Santa Fe is about an hour's drive from the Albuquerque Sunport (NMShuttle's estimate), and Taos is further north. Here is every way we found to make the trip, with the fares and timetables from each operator's own website.
Checked October 14, 2026
Short answer
- Santa Fe, simplest: the NMShuttle shared shuttle, $63 one way per person plus tax ($69.69 at checkout for one passenger), four departures a day, about 75–90 minutes.
- Santa Fe, cheapest: the free Route 50 bus to Downtown Albuquerque, then the Rail Runner train to Santa Fe (fare by zone).
- Taos: the Taos Rides shuttle leaves the Sunport at 1:00 PM and reaches Taos at 4:00 PM; its rate table lists $130 per person before tax for the Taos–Albuquerque trip. Otherwise a private car, or train plus free bus.
Albuquerque airport to Santa Fe
| Option | Price, one way | When |
|---|---|---|
| NMShuttle shared shuttleto 6 Santa Fe hotel stops | $63 per person + tax$119 round trip | 4 a day, extra run on Sundays; 75–90 min |
| Route 50 bus + Rail Runner train | Bus free, train by zone | Weekdays from 8:45 AM train; fewer on weekends |
| NMShuttle private shuttle | $149 per booking + taxup to 2 passengers | Any time you book |
| ABQ Express Shuttle charter | “Fares start at just $133”per person or per car not stated | Generally 7 AM–9 PM |
| RoadRunner, Private Car Service Santa Fe | No airport price published | On booking |
| Uber or Lyft | No published fare | Pickup at Door 7 |
| Rental car | Set by the rental company | Rental car center open 24/7 |
NMShuttle shared shuttle
The only scheduled shared shuttle on this route that we found. It leaves the Sunport daily at 7:45 AM, 11:30 AM, 3:00 PM and 6:15 PM, with an extra Sunday run at 10:15 AM, and arrives in Santa Fe about an hour and a half later. The fare is $63 one way or $119 round trip per person, plus tax; for one passenger the checkout total is $69.69 with tax and a 3% card fee. Two or more passengers on one booking save $12. It stops at six Santa Fe hotels; any other Santa Fe address costs $8 more.
You have to pay online in advance. Each ticket includes one large suitcase and one carry-on. Cancelling 24 hours or more ahead gets a 90% refund; later than that, no refund.
Private shuttle or car
NMShuttle's private shuttle costs $149 per booking for up to two passengers, plus tax, and leaves when you choose. Pick-ups between 10:00 PM and 5:30 AM cost $50 more. ABQ Express Shuttle advertises charters from $133, but does not say whether that is per person or per vehicle, and its checkout adds a $10 fuel surcharge and a $2.99 convenience charge; tickets must be bought at least 24 hours ahead. RoadRunner and Private Car Service Santa Fe do not publish a price from the Albuquerque airport.
Taos Rides to Santa Fe Airport
The Taos shuttle (below) stops at Santa Fe Airport at 2:00 PM on its way north. That is the Santa Fe airport, not downtown, and no fare is published for this part of the trip.
Bus and Rail Runner, step by step
The cheapest way to Santa Fe, and the slowest. No booking is needed.
- Route 50 bus to Downtown Albuquerque. The stop is on Level 1 (the lower level) at the west end of the shuttle island — look for the bus stop signs. The bus is free and goes to the Alvarado Transportation Center, which is the Downtown Albuquerque Rail Runner station. On weekdays the first bus leaves at 7:00 AM (arrives 7:21 AM) and the last one that goes all the way leaves at 6:00 PM. On Saturdays buses run 9:30 AM–6:30 PM and on Sundays 9:45 AM–4:45 PM.
- Rail Runner train to Santa Fe. Get off at Santa Fe Depot (410 S. Guadalupe Street) or South Capitol. Fares depend on how many zones you cross: a full one-way fare is $9 for 5 zones and $10 for 6 — count the zones on Rio Metro's map. You can buy a ticket on the train (cash, debit or credit card, but not American Express), online or in the app. Seats can't be reserved.
