Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
40
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS
Unless you're arriving from an area known
to be suffering from an epidemic (particu-
larly cholera or yellow fever), inoculations
or vaccinations are not required for entry
into the United States.
Australian Citizens:
Australian Cus-
toms Service
at
&
1300/363-263,
or log
on to
www.customs.gov.au
.
New Zealand Citizens:
New Zealand
Customs,
The Customhouse, 17-21
Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington
(
&
04/473-6099
or 0800/428-786; www.
customs.govt.nz).
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GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
GETTING TO THE
SOUTHWEST
By Plane
Deciding where to touch down in the
Southwest is a bit tricky. Where you land
will depend on what part of the region you
intend to focus on. For instance, Albu-
querque, New Mexico, is closest to the
Four Corners region, but if you also
intend to visit the Grand Canyon, you
may be better off flying in and out of
Phoenix, which would allow you to visit
Sedona, Arizona, as well. However, if you
intend to only visit the northernmost part
of the region, you may want to fly into Las
Vegas, Nevada, and possibly save on air-
fare. Meanwhile, if you want to experience
some mountain country en route to the
mostly desert attractions of the Southwest,
you could fly into Durango, Colorado.
Your best bet is to take out a map, pin-
point where you want to focus your travel
time, and find the closest airport. Alterna-
tively, check out the suggested itineraries
described in chapter 4.
Many airlines flying to both Phoenix
and Tucson serve Arizona from around the
United States. The Phoenix
Sky Harbor
Airport
(PHX;
&
602/273-3300;
www.
phxskyharbor.com) is the more centrally
located of the two airports and is closer to
the Grand Canyon. However, if you're
planning to explore the southern part of
the state or are going to visit both Phoenix
and Tucson, you might want to fly into
Tucson International Airport
(TUS;
&
520/573-8100;
www.tucsonairport.
org), which is smaller and charges lower
taxes on its car rentals. Both airports are
serviced by all major airlines.
The
Albuquerque International Sun-
port
(ABQ;
&
505/842-4366;
www.
cabq.gov/airport) is the hub for travel to
most parts of New Mexico. A secondary
hub, for southern New Mexico, is
El Paso
International Airport
(ELP;
&
915/780-
4700;
www.elpasointernationalairport.
com), in western Texas. Both airports are
served by all major airlines.
McCarran International Airport
(LAS:
&
702/261-5211;
www.mccarran.
com), in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a good
option if you plan to visit northern Ari-
zona and southern Utah. Budget-con-
scious travelers may find good deals on
airfares and rental cars from there.
Colorado Springs Airport
(COS;
&
719/550-1900;
www.coloradosprings
airport.com), in the southeast corner of
Colorado Springs, handles over 100 flights
each day, with connections to most major
U.S. cities. Even more convenient to the
region is the
Durango/La Plata County
Airport
(DRO;
&
970/247-8143;
www.
flydurango.com), with direct daily non-
stop service from Denver and Phoenix.
Those whose destination is western
Colorado can make connections to Grand
Junction's
Walker Field
(GJT;
&
970/
244-9100;
www.walkerfield.com) from
Denver, Phoenix, or Salt Lake City.
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