Vacation in Albuquerque (Santa Fe, Taos, Chimayo: rental car, where to stay, 2014)
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Hello All,
We are travelling to Albuquerque in mid September. Any advice on where to stay, places to see, etc?
A bit about us - coming from Chicagoland, definitely not shoppers, like outdoors & authentic sights, staying 10 days, up for driving a bit outside town (staying within an hour's ride), budget is middle - not high end/not cheapo.
Hello All,
We are travelling to Albuquerque in mid September. Any advice on where to stay, places to see, etc?
A bit about us - coming from Chicagoland, definitely not shoppers, like outdoors & authentic sights, staying 10 days, up for driving a bit outside town (staying within an hour's ride), budget is middle - not high end/not cheapo.
Any ideas are greatly appreciated!
Alot of of good info on this site........enjoy your visit!
10 days should be more than an ample amount of time to explore many of the sites within an hour or so of Albuquerque. All I can tell you about hotels is that as a general rule of thumb they run pretty cheap for the most part. As a tourist you may want to consider staying near Old Town, which includes The Hotel ABQ, Holiday Inn Express, Best Western, etc. There are a bunch of good quality chain motels about 5 minutes west on Iliff Rd, which is only about a 7 minute drive from Old Town as well. There is even a wonderful B&B in a more rural part of the city (Los Poblanos B&B) on Rio Grande Blvd, just a few minutes north the Old Town district. You may also want to do a google search for B&B's in Cedar Crest, NM which is located in the mountains just east of the city. Consider trying maybe the Hyatt Regency/Andaluz/ Parq Central hotels for a more urban and centralized location. As an FYI hotels near the airport are modern and tend to be quite reasonably priced. If I were you I would do a hotels.com search to get a feel for all the hotels in and around ABQ.
Unique places to see would include Old Town, The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, the restaurants/shops along Central Ave. in Nob Hill including several on the immediate side streets. Certainly, the tram would be fun as well. Consider driving up to the Sandia Crest for beautiful mountain scenery, or visiting the nearby "hippy" town of Madrid.
Of course, you have to visit Santa Fe and try to dine in many of the city's wonderful restaurants. Take a leisurely walk along Canyon Rd. and its many side streets.
I'm sure others on the NM/ABQ forum will add their 2 cents in as well. Enjoy yourselves!!
We were in Abq. in July. Favorite places: Old Town, Sandia Crest (drive it), Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Bio Park, Frontier restaurant and Flying Star Nob Hill area, Santa Fe via Turquoise Trail, Los Poblanos. Know I've left out bunch of places. Not to far away Chimayo the Old Church and Los Ranchos de Chimayo restaurant, Chirapado Winery, Santa Fe (of course), so much I'm losing track the whole area is amazing you will love it! It draws us back over and over maybe someday forever. Check out picture thread for a look around.
Have a wonderful visit to a special places and take tons of pictures!
We are thinking of not getting a car for the first few days. If so, would staying in Old Town be best for that?
You certainly could survive and explore the old town area without a car, but I think after a couple of days you might start to get a tad bored and maybe feel a bit isolated. If your venturing for the first couple of days without 4-wheels might I suggest the Parq Central Hotel. It is located in the heart of the city, about equal-distance from the University area and downtown. Nob hill would be a quick ~1.25 mi. bus ride away, old town maybe a 3 mi one or so along the same corridor, so it would be near impossible to get lost and you would more or less be smack dab in the center of everything that ABQ has to offer. As a plus, you would be just under a mile from the Rail Runner train station, which could wisp you up to Santa Fe, saving you possibly another day or two of vehicle rental charges.
Your best bet is to stay in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. If you want a 4 star hotel, I would highly recommend The Hotel Andaluz (aprox $135 per night) -Hotel Andaluz - Albuquerque Hotel Guide*- Albuquerque Restaurants Guide – AbqStyle.com, a true southwestern luxury experience that also has two excellent restaurants (be sure to do your research for a better rate). This is one of the most beautiful hotels in all of the southwest. Plus, you are only a block away from the Alvarado Transportation Center, where you can get the express bus to pick up your rental car from any of the Airport rental agencies. You are also only a block away from the City Hall district, the landmark Kimo Theater, and can be in Old Town by express bus in five minutes. You are also located in the heart of the business district. This is a more vibrant and convenient location to be in than the area around Hotel Parq Central if you will be without a car for a couple of days.