Trains you can catch after the bus from the airport (worked out from the bus and train timetables):
| Day | First connection | Last connection |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | Train 8:45 AM → Santa Fe Depot 10:29 AM | Train 6:48 PM → 8:38 PM |
| Saturday | Train 10:08 AM → 11:50 AM | Train 8:23 PM → 9:58 PM |
| Sunday | Train 1:14 PM → 2:49 PM | Train 6:20 PM → 7:55 PM |
The Rail Runner timetable used here is the one marked “June – October 2026”. A new one may start after October — check Rio Metro before you travel.
Albuquerque airport to Taos
| Option | Price, one way | When |
|---|---|---|
| Taos Rides shuttle | $130 per person, before taxlisted as “Taos Town to ABQ”; Taos Ski Valley $145 | Leaves 1:00 PM, Taos 4:00 PM; book 48 hours ahead |
| NMShuttle private shuttle | $249 per booking + taxTaos Ski Valley $284; up to 2 passengers | Any time you book |
| Taos.Limo | Per car, not published20% gratuity added | On booking |
| Train + free NCRTD bus | Train by zone, bus free | Weekdays arrive 3:55 PM; weekends 4:45 PM |
| Uber or Lyft | No published fare | Drivers in Taos are “very limited” |
| Rental car | Set by the rental company | I-25, then 599, 285 and 68 |
Taos Rides shuttle
The shuttle leaves the Sunport at 1:00 PM, stops at Santa Fe Airport at 2:00 PM and reaches the Town of Taos at 4:00 PM. Its rate table lists $130 one way for a single person (the line reads “Taos Town to ABQ”; the opposite direction isn't listed separately) and $145 to Taos Ski Valley, tax not included. Standard bookings need 48 hours' notice. The operator does not say on which days the shuttle runs or where it meets you at the airport, so ask when you book.
Private shuttle or limo
NMShuttle charges $249 per booking to the Town of Taos and $284 to Taos Ski Valley, for up to two passengers, plus tax; night pick-ups (10:00 PM–5:30 AM) cost $50 more. Taos.Limo prices per car and doesn't publish them; it adds a 20% gratuity automatically and $150 for trips between 11 PM and 6 AM.
Train and free bus
Take the bus and Rail Runner to Santa Fe as above, then a free North Central Regional Transit District bus to Taos. On weekdays Route 200/300 leaves South Capitol Station at 7:45 AM, 10:20 AM, 1:45 PM and 5:05 PM and reaches the Taos County Administration Building at 10:20 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:55 PM and 7:20 PM. On Saturdays and Sundays the 305 Taos Express leaves Santa Fe Depot at 10:20 AM and 3:10 PM and arrives at the Loretto Parking Lot in Taos at 11:55 AM and 4:45 PM.
Put together with the trains from the airport (our reading of the timetables): on weekdays the 8:45 AM train reaches South Capitol at 10:23 AM, just after the 10:20 bus, so the realistic bus is the 1:45 PM, in Taos at 3:55 PM. On weekends the connection that works is the 3:10 PM bus from Santa Fe Depot, in Taos at 4:45 PM.
Driving
Rental cars are at the Sunport Car Rental Center, a free shuttle ride from the terminal. Taos.org's route: I-25 to Santa Fe, exit on 599 north to bypass Santa Fe, then Hwy 285 to Hwy 68 to Taos.
Where to find your ride at the Sunport
- NMShuttle (shared and private): Column 7 in the arrival area, after baggage claim. The driver texts pick-up updates.
- Uber and Lyft: baggage claim level, Door 7.
- Taxis: baggage claim level, Door 2.
- Route 50 bus: Level 1, west end of the shuttle island.
- Rental car shuttle: the commercial lane outside level 1, every 10 minutes, 24/7.
- Taos.Limo: the chauffeur meets you inside the terminal or at the “Limousine” curb.
Going back to the airport
NMShuttle leaves Santa Fe at 9:30 AM, 1:15 PM, 4:45 PM and 8:00 PM (plus 11:45 AM on Sundays), arriving about an hour and a half later; it suggests a shuttle that reaches the airport at least 2 hours before your flight. Taos Rides leaves the Town of Taos at 10:00 AM and reaches the Sunport at 12:30 PM.
Driving your own car from Santa Fe or Taos to fly out of Albuquerque? The lowest fixed posted rate for a week of parking at the Sunport is $31.50 (Airport Parking – Open Parking). Compare ABQ parking for your dates →
Good to know
- NMShuttle describes itself as the only licensed daily shuttle between the airport and Santa Fe since Groome stopped service. That is the operator's claim; we haven't verified it.
