Once you receive your SENTRI, you will be allowed to use the SENTRI vehicle lanes at both Otay and San Ysidro. He told me about how the previous week he had been held at knifepoint by a group of guys and robbed. Tickets are valid on trollies and city buses. You can also take an Uber, Lyft, or taxi from San Diego to the border. PedWest opens to the delight of cross-border commuters Nobody checks your FMM upon exit. The Passport Card application costs $65 and can be handled via mail, you can check out the US Department of State website for all of the information. Upon crossing the border, simply get on the 905 and take either the 5 or 805 Freeways to continue North. If you decide to drive and park, you will need to takeI-5 south, exit at 1A. Because of Tijuanas close proximity, many San Diego visitors make a day trip to Tijuana to experience a little bit of Mexican culture. Over 50 million people cross between San Diego and Tijuana each year. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Lavender Vines | All Rights Reserved, San Ysidro Border Crossing: Everything You Need to Know for Visiting Tijuana, Even Tijuanas raunchy, strip club scene of old is practically gone, and instead has undergone a refreshing revival in gastronomy and craft brewery. The Taxi/Uber driver should have no problem knowing what port of entry you want. There is also a charge to use the Cross Border Xpress. The San Ysidro Port of Entry is the world's largest land border crossing, connecting the sister cities of San Diego and Tijuana, Baja California. Tourists cross for a day trip or to enjoy one of Tijuanas many restaurants, bars, or clubs. Besides that, some safety rules of thumb I always follow are: Many people will want to visit Tijuana to experience the new craft beer scene. Youll need to negotiate the rate before you get in the cab. Thats it, youve reached the San Ysidro vehicle Port of Entry, if youre crossing on the weekend, get ready for a long wait! This crime usually happens on the bridge that crosses over the Tijuana River. Once we cross the border, we will go to TIJ airport MEXcar rental office. Before crossing, however, pedestrians must first obtain a document. When you walked across the border, they probably assumed you were staying for less than 7 days. But dont worry, we will discuss all of your options for how to cross the San Ysidro border throughout the rest of this post. you wrote the book in it or something. This type of corruption is fairly common, unfortunately. Thank you for reading! Along this road, youll find a number of paid border parking lots. This street is called Frontera. In 1921 the counties of Moson and Sopron were each divided in two, with their . This document allows you to stay in Mexico for up to 180 days for tourism or business-related purposes. However be careful if you do choose to walk. Youll walk a couple of blocks until you exit the border area and enter the city. Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, including links from the Amazon Serivices LLC Associates Program. Here are 3 that I highly recommend and I think youll love! Its about $10.00 a day. Avoiding Common Scams and Crime. The line moves quickly. Crossing into Tijuana from San Ysidro as a pedestrian is a fairly easy process that involves plenty of walking. back. Admittedly, the crossing can feel a bit intimidating the first time because it is so large and busy. From here, youre just steps away from the PedEast crossing. You can also walk to the border if youre crossing during the day. San Ysidro Border Crossing Wait Times - PedWest, El Chaparral, PedEast I was also inside a bar while it was robbed. In comparison to San Ysidro, the Otay border crossing is much more limited in parking capacity. The San Ysidro border crossing is open 24 hours a day and is the most secure border crossing in the world. Do I Need Mexican Pesos to visit Tijuana? Paying with a credit card also protects you from fraud. You will walk up a slight incline and walk across a bridge that goes over the line of cars waiting to cross into the U.S. After crossing the bridge, continue walking straight on Frontera street. After spending over a year living in Tijuana and working in San Diego, I have made the walk across the border hundreds of times. Anyway, sounds like you had a great trip. 3. Instead of taking a right into the loop, continue straight. I highly recommend you exchange some dollars for pesos. You can also catch the blue line trolley further south in the communities of National City, Chula Vista, and Imperial Beach. This is a completely legitimate question because for yearsTijuana has been in the news for its crime and drugs scene. Passport- You need to bring your passport. The vast majority of people will use San Ysidro to cross into Tijuana, it has the availability of taking vehicle and pedestrian traffic. After you cross, you're less than a mile from downtown. The distance from the entrance of the border zone to the exit is around 3 blocks. I will cover every single thing you need to know about crossing the San Diego Tijuana border, through both the San Ysidro and Otay ports of entry. You will need to use the pedestrian bridge that crosses over the 5 Freeway, and then make your way to the border, this can easily take 20+ minutes. You can also wait until you cross and use your credit or debit card to withdraw pesos from an ATM. All info is posted and available; there is an employee there to assist 24/7 Upon exiting Playas via Highway 1D you will start seeing San Diego/5 signs, these will guide you to the Tijuana border crossing. It gets scary. The McDonalds in the picture above is a great stop if you want to get some food or use the bathroom before heading into Mexico. It is also possible to take the Greyhound bus to the border. If you are staying in Mexico for more then three days, you will need to fill out a Customs form and pay a visitors fee of around $25 USD. From there, take a left down Calle Coahuila and continue down the street for one block. Ready Lanes | U.S. Customs and Border Protection Similar to the San Ysidro crossing, you might receive a red light at Mexican