Trip Planning
Information, advice and recommendationsTips and recommendations for travel to Santa Fe
There are a few basics to all travel, getting here and getting home, places to stay, places to eat, and what to do. The last two are easy – you are coming for a workshop and Santa Fe is a famous foodie town. Below is help with the rest.
Traveling to Santa Fe
By air
There are 2 airports to choose from. Most choose based on airfare. Santa Fe (SAF) is small but can be convenient. This option is often but not always pricey when booking late. Fewer services and car rental options, but it is much closer to town than Albuquerque. Ground transportation at SAF.
Albuquerque (ABQ) is the regional international airport about 60 mile south of Santa Fe. There is pay shuttle service to hotels in Santa Fe, Groom Transportation. The airport also hosts the typical array of car rental companies.
By car
I always recommend getting off the interstate from time to time (or always) and giving yourself the time and permission to stop and look around. By car is one of the few modes of travel left that allow you any personal time and exploration.
By Amtrak
While Amtrak does stop in Lamy, it is difficult to get to town from there. Amtrak also stops in Albuquerque where you could taxi to get a rental car or take the commuter train, Rail Runner, to Santa Fe – it is more complicates to take the train.
Staying in Santa Fe
Our longtime lodging partner, Santa Fe Suites is not longer a hotel. I am sure they changed in order to survive Covid travel shut downs.
I use VRBO or Home Away heavily when I travel. Additionally, Expedia does a great job of listing available rooms in your search area for the dates you need. Expedia is a great way to get choices I couldn’t give you. Keep in mind, post pandemic travel is still a navigation instead of familiar paths. Don’t get stressed.
If you are a frequent business traveler you know where you like to stay and I have learned to recommend that you do that. You’ve worked out a complete system for being comfortable in your preferred lodger.
If you are more independent try finding a place at Vacation Rentals by Owner, VRBO. I use them when possible and have been very pleased with my experience. There is also Airbnb which I have not used so cannot speak too.
Just to be clear for our clients who are used to public transportation – this is a small community with no real public transportation. If you drive you will want to get a car. This is the West and we take our pony with us everywhere!
Car Rental
Since 2021 this is nothing short of a Wild West show at the Santa Fe Airport. I like Enterprise, Thrifty and Budget, but have zero sway with any of them in this market. You might find renting from a street (non airport) location cheaper and worth taking Uber or something off airport, but no deals to peak of when I checked recently.
Albuquerque Sunport is more stable, but get your car early no matter where you fly in.
Share Expenses
If you are someone who knows how to share lodging and resources, I am willing to send an email out on your behalf. Just let me know.
What to Do
Well, you gotta eat! In Santa Fe those are words to live by. There are also 14 museums, The Santa Fe Opera, hiking trails, day trips, 250 art galleries, give or take, cultural evens, and the dessert or mountains. If you are bringing a friend, don’t worry about how they spend their day, just hope they remember to pick you up at the end of the day.