Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
240
new Balloon Museum. East of Eubank Boulevard lie the Sandia Foothills, where the
alluvial plain slants a bit more steeply toward the mountains.
When looking for an address, it is helpful to know that Central Avenue divides the
city into north and south, and the railroad tracks—which run just east of First Street
downtown—are the dividing line between east and west. Street names are followed by a
directional: NE, NW, SE, or SW.
MAPS
The most comprehensive Albuquerque street map is distributed by the Conven-
tion and Visitors Bureau, 20 First Plaza NW (
&
800/284-2282
or 505/842-9918).
2
GETTING AROUND
Albuquerque is easy to get around, thanks to its wide thoroughfares and grid layout,
combined with its efficient transportation systems.
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
ABQ Ride
(
&
505/243-7433
) cloaks the arterials
with its city bus network. Call for information on routes and fares.
BY TAXI
Yellow Cab
(
&
505/247-8888
) serves the city and surrounding area 24
hours a day.
BY CAR
The Yellow Pages lists more than 30 car-rental agencies in Albuquerque.
Among them are the following well-known national firms:
Alamo,
3400 University Blvd.
SE (
&
505/842-4057; www.alamo.com);
Avis,
at the airport (
&
505/842-4080; www.
avis.com);
Budget,
at the airport (
&
505/247-3443; www.budget.com);
Dollar,
at the
airport (
&
505/842-4224; www.dollar.com);
Hertz,
at the airport (
&
505/842-4235;
www.hertz.com);
Rent-A-Wreck,
2001 Ridegecrest Dr. SE (
&
505/232-7552; www.
rentawreck.com/nm.htm); and
Thrifty,
2039 Yale Blvd. SE (
&
505/842-8733; www.
thrifty.com). Those not located at the airport itself are close by and can provide rapid
airport pickup and delivery service.
Parking
is generally not difficult in Albuquerque. Meters operate weekdays 8am to
6pm and are not monitored at other times. Only the large downtown hotels charge for
parking. Traffic is a problem only at certain hours. Avoid I-25 and I-40 at the center of
town around 8am and 5pm.
FAST FACTS
You can reach the
Greater Albuquerque Medical Association
at
&
505/821-4583.
The
major hospital facilities are
Presbyterian Hospital,
1100 Central Ave. SE (
&
505/841-
1234,
or 505/841-1111 for emergency services), and
University of New Mexico Hos-
pital,
2211 Lomas Blvd. NE (
&
505/272-2111,
or 505/272-2411 for emergency
services). In Albuquerque, the sales tax is 6.875%. An additional hotel tax of 6% will be
added to your bill.
See also “Fast Facts: American Southwest,” on p. 607.
9
3
WHERE TO STAY
Albuquerque's hotel glut is good news for travelers looking for quality rooms at a reason-
able cost. Except during peak periods—specifically, the New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair
(late June), the New Mexico State Fair (Sept), and the Albuquerque International Balloon
