ATTENDEE RESOURCES

Below you will find information about Las Cruces that will help you plan your visit before, during, and after ICAR XI in July 2023

LAS CRUCES CONVENTION CENTER

The Las Cruces convention center is located at 680 E University Ave, Las Cruces, NM, and will be the location of all the ICAR XI presentations. Located just east of the Courtyard Marriot it is only a short walk down University Ave everyday! ICAR XI has the eastern half of the convention center so once you enter the center from the hotel, just keep walking to the east end or follow the ICAR XI signs.

ACCOMMODATION

Conference Hotel – A block of rooms is reserved at the Courtyard by Marriott at NMSU at a group rate.

Please use this link to access the group rate for reserving a room:

Courtyard Group Rate Reservations

You can also go directly to the hotel website and enter the codes ISAISAA for a king bed room and ISAISAB for a double queen bed room.

The hotel is located at 456 E University Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88005 directly across from the Las Cruces Convention Center.

Other accommodation options:

Other hotels exist within walking distance of the hotel. Please check online for the accommodation and price that best suits you. A list of hotels in the city can be found at Visit Las Cruces.
Airbnb and VRBO are active in the Las Cruces area with many options near the convention center and may provide a non-hotel experience for attendees.

TRAVEL

Our recommendation:

For domestic and international participants, we recommend flying into El Paso Airport (ELP), renting a car and driving or taking the Las Cruces shuttle to Las Cruces. Limited public transportation exists in the region that can reliably move you around the El Paso/Las Cruces region or either city.
Uber and Lyft and local taxi/shuttle services exist (e.g., Las Cruces Shuttle), but might be less convenient than renting a car. A car can also afford the flexibility of local excursions to the surrounding desert landscapes if you are staying in the region for longer than just the conference.
By Plane: The El Paso International Airport (ELP) (55 miles/88 km) is the nearest large airport with regular daily flights to major US hubs. For all flights into the region, this is the recommended airport. The next nearest major airports are Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) (221 miles/ 355 km) or Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) (384 miles/617 km).
By Car: Las Cruces sits at the intersection of two major interstate highways – Interstate 25 and Interstate 10. These cross the entire country north and south and are the fastest route into the city. Scenic Highway 70 goes through White Sands National Park and arrives from the San Andres and Sacramento Mountain Ranges and other areas of SE New Mexico and west Texas.
By Bus: Local and national bus services serve the Mesilla Valley Intermodal Transit Terminal at 300 W Lohman Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88001 – dot.nm.gov – Ticket prices, greyhound.com– las-cruces.org, South Central Regional Transit (scrtd.org – Ticket prices)

NEW ICAR XI Airport Shuttle Service – Sunday July 9

A shuttle service is being offerred to those arriving on Sunday from El Paso airport to Las Cruces
Schedule: Starting at 10am and returning every 2 hours until 10pm
Pick-up location: the shuttle will pick up passengers outside the rental car counters in the shuttle bus lane and will have a ICAR XI sign displayed on the dash. Please map below for aiport location of shuttle pick-up
Drop-off location: the shuttle will drop off passengers at the ICAR hotel in Las Cruces – the Courtyard Marriot

International Attendee Information

We recommend that international participants apply for visas three months prior to ICAR XI.

Some consulates may have delays in scheduling visa interviews. We encourage you to first contact the consulate to determine the wait time for an interview. If you require a letter of invitation before submitting an abstract or you will not be submitting an abstract, you must request one via email.

U.S. GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENT FOR VISA WAIVER PROGRAM

Effective 20 January 2011, citizens of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries will be unable to enter the United States without Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval from the U.S. Government. VWP travelers who have not obtained approval through ESTA will be denied boarding on any air carrier destined for the United States.

BUSINESS VISA CENTER

The U.S. Department of State offers resources and information to assist foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. for temporary business.

VISIT THE BUSINESS VISA CENTER

VISA WAIVER PROGRAM

Review the requirements to participate in the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens meeting specific requirements to enter the U.S. for 90 days without a visa.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VISA WAIVER PROGRAM

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Comprehensive information about traveling to the United States, and the policies and procedures for obtaining a visa.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OBTAINING A VISA