Albuquerque Hotel— Shuttle to Amtrak Station?

[erinch13]

Hello all! We will be leaving a New Mexico trip on Sunday, July 18 at 11:50 on the SWC. We will drop our rental off the night before, and need a hotel that has a shuttle to the Amtrak station. Any experience with this?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I am unaware of any ABQ hotels that provide a shuttle to the Amtrak station but many of the buses downtown will go there since it's really more of a bus station than a train station. I would probably take an Uber or Lyft instead. You might also want to be aware that in ABQ Amtrak is kind of militant about the boarding process. They want you to wait in the station and if you get anywhere near the tracks they will shout at you and tell you to get inside until they say otherwise. If you're boarding a sleeper you can probably stay on the platform but you might have to go through the process of being shouted at first.

 

[Saddleshoes]

I just have to put in a plug for Drury Inn & Suites Albuquerque North. They are 5 miles north of the train station and have no shuttle service.
--BUT-- They treated me and my family SO well, when we arrived in town with 2 sick kids. They went out of there way for us.
--SO-- I tell everybody going to ABQ to stay there. You will be glad you did.

 

[tgstubbs1]

There are a lot of hotels fairly close by as the station is right off old Rt 66. and close to downtown.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'd just call Uber or Lyft!

 

[Bonser]

I am unaware of any ABQ hotels that provide a shuttle to the Amtrak station but many of the buses downtown will go there since it's really more of a bus station than a train station. I would probably take an Uber or Lyft instead. You might also want to be aware that in ABQ Amtrak is kind of militant about the boarding process. They want you to wait in the station and if you get anywhere near the tracks they will shout at you and tell you to get inside until they say otherwise. If you're boarding a sleeper you can probably stay on the platform but you might have to go through the process of being shouted at first.

Home2 Suites offered pickup and return to station a couple of years ago.

 

[Palmland]

We’ve stay at the wonderfully restored Hotel Andaluz. Only a 5-10 minute walk to the station. It was the fourth Hilton hotel started by Conrad Hilton (an NM native) in 1939 and on National Historic Register of Historic Places. A bit pricey now but worth it if not during a peak period.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Home2 Suites offered pickup and return to station a couple of years ago.

A lot has changed over the last couple years but it sounds like this would be worth a phone call from the OP.

We’ve stay at the wonderfully restored Hotel Andaluz.

I've visited this hotel during the pandemic and it was close enough to walk to/from the Amtrak station. If you have lots of luggage or struggle to walk it's a very short ride to the station. Google maps puts it about 0.3 miles away.

 

[tgstubbs1]

Hotels have shuttles to the airport, why not to the train station?

 

[dlagrua]

Taxi service is available in Alburquerque. I would not walk to the station. Last month when we stopped there it seemed many mentally ill and homeless people made their home there. Didn't seem safe to us.

 

[Barb Stout]

Taxi service is available in Alburquerque. I would not walk to the station. Last month when we stopped there it seemed many mentally ill and homeless people made their home there. Didn't seem safe to us.

But it's like that in many to most places in Albuquerque. Given that the SWC leaves and arrives in both directions in the late morning or afternoon, I wouldn't fuss about such issues at all. Amtrak and Greyhound share the same station and the last couple of times I was there, there were security people making sure that the people in the station were actually passengers, although they didn't ask me to show them my ticket, but probably because I had a suitcase with me. I did watch them kick out a fellow who did come in without baggage. I felt rather sorry for him because he was aiming for the little cafe there and looked quite hot and as if he could really use a beverage. It was a really hot day.

I'm going to second (or third) the suggestion of Hotel Andaluz because it is quite close to the station. I haven't stayed overnight there because I live in ABQ, but a friend has and we have eaten at the very nice restaurant there a few times.

Also, someone mentioned the city buses. The main hub for city buses is right next to the Amtrak/Greyhound station. If it turns out convenient, I would personally consider the bus. I have taken it a couple of times in the last couple of years without any problems, however, I have heard of other people having issues of being bothered (as in harassed) by tweakers or the like on the city buses.

Oh, if you do walk around the Amtrak station area, don't head south as there is not much tourist stuff in that direction and I think there is a homeless shelter in that direction also, but I'm not sure. It doesn't look inviting in that direction anyway.

 

[Rasputin]

Also, someone mentioned the city buses. The main hub for city buses is right next to the Amtrak/Greyhound station. If it turns out convenient, I would personally consider the bus. I have taken it a couple of times in the last couple of years without any problems, however, I have heard of other people having issues of being bothered (as in harassed) by tweakers or the like on the city buses.

At the city bus station there is an extensive display about the history of the Alvarado Hotel which previously occupied the site and was operated by Fred Harvey as I recall. Well worth checking out his display.

 

[Chatter163]

Hotels have shuttles to the airport, why not to the train station?

Because few people take the train as compared with airplanes.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Because few people take the train as compared with airplanes.

I can understand this reasoning to a point, and if a hotel is near an airport but far from any station it makes sense to ignore train travelers, but if it's an urban hotel that's nowhere near an airport and a few blocks away from a train station it makes less sense to me.

 

[DavidSh]

Because few people take the train as compared with airplanes.

Depending on how the hotel-airport shuttle operates, you might be able to get a train station pickup just by asking for it. My last air flight, I had call for the hotel to send out a shuttle after I picked up my checked luggage anyway. A pickup from the train station shouldn't have been any different, as long as they know how to get there, it isn't significantly farther away, and there is a suitable spot by the station.
It would be different if the airport shuttles were operating on a schedule.

 

[tomfuller]

My wife and I did use the city bus along the old US66 even with some luggage. The charge is only $2. Sadly the Route 66 hostel we stayed at has closed.

 

[Lana J C]

I once parked my car at an offsite ABQ airport and they shuttled me to the Amtrak station. On return I took a taxi.

 

[Barb Stout]

My wife and I did use the city bus along the old US66 even with some luggage. The charge is only $2. Sadly the Route 66 hostel we stayed at has closed.

During the pandemic the city started a "Zero" bus fare pilot program. It will be active through the end of September 2023, so currently no cost to taking the buses in ABQ.

Also, the Old Town area (touristy) has several hotels in or near the area of varying price ranges and degrees of fanciness. Old Town is sort of close to the Amtrak station, but not walking distance (for me), but it is on/near Central Avenue which has multiple bus routes that go downtown to the bus hub/Amtrak station. I was just in Old Town yesterday and encountered zero sketchy people.

 

[Chatter163]

Depending on how the hotel-airport shuttle operates, you might be able to get a train station pickup just by asking for it. My last air flight, I had call for the hotel to send out a shuttle after I picked up my checked luggage anyway. A pickup from the train station shouldn't have been any different, as long as they know how to get there, it isn't significantly farther away, and there is a suitable spot by the station.
It would be different if the airport shuttles were operating on a schedule.

Sometimes one gets lucky and a shuttle can be sent. But that might depend on the proximity of the Amtrak station to the hotel, if someone can figure out how to get there, and what the hotel’s policy is about pickups at what they might consider an alternate location.

 

[Chatter163]

I can understand this reasoning to a point, and if a hotel is near an airport but far from any station it makes sense to ignore train travelers, but if it's an urban hotel that's nowhere near an airport and a few blocks away from a train station it makes less sense to me.

I get it. I’m simply answering the other poster’s question, from the hotel’s point of view.

 

[tgstubbs1]

I walked a block west from the ABQ station to the small grocery store there. It was in the middle of the day, so it wasn't hard to stay safe.

I didn't have any luggage or anything, that could make a difference.