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Drive or Fly: Pecos, NM to Albuquerque, NM?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for SAF–ABQ. At 81 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 30m

Distance

81.3 mi

Total Cost

$53

CO2

33 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$18
Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0
Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35
+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines
+ Comfortable one-day drive
+ Stop anywhere along the route
+ Have your own car at the destination
+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying
− Wear and tear on vehicle
− Fuel price fluctuations
Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 53m

8m in the air

Air Distance

65 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

16 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pecos, NM → SAF 35m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 8m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
ABQ → Albuquerque, NM 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Pecos, NM SAF — Santa Fe Municipal Airport 23 mi, ~35m drive
Albuquerque, NM ABQ — Albuquerque International Sunport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SAF and ABQ. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue
+ Predictable arrival time
− Airport security and check-in overhead
− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route
− Luggage fees and restrictions
− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

2h 41m

1h 31m on rail

Total Cost

$10

CO2

3 kg

Route

Southwest Chief

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pecos, NM → Lamy 20m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 91m
Arrival 10m
Albuquerque Alvarado Transportation Center → Albuquerque, NM 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From Lamy 13 mi, ~20m drive
To Albuquerque Alvarado Transportation Center 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~4/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets
+ Walk around freely during the trip
+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route
+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying
− Limited schedule — about 4 trips per week
− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
− Need transportation to/from station
− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 23m

30m on road

Total Cost

$2

CO2

1 kg

Route

Greyhound US1194S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pecos, NM → Bernalillo (Rail Runner Station) (BDL6) 78m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 30m
Arrival 10m
Albuquerque Bus Station (ABQ6) → Albuquerque, NM 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From BDL6 — Bernalillo (Rail Runner Station) 52 mi, ~78m drive
To ABQ6 — Albuquerque Bus Station 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option
+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board
+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route
+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying
− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week
− Travel time longer than driving
− Need transportation to/from station
− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

Drive Fly Train Bus
Door-to-door time 1h 30m 2h 53m 2h 41m 2h 23m
Total cost (1 person) $53 $123 $10 $2
Carbon footprint 33 kg CO2 16 kg CO2 3 kg CO2 1 kg CO2
Flexibility High Low
Luggage Unlimited Restricted
Reliability Weather dependent Data unavailable
Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices
Flight data: Statistical estimate
Airports: OurAirports
Transit: Amtrak GTFS, FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated
Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Pecos, NM to Albuquerque, NM with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.