Customs, which means you will have to go through secondary inspection. In the past, documents were not checked when crossing into Mexico on foot. If youre not near a trolley stop, you can catch a bus heading toward downtown and transfer to the trolley. These are the PedWest, PedEast and Cross Border Xpress crossing. For more info, check out my guide: Using Uber in Tijuana. Youre going to be crossing the actual border on foot. They leave when they are full. Make sure to not park in any of the strip malls in the area, as you run the chance of getting you car towed. There are also a few lots located further from the border that offer free shuttle service to and from the border. [5] The Hungarian-Slovak border crossing between . There are actually multiple ways to reach the San Ysidro car line. The Taxi/Uber driver will know what you are referring to. However, the trolley line is on the East side of the 5 Freeway, so you will have to cross over the pedestrian bridge, this can easily be a 20 minute walk. Dont miss this exit or youll end up driving into Mexico. The U.S. dollar is widely accepted, as are credit cards. Tecate. 2. I also made this short video to outline the main points of the article. You will walk over a big bridge that passes over the Tijuana River. 03, 2023 If you're considering crossing the border between San Diego, CA and Tijuana, Mexico then check out this helpful guide with everything you need to know about the San Ysidro border. Depending on the time of day, a ride from the border to downtown or Zona Norte costs about $4-5. You will continue on Calle Segunda all the way past the Tijuana Centro district, straight into the border line, you will see several signs and concrete dividers. From this point, you will have access to the parking lots on either side of the 5 freeway. In Border Wait Times you can also check waiting times at border crossings with Canada, see travel tips and read the page in English or Spanish. Rajka - Wikipedia I hope you now have a comprehensive understanding of the San Ysidro border crossing. The bus has a special bus lane where it is able to skip the line, making crossing the border quick and easy. It can feel a bit confusing and intimidating because the area is so large and busy and because security is so tight. After crossing the border, youll have to take a Taxi or Uber to get to Tijuana airport. Everyone is walking in the same direction. It is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows quick border crossing for pre-approved, low risk travelers. You will get an FMM form to fill out on arrival at the border. Date: 7/15/2023 . This is a legitimate fee. However, its important to still understand that you are in a foreign country and precautions should be always be made. Currently, only pedestrians are required to show travel documents or proof of Mexican citizenship when entering Tijuana from San Ysidro. The Tourismo Express Bus runs 7am-6pm every hour on the hour and tickets are $10 each way. Then you exited on foot where nobody checks. Now youre in Tijuana. This is called Calle Primera. Average Wait: 37 min. 4. Greyhound also offers service from San Diego to Tijuana Central Bus Station and the Tijuana airport. You can see full details on the DHS website here. If youre in a hurry, the line is usually the shortest early in the morning before 7 am and late at night after 8 pm or so. However I have visited Tijuana many times and that is why I have decided to break down the best ways to cross the San Ysidro border. Copyright 2023 - Where The Road Forks. When I lived in San Diego I made little day trips and even weekend Mexico City has so many flavorful non-alcoholic Mexican drinks that are just begging to be tasted! This way, you dont have to worry about buying Mexican auto insurance and driving in a foreign country. Border crossing rules have changed at San Ysidro San Ysidro Border Crossing: Everything You Need to Know for Visiting Date: 7/15/2023 . Use the map below or click here for directions. If you want to travel to the Otay Mesa Crossing by public transit, youll have to take the bus. Youll also probably want to buy some food and drinks and souvenirs while youre in Tijuana. Some officers ask you to hand over your wallet. An Uber from downtown San Diego to PedEast costs around $25-$30. If you dont want to take the 907 bus, you could walk to the PedWest station,which is only about 10-15 minute walk. For more information, you can check out my travel insurance page. Most of these vans go downtown. This is by far the best and most informative Ive found so far. One night I met a local man waiting for someone to cross with. If possible, I would recommend getting a receipt to verify the value of your purchases. A Mexican immigration official will either hand you an FMM form or fill it out for you. You need a passport to visit Tijuana. Follow the crowd. At night, its too dangerous. View Large Transit Map in English/Spanish The new PedWest border crossing is now open! GENERAL; GENERAL; Current Wait: 60 min At 2:00 pm PDT, 6 lanes open . You should wait in the second line until you can speak to a Mexican immigration official. The traditional San Ysidro crossing is the larger and busier of the two - on Sunday afternoons and on holidays expect at least a one hour wait at the crossing (it could be shorter or longer). Take a left down Avenida Revolucin to walk through downtown. I think the walking is around the same. On a normal weekend, I have waited up to 2 hours to cross back into the United States, but you might get lucky depending on the time of day. Pedestrian. San Diego - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are announcing that all of the vehicle traffic lanes at the San Ysidro port of entry are expected to be available again for processing travelers by Saturday morning.CBP officials overnight re-opened additional lanes northbound at the San Ysidro port of entry for vehicle processing, and as of 3:30 p.m. Friday, currently have 15 lanes for . CBP Officers will likely inspect your car and/or follow up with anyone having Passport issues. It is important to know the delay and waiting times on