The Hotel Parq Central (aprox $150 per night)l is also a beautiful hotel, but you are about ten minutes away from the Alvarado Transportation Center by bus. It's somewhat isolated from the business community. If you want to step out at night you will feel more isolated at Parq Central, as it is surrounded by Route 66 style motels. Plus it offers a more classic hotel experience. It does not have the well executed southwestern vibe, decor and style of the Hotel Andaluz.
Photo: Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico
There is another huge advantage to staying in the Hotel Andaluz. I would suggest using your two days without a car to visit Santa Fe, New Mexico by Rail Runner commuter train - Photos: A Day Trip To Santa Fe*- Albuquerque Restaurants Guide – AbqStyle.com. The train is only a block away at the Alvarado Transportation Center. You can commute in to Santa Fe at aprox 9am or 1pm and catch a train back at 8:15pm that brings you back to Albuquerque around 9:40 or so. When you get off the train, you only have a block to walk to your hotel. The downtown area near the Hotel Andaluz is lively where you will be staying because of the concentration of restaurants, and a big movie theater in that area. I personally commute to Santa Fe this way rather than drive. The tourist area of Santa Fe is highly walkable and the Rail Runner is a very enjoyable way of traveling.
Gift shop, Old Town, Albuquerque
Use your two days without a car to see Santa Fe by Rail Runner. Then, use your car to get around Abuquerque. Albuquerque is not nearly as convenient without a car. Old Town can be seen in a single afternoon unless you want to browse the gift shops. You won't find a good reason to stay there all day. The best restaurant in Old Town is arguably Duran Central Pharmacy - Duran Central Pharmacy*- Albuquerque Restaurants Guide – AbqStyle.com for authentic New Mexican food. Or, if you want a lighter, more traditional meal, the newly opened Viniagrette - Vinaigrette - A Salad Bistro is highly recommended.
Elena Gallegos Picnic Area
To get a real sense of the beauty and landscape of Albuquerque, I would drive to the Elena Gallegos Picnic area - Elena Gallegos Picnic Area*- Albuquerque Restaurants Guide – AbqStyle.com preferably near sunset as they are spectacular to see from here. You get a birds eye view of Albuquerque, and you are in majestic moutainscape surroundings that really show off the beauty of our land. You get to see the watermelon sunsets on the Sandias up close. Bring a light picnic or just watch the sun go down. if you want to hike a bit this is a great place for it on well marked trails.
There are two day trips I highly recommend from Albuquerque. The first is Taos, New Mexico - Taos, New Mexico*- Albuquerque Restaurants Guide – AbqStyle.com. Very charming town, drive in by the "High Road" and take the "Low Road" back for a trip through some of New Mexico's most historic and attractive small towns.
Taos, New Mexico
Secondly, be sure to visit Madrid - Madrid, New Mexico*- Albuquerque Restaurants Guide – AbqStyle.com, a funky ghost town resurected as an artist's commune on The Turquoise Trail between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. This is also the best place to get bargains on souvenirs and art.
Madrid, New Mexico
These are personal recommendations from someone with a passion for Albuquerque. I come from New York, and these are some of my favorite places in and around Albuquerque, and I think they will give you the most varied and exciting taste of the New Mexico experience.
To the moderator - these are all my personal photos.
These are personal recommendations from someone with a passion for Albuquerque. I come from New York, and these are some of my favorite places in and around Albuquerque, and I think they will give you the most varied and exciting taste of the New Mexico experience.
To the moderator - these are all my personal photos.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Design7, for the great photos posted on his web "blog" site, as well as in this forum:
I have to add that probably no trip to Albuquerque is complete without taking a ride on the tram. Spectacular views. Info: Sandia Peak Ski & Tramway - Sandia Peak Tramway Note that on Tuesdays the Tram is only running between 5PM and 8PM.
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