A commuter rail line, the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, connects Santa Fe to Albuquerque and surrounding communities (from downtown Albuquerque you can catch a shuttle to the airport, ABQ). There are currently three stations open in Santa Fe: the Santa Fe Depot at the railyards on Guadalupe Street near the Sanbusco Center, the South Capitol station on Alta Vista Drive between Cerrillos Road and St. Francis Drive, and the NM 599 station at I-25 and NM 599 southwest of town. The Santa Fe Depot will be more useful for sightseeing, as it puts you in the historic downtown area within relatively easy walking distance of the plaza, with a shuttle circulating around the downtown area if you don't want to walk. The South Capitol and NM 599 stations are meant more for commuters. The Rail Runner runs daily, although service can be limited outside the weekday rush hour periods. Fares are based on how far you ride; a day pass will usually be in the range of $5-$9. Tickets can be purchased online or from ticket agents on the train.
The major Amtrak route across the Southwest, the Southwest Chief, stops at Lamy about 15 miles south of Santa Fe off US Highway 285. The once-daily trains stop in Lamy mid-afternoon, and a shuttle van service can take you to Santa Fe. The station in Lamy has an old cafe car serving lunch, food vendors on the platform, and picnic tables beneath shady cottonwoods.
There is an excursion train from Santa Fe to Lamy (the Santa Fe Southern Railway, below under "See") which is a pleasant way to get to Lamy to board an Amtrak train, but it returns to Santa Fe before either Amtrak train arrives there. Travelers with bicycles may find the shuttle van to Santa Fe is unable to transport their bicycles unless special arrangements have been made; an alternative is to send any luggage ahead via the shuttle and ride the bicycle - the rail line used by the excursion train is a federally designated rail trail but currently between Lamy and US 285 you must travel via the road. From US 285 to downtown Santa Fe there is a trail parallel to the tracks.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Santa Fe (New Mexico) - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Santa Fe (New Mexico) hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Santa Fe (New Mexico) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
