By Plane
The gateway to Santa Fe, Taos, and other New Mexico communities is the Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ; tel. 505/842-4366 for the administrative offices; www.cabq.gov/airport; call the individual airlines for flight information).
A secondary hub for southern New Mexico is El Paso International Airport (ELP; tel. 915/780-4700; www.elpasointernationalairport.com) in western Texas.
Both airports are served by American (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), Continental (tel. 800/523-3273; www.continental.com), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), Express Jet (tel. 888/958-9538; www.expressjet.com), Frontier (tel. 800/432-1359; www.frontierairlines.com), Southwest (tel. 800/435-9792; www.southwest.com), United (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com), and US Airways (tel. 800/235-9292; www.usairways.com). An additional airline serving Albuquerque is Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com).
A few flights may be flying to the Santa Fe Municipal Airport (tel. 505/955-2900), which would save time for those visiting the City Different, but will cost more than flying into Albuquerque. In conjunction with American Airlines, commuter flights are offered by American Eagle (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com); as well, Delta Airlines (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com) may begin service in 2009, though no date has been set.
Arriving at the Airport -- Immigration & Customs Clearance -- International visitors arriving by air, no matter what the port of entry, should cultivate patience and resignation before setting foot on U.S. soil. U.S. airports have considerably beefed up security clearances in the years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, and clearing Customs and Immigration can take as long as 2 hours.
Getting into Town from the Airport -- Most hotels have courtesy vans to meet their guests and take them to their respective destinations. In addition, Airport Shuttle of Albuquerque (tel. 505/765-1234; www.airportshuttleabq.com) in Albuquerque runs vans to and from city hotels. In Santa Fe, Roadrunner Shuttle (tel. 505/424-3367) meets flights and takes visitors anywhere in Santa Fe. Las Cruces Shuttle Service (tel. 800/288-1784; www.lascrucesshuttle.com) travels between the El Paso International Airport and Las Cruces. If you're flying into Albuquerque and need to get to Santa Fe, see the "By Bus" section below.
By Car
Three interstate highways cross New Mexico. The north-south I-25 bisects the state, passing through Albuquerque and Las Cruces. The east-west I-40 follows the path of the old Route 66 through Gallup, Albuquerque, and Tucumcari in the north; while I-10 from San Diego crosses southwestern New Mexico until intersecting I-25 at Las Cruces.
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; www.sandiashuttle.com) 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. Two other bus services shuttle between Albuquerque and Taos (via Santa Fe) for $25 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 at 100 1st Street SW. Contact Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma (TNM&O; tel. 505/242-4998; www.tnmo.com) for information and schedules. Fares run about $15 to Santa Fe and $25 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 710 Paseo del Pueblo Sur; tel. 575/758-1144) 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) has two routes through the state. Greyhound/Trailways bus lines provide through-ticketing for Amtrak between Albuquerque and El Paso.
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. A photo ID is required for check-in.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
