergency road service. Note: Foreign driver's licenses are usually recognized in the U.S., but you should get an international one if your home license is not in English.

By Train

International visitors can buy a USA Rail Pass, good for 15 or 30 days of unlimited travel on Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com). The pass is available through many overseas travel agents. See Amtrak's website for the cost of travel within the western, eastern, or northwestern United States. With a foreign passport, you can also buy passes direct from some Amtrak locations, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Miami, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Reservations are generally required and should be made as early as possible. Regional rail passes are also available.

Amtrak's northern New Mexico line, the Southwest Chief, runs west-east and east-west once daily, with stops in Gallup, Grants, Albuquerque, Lamy (for Santa Fe), Las Vegas, and Raton. The Sunset Unlimited connects Lordsburg and Deming with El Paso, Texas, three times weekly each direction. Greyhound/Trailways bus lines provide through-ticketing for Amtrak passengers between Albuquerque and El Paso. Railway routes are extremely limited around northern New Mexico. Contact Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL or 505/842-9650; www.amtrak.com) for more information.