We will be leaving Santa Fe to stay in Albuquerque on Oct 13 for 2 nights. Should we take the train then a taxi to our hotel or do a one-way car rental. If we don't hire a car would we be able to get transportation to see the early morning balloons lifting off?
Santa Fe to Albuquerque
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How are you getting to Santa Fe before you go to Albuquerque?
Where are you planning to stay in Albuquerque? Depending on where your hotel is located, you might be within walking distance of a park 'n ride location for the Balloon Fiesta.
Lee Ann
The park and ride locations can be found here:
http://www.balloonfiesta.com/guest-guide/park-ride
That is the only way you can get to the park without a car.
Of the 2 locations - Coronado Mall has the most motels close by as well as places to eat in the Uptown area. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.101823,-106.568870
For some reason, Coronado Mall isn't shown on that map; it is south of Menaul and west of Lousiana in the darker grey shaded area.
The train will take you to downtown ABQ. There may be buses that can get you to Uptown area. http://cabq.gov/transit or taxi.
Unless you rent with Enterprise [which isn't a bad idea] the drop off for a rental car will most likely be the airport, which would involve again either a bus or taxi.
I wouldn't wait too long to find motel rooms, it is a very busy time of year here.
We went in '10 and had a vehicle. That proved beneficial for the morning launches because at the bus pickup sites the crowd-herders received varying information as to whether the balloons would launch. This is because if the wind is over about 8 mph, the organizers will not do a full launch (although the balloonists may bugger off on their own). And on the flats around Albuquerque in early October, there are plenty of times that the wind blows more than 8 mph.
We went skipped the buses, went on our own and saw the full effect at the balloon park. And the traffic, while bad, was not even close to Holland Tunnel or central London level of awful. Definitely good to have the vehicle.
We are staying with friends in Santa Fe at their timeshare condo but they'll be heading north to WA state afterwards. It sounds as if we could take the train to ALB then rent a car so can get around more easily. We are booked at Hawthorn Suites on Gibson Blvd. SE. Thanks, everyone, for your input.
If it matters, that is not a particularly nice area. There are no decent restaurants in the immediate area, and it really an intersection just off interstate, near airport.