the line to be able to cross the US-Mexico border through San Ysidro, CA <-> Tijuana, Baja California to save time and anticipate probable delays. Youll want to declare anything you bought in Tijuana that youre bringing back across the border including alcohol, medications, tobacco, gifts, etc. Youll walk about 50 feet until you see a walking street on your left. Its also important to keep in mind that the Tijuana police are not known for being too helpful to tourists. There is a pedestrian walkway that will take you into Tijuana (blue lines), you can reach the walkway by taking Rail Ct, walking past the Jack in The Box and turning right. Once you exit the freeway, continue straight down San Ysidro Blvd. You must take into account that you will be crossing from one country to another, so you must verify your personal and car documentation. The San Ysidro PedWest crossing is an exclusively pedestrian port of entry. Crossing The Border From Tijuana To The US: Tips And Advice For An Once you go through US immigration, you will enter San Ysidro on the West side of the 5 Freeway, across the Las Americas Outlet Mall. San Ysidro. Walking across the San Diego Tijuana border via San Ysidro can be a great way to explore Tijuana without having to deal with the potential issues (insurance, directions, etc.) There are several blue line stops in downtown San Diego including America Plaza, Petco field, and Barrio Logan. Because of these unpredictable delays, I do not suggest driving into Tijuanaunless you have plans to visit other locations in Baja California such asGuadalupe Valley, Rosarito, or Ensenada. I have used them for all of my international trips and have had good experiences with them. The yellow cabs have a fixed rate and are more expensive. There is an immigration office in Tijuana where you could ask. Seriously, dont even try to risk it, you will most likely get towed! Walking around downtown Tijuana, Zona Norte and Zona Ro is relatively safe at all hours. There may be a little less walking at the Otay Mesa crossing but I can't really remember. Dont lose it. Of course, you always have the option of taking the Trolley down to San Ysidro, or having someone drop you off. For those who don't know, San Ysidro is the community that is right on the border with Tijuana, and where you will want to park to use the pedestrian crossing into Mexico. The arch is the heart of downtown Tijuana. When you enter the immigration building, there are two lines. After you arrive at the terminal, you walk across the bridge into the airport. The Tourismo Express Bus is a great option for directtransportation to downtown Tijuana. Step 5: Leave Immigration and Enter Tijuana. Date: 7/13/2023 . You will follow a path for about 2 blocks until you exit the border area and arrive at a street. I love visiting Tijuana so I hope this guide makes your future trips smooth and relaxing. Get off on the San Ysidro stop (US side) and cross the border into Mexico by foot. The immigration officials are honest". A taxi de ruta from the border area to downtown costs 10 pesos (about 50 cents). Even Tijuanas raunchy, strip club scene of old is practically gone, and instead has undergone a refreshing revival in gastronomy and craft brewery. Since the San Ysidro border crossing is a duty free port of entry, U.S. Customs allows you can bring up to $800 worth of personal use goods back into the United States. Tijuana City and Shopping Trip from San Diego, Tijuana Food Tasting: Tijuana Day Tour from San Diego, Crawling Craft Brew Tijuana: Tijuana Day Tour from San Diego, Discover 18 (Amazing!) Add to . Is Tijuana Safe? If you enter via the entrance off CD Industrial, you will not be able to enter the Ready Lanes. From there follow the sidewalk, which will be lined with shops, until you reach the line of people waiting to enter the USA. After crossing, turn right and start walking down Avenida de la Amistad. To reach any of these parking lots, you must take the 5 South until you see the LAST USA EXIT sign and exit onto Camino de la Plaza. There should be plenty of signs to guide you, though you shouldnt have any trouble finding the entrance (theres literally only one way to go). The path is well marked and everyone is going to the same place. Once you arrive at the border, youll simply follow the path to the U.S. immigration building. Mexican official only scanned my German passport, waved me through, then customs X-ray and on to downtown. Without it, if there is an accident, you could go to jail. Share your experience and tips in the comments below! Citizens of the United States, Canada, European Schengen area countries, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and a number of other countries, do not need a visa to enter Mexico for tourism or business purposes. Tijuana sits right on the border so you are in the city when you exit immigration. The area also isnt well policed at night. If its a green light, you may continue through into Mexico, if its red, you will be asked to stop for secondary inspection. ), Left my heart in Antigua The bus drops you off near the pedestrian crossing. Alcohol and tobacco products are restricted. The second option (map above, blue line) is to use the original East walking entrance, which is found to the East of the car port of entry. From the border parking lots, you might have to walk a couple of blocks. Youll find several border parking lots in the area. Avoiding Common Scams and Crime. The bridgeis called El Chaparral. The immigration officials are honest. There is a parking fee of $15-$25 per day depending on which lot you use. All Rights Reserved. I will cover every single thing you need to know about crossing the San Diego - Tijuana border, through both the San Ysidro and Otay ports of entry. Your Guide to Crossing the San Ysidro Border - SanDiego.com The second option is PedEast, or the original pedestrian port of entry. San Ysidro, CA (West) | U.S. Customs and Border Protection If you must travel by car on a weekend, try to cross very early Sunday morning, like plan to be at the border before 8AM.
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