- The airport's ground transportation page lists RoadRunner as a shuttle, but RoadRunner says it offers no shuttles for individual passengers — only private rides and shuttles for pre-arranged conferences.
- Taos Rides gives an average Taos–Albuquerque trip of 2½ hours, but its own timetable allows 3 hours (1:00 PM to 4:00 PM with the Santa Fe stop).
- Route 50 on Sundays: the airport's page says weekdays and Saturday, while ABQ RIDE's timetable has a Sunday schedule (9:45 AM–4:45 PM). We use ABQ RIDE's.
- Distances quoted online for the Sunport–Santa Fe drive don't agree, and no official figure is published. NMShuttle puts the drive itself at about an hour.
- A Rail Runner ticket also works as a free transfer to ABQ RIDE and NCRTD buses, which are free anyway.
Sources
Fares and timetables from each operator's website and the airport. We are not a transport company and don't sell tickets. Tell us if something has changed.
- Santa Fe - ABQ Charter Service — ABQ Express Shuttle (ticket page on TicketSpice). Checked October 14, 2026.
- ABQ Express Shuttle – Custom door-to-door van service between Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, Farmington, and the rest of New Mexico — ABQ Express Shuttle. Checked October 14, 2026.
- ABQ RIDE Route 50 timetable (PDF) — City of Albuquerque - ABQ RIDE. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Routes & Schedules — City of Albuquerque — City of Albuquerque - ABQ RIDE. Checked October 14, 2026.
- 300 Taos | North Central Regional Transit District — North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD). Checked October 14, 2026.
- NCRTD 300/200 Santa Fe to Taos timetable (PDF) — North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD). Checked October 14, 2026.
- 305 Taos Express | North Central Regional Transit District — North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD). Checked October 14, 2026.
- NCRTD 305 Taos Express timetable (PDF) — North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD). Checked October 14, 2026.
- Bus Fares and Fee Structure | North Central Regional Transit District — North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD). Checked October 14, 2026.
- Santa Fe Area | North Central Regional Transit District — North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD). Checked October 14, 2026.
- Daily Shuttle: ABQ Airport ↔ Santa Fe | NMShuttle — NMShuttle. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Reserved General Shuttle ABQ to Santa Fe | NMShuttle — NMShuttle. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Reserved Shuttle Routes | NMShuttle — NMShuttle. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Terms of Service | NMShuttle — NMShuttle. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Airport Transfers | Private Car Santa Fe — Private Car Service Santa Fe. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Airport | Rio Metro Regional Transit, NM — Rio Metro Regional Transit District. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Coming From the Airport | Rio Metro Regional Transit, NM — Rio Metro Regional Transit District. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Downtown Albuquerque | Rio Metro Regional Transit, NM — Rio Metro Regional Transit District. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Santa Fe Depot | Rio Metro Regional Transit, NM — Rio Metro Regional Transit District. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Weekday Schedule | Rio Metro Regional Transit, NM — Rio Metro Regional Transit District. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Train Fares | Rio Metro Regional Transit, NM — Rio Metro Regional Transit District. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Ticket Policy | Rio Metro Regional Transit, NM — Rio Metro Regional Transit District. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Ticketing | Rio Metro Regional Transit, NM — Rio Metro Regional Transit District. Checked October 14, 2026.
- ABQ & SAF Airports — RoadRunner Charter & Private Ride. Checked October 14, 2026.
- RailRunner-Schedule-June-Oct-2026 — Rio Metro Regional Transit District (New Mexico Rail Runner Express). Checked October 14, 2026.
- Ground Transportation — Albuquerque International Sunport (City of Albuquerque). Checked October 14, 2026.
- Rental Cars — Albuquerque International Sunport (City of Albuquerque). Checked October 14, 2026.
- Transportation to and around Taos - Taos.org — Taos.org (Taos visitor guide). Checked October 14, 2026.
- Airport Transfers — Taos.Limo. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Rates & Schedules — Taos Rides LLC. Checked October 14, 2026.
- Getting Here & Transportation | Taos Ski Valley — Taos Ski Valley. Checked October 14, 2026.