Travel Tips
Welcome to the newest addition to our website, the Travel Tips Section! Here we'd like to share with you our combined experience in traveling to Albuquerque (and anywhere)!
Make your hotel reservation at the Clubhouse Inn & Suites Hotel today and find out why our guests say we are the best place to stay in Albuquerque.
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These tips are listed in no particular order, and are all equally important (depending upon the reader, of course). We'll be adding one or more tips each month. For tips on side trips and what to do when you are in Albuquerque, we invite you to vist our weblog.
- You do NOT need a passport to visit New Mexico.
- You definitely CAN drink the water.
- It's best to rent a car if you are here for sightseeing and leisure travel and want to see a lot in a day. If you have time, the bus system and our hotel shuttle service (5 mile radius and to the airport 7AM-7PM, advance notice required) can get you to where you want to go, but at a slower pace.
- Albuquerque has 3 main shopping / dining locations - Uptown, Downtown and Old Town. Click on any of them for more info and distance from the hotel.
Click here for our interactive area map!
VISITOR AND RELOCATION INFORMATION:
All obtained from the Albuquerque Visitor's Guide
Alcoholic Beverage Laws
State law prohibits anyone younger than 21 years from purchasing or consuming alcoholic beverages. There is no alcoholic service on election days. Bars and lounges close at 2pm Monday through Saturday and at midnight on Sundays.
Hunting and Fishing
Contact the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish at 800-862-9310 or 800-ASK-FISH.
New Mexico Gun Laws
Call the New Mexico State Police at 505-841-9256.
Safety Restraint Laws
All adults in the car are required to wear a seatbelt. Children under 1 year must be in a rear facing restraint seat in the back seat of the car. Children 1-5 and less than 40 lbs. must be in a child restraint seat. In Rio Rancho all children under the age of 12 must be in the back seat. For more information, call the Albuquerque Police Department at 505-768-2020.
Gratuities
Gratuity is not typically added to your bill. Standard gratuity is usually 15 to 20% of your total bill, including tax, before any coupons or discounts are deducted.
Foreign Money Exchange
Contact Bank of America at 800-944-0404 or 505-282-3131, 24-hour advance notice required.
Population
764,869 people live in the Greater Albuquerque Metropolitan Area. The average age of residents is 35, and about 30% of the population are between 25 and 44. Residents 65 or over comprise around 11% of the population.
Sales Tax
Instead of a sales tax, New Mexico levies a gross receipt tax on goods and service providers, which is passed on to the buyer. In Albuquerque this tax is 6.875% and an additional 6% lodgers tax on hotels (totaling 12.875%). On airport car rentals there is a combined tax totaling around 21%.
Transportation
Taxi service, if not booked in advance, is usually dispatched within 15 minutes. The “JIT” is a late night shuttle from downtown, for information call 505-243-2230. For Albuquerque bus schedules and routes call the transit department’s Customer Service Center at 505-843-9200 or visit www.cabq.gov/transit.
