Language

English is the official language of New Mexico, but you will hear plenty of Spanish spoken throughout the state. On the 11 Native American pueblos, you may even hear an ancient language or two.

Currency

The currency used in New Mexico is the US dollar (US $). Banknotes come in denominations of US $1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100. There are 100 cents to $1, with coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, and 25 cents. Most of New Mexico is rural and undeveloped, so foreign currency should be exchanged at banks in large cities like Albuquerque or Santa Fe. ATMs may also be hard to come by in the remote villages, so carry enough cash when you hit the road. Credit cards are widely accepted in the tourist towns, but in the rural hamlets, cash is preferred.

Time

New Mexico is in the Mountain Time Zone (GMT -7, GMT -6 between March 12 and November 4 during daylight savings).

Electricity

New Mexico uses electricity at 110-120 Volts, 60 Hz. Flat, two-prong plugs are typical, so it is recommended that you bring with a universal plug adapter if you are coming from Europe or Asia.

Communications

The dialing code for the United States is +1 and New Mexico has just two area codes for the entire state. In the northwest corner of Santa Fe and Albuquerque it is 505, while the rest of the state uses 575. Mobile phone coverage can be very poor in remote areas, but around all the large towns there is good reception. You will probably only find Wi-Fi internet in the major tourist towns like Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque.

Duty-free

All visitors arriving to the United States over the age of 18 are permitted to carry one liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes (or 50 non-Cuban cigars or two kilograms of tobacco), and gifts valued up to US $400 tax-free

Tourist Office

New Mexico Tourism Department: 1491 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501 +1-505-827-7400 or http://www.newmexico.org/.

Consulates in New Mexico

Canadian Consulate General, Denver: +1-303-626-0640
German Consulate General, Houston: +1-713-627-7770
Netherlands Consulate General, San Francisco: +1-877-388-2443
French Consulate General, Los Angeles: +1-310-235-3200
Australian Consulate General, Denver: +1-303-321-2234
British Consulate General, Denver: +1-303-592-5200

Emergency

Emergency services: 911