Railrunner between Santa Fe and Abq, Great!!!

Just got back from a Saturday trip to Albuquerque from Santa Fe. A new train started today (Saturday), departing Santa Fe at 11:30am. We did not have to get up too early, lol!! We parked at the South Capital park n ride and got a seat in the bottom section of the train. If you want to be on the side of the 2 pueblos the train goes through, sit on the west side of the train (right side as you face the engine). Please respect their request to not take photos. You can also take your bike on the train, there is a place to park them!

We arrived at the Alvarado Transportation Center in downtown Abq. There is a small restroom there, larger ones are in the Amtrak station to the south. We walked across Central and jumped on the 766 Rapid Ride Bus headed west (bright red bus). Took only a few minutes to get to Old Town, and the bus went on to the Botanic Gardens area and points beyond.

Old Town Plaza is very nice and seems more quaint than the Santa Fe Plaza. People were sitting around, kids were playing and a few musicians were around. The church on the plaza was just beautiful. I enjoyed window shopping at the many different shops, some were very affordable. Had lunch at Church St Cafe, good if you don%26#39;t like spicy food, their food was very bland for my taste!

We did not have time to see any of the museums, but there are quite a few in the Old Town area.

Took the 766 Bus back to the train station and walked around the downtown area on Central Ave. Quite a number of restaurants and bars in the area but not much shopping.

The train back to Santa Fe departed at 4:30pm and we got upper floor seats which I liked much better, less noise and smoother ride. Nice trip. The trains were on time, very clean and very easy to get on and off.

Railrunner between Santa Fe and Abq, Great!!!

Thanks for your very detailed report Casa Azul! I%26#39;m just glad you got ';seats,'; and didn%26#39;t have to stand. Once all the bugs get worked out, the RailRunner will prove to be an excellent addition to Central New Mexico%26#39;s transportation options. Someday Albuquerque/Santa Fe may be thought of in the same way Dallas/Ft. Worth have become one.

Since Albuquerque is my city, I have to admit I like to stick up for it, especially sometimes when it is given short shrift compared to your ';City Different.'; I totally prefer Old Town%26#39;s Plaza to Santa Fe%26#39;s, and it just has the feel of a peaceful, little town within the bustling big city. I don%26#39;t think Santa Fe is going to be hurting for tourists any time soon, so I%26#39;ll also opinion the prices seem better in Old Town, than in Santa Fe. What it lacks, is a couple of new hotels to choose from nearby.

I agree with you on the Church Cafe. Pretty bland ';New Mexican'; food. But...what they offer it is ';good'; quality. The chips and salsa we had last time were first rate. I%26#39;ll stick with ';American'; burgers or sandwiches there. Certainly, a very nice ';atmosphere.'; A good place to take guests from out of state, who haven%26#39;t developed our leather tongues. Little Anita%26#39;s remains my #1 Old Town recommendation, aside from more expensive restaurants such as Antiquity.

Obviously, RailRunner has found a new fan CA! I%26#39;ll have to give it a try some Sunday morning. It should be at minimum passenger load then I would think.

Railrunner between Santa Fe and Abq, Great!!!

Railrunner is currently not running on Sundays! Maybe in the summer.

www.railrunner.com