Albuquerque City Guide - Getting Around

ABQ Ride Buses run over 35 bus routes throughout the city. The station is located at 100 First Street SW (tel: (505) 243 7433; website: www.cabq.gov/transit). Rapid Ride runs Monday through Saturday from 0600 until 2000 (plus every Friday and Saturday night until 0300 from Memorial Day Weekend at the end of May through Labor Day Weekend in early September).The route runs along Central Avenue between Unser and Wyoming and then north to Uptown. Stops are about a mile apart at specially designated Rapid Ride stations, rather than the normal city bus stops, which are about two blocks apart. Park & Ride locations are located at the Uptown Transit Center near Coronado Mall and at the Southwest Mesa on the corner of Central and Unser. All of the city's Rapid Ride vehicles now have wireless web access to allow laptop computer use while riding the bus. There are 83 hot spots along the route that allows buses to establish a connection from zone to zone.

The light railway Rail Runner (tel: (505) 245 7245/RAIL; website: www.nmrailrunner.com) started operating in summer 2006, and offers transportation within the city as well as surrounding areas, from Bernalillo in the north to Belen in the south. The service will be extended to Santa Fe by 2008. The Downtown Albuquerque Rail Runner station is located in the heart of the city's transportation network - the Alvarado Transportation Center.

Main taxi providers include Albuquerque Cab Company (tel: (505) 883 4888; website: www.albuquerquecab.com) and Yellow Cab Company (tel: (505) 247 8888).

The minimum age for hiring a car varies from 21 to 25 years. Car rental agencies change an extra premium to drivers under 25. A valid driving license or an International Driving Permit is required. Costly insurance can be part of the hire arrangement, but renters should check their auto insurance to see if their policies cover rental cars.

Car hire providers include Alamo (tel: 1 800 327 9633; website: www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: 1 800 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: 1 800 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: 1 800 800 4000; website: www.dollar.com) and Hertz (tel: 1 800 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com).

In and around Albuquerque, there are trails, bike routes and paths that provide bike riders with both scenic and practical alternatives to motorized travel. The city has one of the most extensive bikeway systems in the country. Download a copy of the new CABQ Bike Map at www.cabq.gov/bike

Bicycle hire shops include Albuquerque Bicycle Center, 3330 Coors Boulevard NW (tel: (505) 831 5739) and Sportz Outdoor, 6915 Montgomery Boulevard NE (website: www.sportzoutdoor.com). You can also rent bikes at Tingley Beach near the Bosque Trail as well as mountain bikes at the Sandia Peak Ski Area in the summer months.