Getting There

By Plane

The gateway to Santa Fe, Taos, and other northern New Mexico communities is the Albuquerque International Sunport (tel. 505/842-4366 for the administrative offices; www.cabq.gov/airport; call the individual airlines for flight information).

Airlines serving Albuquerque include American (tel. 800/433-7300), US Airways (tel. 800/235-9292), Continental (tel. 800/523-3273), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212), Frontier (tel. 800/432-1359), Mesa (tel. 800/637-2247), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525), Southwest (tel. 800/435-9792), TWA (tel. 800/221-2000), and United (tel. 800/241-6522).

In conjunction with United Airlines, Great Lakes (tel. 505/473-4118) offers commuter flights to and from Santa Fe Municipal Airport (tel. 505/955-2900) via Denver. Flying into Santa Fe will save you time but will cost more than flying into Albuquerque.

Immigration & Customs Clearance -- Foreign visitors arriving by air, no matter what the port of entry, should cultivate patience and resignation before setting foot on U.S. soil. Clearing immigration control can take as long as 2 hours. This is especially true in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when U.S. airports considerably beefed up security clearances. People traveling by air from Canada, Bermuda, and certain Caribbean countries can sometimes clear Customs and Immigration at the point of departure, which is much faster.

Getting into Town from the Airport -- Most hotels have courtesy vans to meet their guests and take them to their respective destinations. In addition, Checker Airport Express (tel. 505/765-1234) in Albuquerque runs vans to and from city hotels. Find Checker's booth near the baggage claim area. In Santa Fe, Roadrunner Shuttle (tel. 505/424-3367) meets every flight and takes visitors anywhere in Santa Fe.

By Car

Driving is the best way to see northern New Mexico, so you'll want to either drive here or rent a car.

Albuquerque is at the crossroads of two major interstate highways. I-40 runs from Wilmington, North Carolina (1,870 miles east), to Barstow, California (580 miles west). I-25 extends from Buffalo, Wyoming (850 miles north), to El Paso, Texas (265 miles south). I-25 skims past Santa Fe's southern city limits. To reach Taos, you have to leave I-25 at Santa Fe and travel north 74 miles via US 84/285 and NM 68, or exit I-25 9 miles south of Raton, near the Colorado border, and proceed 100 miles west on US 64.

Parking is quite available and reasonably priced throughout the region both at meters and in city parking garages.

By Bus

Because Santa Fe is only about 58 miles northeast of Albuquerque via I-40, most visitors to Santa Fe take the bus directly from the Albuquerque airport, at a cost of about $20 to $25 one-way. Sandia Shuttle Express buses (tel. 888/775-5696) make the 70-minute run between the airport and Santa Fe hotels 10 times daily each way (from Albuquerque to Santa Fe 6:30am-6pm; from Santa Fe to Albuquerque 8:45am-8:20pm). Reservations are required, ideally 48 hours in advance. Santa Fe Shuttle (tel. 888/833-2300) offers eight trips daily (from Albuquerque to Santa Fe 6:30am-10:45pm; from Santa Fe to Albuquerque 5:05am-8pm). Reservations are required. Two other bus services shuttle between Albuquerque and Taos (via Santa Fe) for $20 to $35 one-way: Faust's Transportation (tel. 888/830-3410 or 505/758-3410) and Twin Heart Express & Transportation (tel. 800/654-9456 or 505/751-1201).

The public bus depot in Albuquerque is located on 2nd Street at Lead (300 2nd St. SW). Contact Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma (TNM&O; tel. 505/242-4998) for information and schedules. Fares run about $11 to Santa Fe and $22 to Taos. However, the bus stations in Santa Fe (858 St. Michael's Dr.; tel. 505/471-0008) and Taos (5 miles south of the plaza at 1386 Paseo del Pueblo Sur; tel. 505/758-1144) are several miles south of each city center. Because additional taxi or shuttle service is needed to reach most accommodations, travelers usually find it more convenient to pay a few extra dollars for an airport-to-hotel shuttle.

By Train

Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL or 505/842-9650; www.amtrak.com) passes through northern New Mexico twice daily. The Southwest Chief, which runs between Chicago and Los Angeles, stops once eastbound and once westbound in Gallup, Albuquerque, Lamy (for Santa Fe), Las Vegas, and Raton. The Albuquerque train station is in the center of downtown, with easy access to hotels. A spur runs on a limited schedule from Lamy approximately 20 miles to downtown Santa Fe, within walking distance to the plaza.

You can get a copy of Amtrak's National Timetable from any Amtrak station, from travel agents, or by writing Amtrak, 400 N. Capitol St. NW, Washington, DC 20001. You can also check Amtrak timetables online, at www.amtrak.com. A photo ID is required for check-in.