Taos Regional Airport (TSM) is a small general-aviation field on the high desert plateau northwest of Taos, New Mexico, and it is worth being upfront that on-field rental service here is limited, geared toward private and charter pilots rather than the steady counter service found at larger commercial airports. Many visitors instead fly into Albuquerque International Sunport, roughly two and a half hours south, or Santa Fe Municipal Airport, a little over an hour southeast, both of which offer a fuller range of national rental companies before the scenic drive north into Taos itself.
From Santa Fe, the route north to Taos follows the High Road or the faster main highway along the Rio Grande gorge area, climbing through classic northern New Mexico high-desert terrain, pinon-juniper hillsides giving way to alpine scenery as you approach town. From Albuquerque, the drive covers considerably more distance but follows well-maintained state highways for most of the way. Taos itself sits at a genuinely high elevation, and nearby Taos Ski Valley draws significant winter traffic up narrow mountain roads during ski season, typically late November through early April.
Driving is on the right throughout the United States, and while the main highways connecting Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Taos are well maintained, the higher-elevation approach roads toward Taos Ski Valley are steep, winding and can ice over quickly in winter, making snow tires or chains a real consideration during the coldest months. Summer brings its own hazard in the form of sudden monsoon thunderstorms across the high desert, typically July and August, which can bring flash flooding to low-lying arroyos along the roadside. Fuel stations are reasonably spaced along the main highways into Taos but thin out on the smaller mountain roads, so given TSM's limited on-field options, arranging a rental in Santa Fe or Albuquerque ahead of time remains the more dependable plan.