The 411 - Dialguide

We hope your stay is a pleasant one. For your convenience, listed below are important phone numbers to have at your fingertips. Plus information on traveling across the border to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico including import restrictions and the new passport requirements.

Seen at right: The VLA Telescope
Photo by Sean Mathis

Area Codes

El Paso - 915
Southern New Mexico — 575
Mexico Country Prefix — 01152
Operator (from Mexico) — 95-800-462-4240 or 09

Emergency Numbers

For all emergencies — 911
El Paso Ambulance — (915) 771-1000
El Paso Police — (915) 565-7000
New Mexico State Police, Las Cruces — (575) 524-6111
New Mexico State Police, Roswell area — (575) 623-5100

Transportation

Major Airports

El Paso International Airport (ELP) — (915) 780-4700
Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) — (505) 244-7700

Regional Airports

Las Cruces, NM Airport (LRU) — (575) 541-2471
Ruidoso Sierra Blanca Regional Airport NM — (575) 336-8111

Airlines That Service El Paso International

American — (800) 433-7300
Continental — (800) 523-3273
Delta — (800) 221-1212
Frontier — (800) 432-1359
Northwest/KLM — (800) 225-2525
Southwest — (800) 435-9792
United — (800) 864-8331
USAirways — (800) 235-9292

Ground Transportation

Sun Metro (El Paso Bus System) — (915) 533-3333
El Paso/Juárez Trolley Co. — (915) 544-0062/(800) 259-6284
Greyhound Bus Lines — (800) 231-2222/(915) 532-2365
Las Cruces Shuttle and Charter Service — (575) 525-1784/(800) 288-1784
Amtrak— (915) 545-2247

Approximate Mileage From El Paso

264 miles to Albuquerque, NM via I-25, 4 hours
87 miles to Alamogordo/White Sands, NM via U.S. 54, 1.5 hours
327 miles to Big Bend National Park, TX, 5.5 hours
150 miles to Carlsbad Caverns, NM, on U.S. 62/180, 3 hours
110 miles to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX, 2 hours
40 miles to Las Cruces, NM via I-25, 45 minutes
135 miles to Ruidoso, NM, via U.S. 54, 2.5 hours

Visitor Bureaus and Chambers of Commerce

El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau — (915) 534-0601
Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau — (915) 541-2444
El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce — (915) 566-4066
Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce — (915) 534-0500
Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce — (575) 524-1968

Travel to Mexico

Mexican Consulate in El Paso — (915) 533-3644
U.S. Consulate in Juárez— (915) 611-3000
U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso — (915) 633-7034
U.S. Customs (El Paso) (915) 633-7300

Duty: U.S. residents may bring back, duty free, once every 30 days, articles for personal or household use up to $800 in value; up to one liter of alcoholic beverages per person over the age of 21; and one carton of cigarettes per person over the age of 18. Cuban cigars are prohibited. The next $1,000 worth of items brought back is subject to a flat rate duty of 3 percent. Do not bring back live animals, plants, lemons, apples, mangoes, some herb teas, pork, ham, uncooked chicken, eggs, or products made from endangered animals. Information: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, www.cpb.gov or (202) 354-1000.

Renting a Car: The standard insurance included with many car rental contracts in Mexico provides only nominal liability coverage, often as little as the equivalent of $200. Because Mexican law permits the jailing of drivers after an accident until they have met their obligations to third parties and to the rental company, renters should read contracts carefully and purchase additional liability and comprehensive insurance if necessary.

New Passport Requirements: All persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Mexico are required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card. Currently, U.S. Citizens traveling to Mexico via a land port of entry, including into Ciudad Juárez, must have a U.S. Passport or a valid driver’s license with additional proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate. Beginning in June 2009, U.S. citizens must have a U.S. Passport or other approved U.S. Government document when reentering the United States.

For current government information on passport requirements, visit http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html