Albuquerque experts please help!
 

I'll be passing through Albuquerque for one afternoon and night with an early flight out the next morning. I've never been to the city so know NOTHING about it. How far is the city from the airport as I'd rather not be in an airport hotel if I don't have to. Any advice on where to stay would be greatly appreciated!

Albuquerque's Sunport Airport is at the southern edge of the city. It's really not that far to drive into town. If you were concerned about the morning flight, the drive back to the airport is probably 20-30 minutes on I25, depending on where you are staying. Also traffic may be a consideration.

As for a place to stay, what is your budget? And your preferences? Super deluxe or clean budget hotel just to rest your head?

Not looking for the the top of the line but would love to stay somewhere that will give us a taste of the city, since our visit will be so brief. A budget hotel is not necessary. Would love to hear your suggestions. Maybe you could mention a great place to eat as well? Thanks!

There are several threads here with restaurant recommendations. What is your budget, and what kind of food do you like?

The Embassy Suites at I-25 and Lomas is nice, and I don't think it's too expensive.

Lee Ann

Is the Embassy Suites somewhat convenient to the airport? Is there any public transportation that runs through the city and also goes to the airports?
Regarding food...whatever makes Albuquerque unique. What is the city known for food wise?
Thanks for your help!

chilis

As for hotels, check out tripadvisor.com for a hotel that's in your preferred price range and within the distance that you would like to be of the airport.

Chiles... I guess I should have known. In which restaurant, casual preferably, do you eat your chiles? Also, wondering how would I find the distance from hotels to the airport on tripadvisor?

Hi baggyj,
Hope I can provide you with some insights about ABQ.

First, it is not a "city" in the sense of NY, or LA etc. It is pretty spread out and a good deal of it is suburban.

Getting to the airport is pretty simple from most areas of the city. The airport is right off I25, the major north south interstate.

Although I lived in ABQ for a number of years, I have also stayed in a few different hotels in ABQ.

The Embassy Suites that Lee Ann mentioned are just off I25 and are just a few miles from airport.

I have also stayed at Marriott Courtyard, La Quinta, Holiday Inn Express right near the airport. They were close to airport and easy to get to sites in ABQ.

Honestly, if I had an early morning flight, I would stay near the airport. You don't want to have to get up any earlier than necessary and you don't want to risk getting stuck in traffic.

What time is the flight? Will you have a rental car? What day of the week is your flight? These will impact decisions.

If you have a rental car - here's a suggestion that works well for us. We return the car to airport rental location around 9pm the night before the flight. We take the courtesy bus to the airport and then have the hotels' shuttle [usually free] pick us up. We then use the shuttle in the morning to get to the airport and don't have to hassle with returning the car.

I wouldn't count on tripadvisor for this type of accomodation. Most of the brand name chains will work fine for you.

To get a sense of distance, use google. search for Albuquerque hotels and then look at the map provided.

I will be happy to answer questions about specific hotels.

As far as what to see in ABQ -

Old Town or Nob Hill {shops, restaurants, breweries, Univ. of NM, some galleries} are both nice.

The Hispanic Cultural Center is a good place to get a feel for the history of the area. 1701 4th St. SW, at Bridge St., Albuquerque, NM
Phone: 505/246-2261
http://www.nhccnm.org/

Breakfast or lunch near the cultural center -- Barelas Coffee House has great NM cuisine. 1502 4th St. SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87102
Phone: 505/843-7577

The Cultural Center has good food too at La Fonda del Bosque

If you have enought time - perhaps a visit to a pueblo or a hike {Tent Rocks, north of ABQ}?

Take the tram up the Sandias and get a great view of the city.

Downtown means Central where there has been much renewal going on. Restaurants, clubs, bars, line the way.


Old Town has a plaza with historic church, little winding streets with shops and restaurants, art galleries. Nearby, there are museums, etc.

There is also a world class zoo in ABQ. I love it, but it would depend on how you feel about zoos.


Check out Fodors' suggestions:

http://www.fodors.com/world/north%20...ure_30002.html

NOTE: Graze is closed.

Hope this has helped.

Deb

I would agree with most of what Deb said. My husband and I were in NM last weekend for a funeral. We flew into Albuquerque on Friday, the service was Saturday morning. After that we drove out to visit friends who live in Los Alamos. We spent the night with them and then drove back to Albuquerque on Sunday and flew out Monday morning.

We did just as Deb recommended. We dropped off our rental car at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday and stayed at the Wyndham Airport Hotel on Sunday night. Their shuttle was great for getting us back and forth to the airport without any problems.

We got our hotel through Priceline. We paid $50 which we thought was a good deal.

A restaurant we really enjoyed in Albuquerque was Scalo. It is Italian and is located in Nob Hill. We ate their for lunch on Friday and for dinner on Sunday.

We were busy with family and then we were in Santa Fe and Los Alamos so we didn't do much in Albuquerque except eat two great meals at Scalo.

Enjoy!

A wise suggestion that was made by our waitress once... CHILIES ON THE SIDE! Although I eat alot of Tex-Mex, New Mexican cuisine was rough on my tummy on several occasions.