nbentley1
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Mexicali Crossing
We will be heading south in a couple of weeks and were planning to cross at Mexicali, we will need a couple of FMMs to be stamped but have heard there
is some disruptions due to roadworks etc. Is the regular office still open, and if not where do we need to go? Thanks
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David K
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FMM is obtained and stamped in the very first building inside Mexico. Park at the first opportunity and walk inside with your passport or passport
card. If Mexicali West (#1) then the parking is on the left, in front of the building.
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nbentley1
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Thank you David, that has been our experience in the past but i heard that due to construction there were some changes. If that is not the case then
we are all good. Cheers.
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David K
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Well, just park as close as you can to the border inside Mexico and walk to the building... What other options could there be, other than not getting
the FMM like the majority of cross-border travelers. Just a few of us like to do the right thing!
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aburruss
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Quote: Originally posted by nbentley1  | | Thank you David, that has been our experience in the past but i heard that due to construction there were some changes. If that is not the case then
we are all good. Cheers. |
As of 3 weeks ago, that's what we did. Nothing that would hinder getting to INM office.
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nbentley1
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| Quote: Originally posted by aburruss | | Quote: Originally posted by nbentley1 | | Thank you David, that has been our experience in the past but i heard that due to construction there were some changes. If that is not the case then
we are all good. Cheers. |
As of 3 weeks ago, that's what we did. Nothing that would hinder getting to INM office. |
Cool. Thanks
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aburruss
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actually.. the ONE thing that would hinder you is that the guy at the desk... is randomly NOT at the desk. 4 weeks ago he was nowhere to be found. 3
weeks ago, we caught him heading out for a "break".. drug him back in to get our FMMs. He wasn't thrilled. Even the lady at the customs desk said
"he's not there a lot". 
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Whale-ista
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How is the parking at that location, for a truck with trailer?
Is there adequate space at the West crossing/FMM office for parking?
Thanks!
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Bajazly
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| Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista | How is the parking at that location, for a truck with trailer?
Is there adequate space at the West crossing/FMM office for parking?
Thanks! |
The parking lot is pretty far out of the flow of traffic going into the gates so you could park outside the lot, not hinder traffic and jump back into
the traffic flow pretty easy.
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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RnR
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| Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista | How is the parking at that location, for a truck with trailer?
Is there adequate space at the West crossing/FMM office for parking?
Thanks! |
We went southbound through the Mexicali West crossing with a truck and trailer about three weeks ago.
We parked the truck/trailer combo along the curb on the left side of the entry lanes immediately before the covered parking area and the marked
spaces. The area is not marked for parking and may have even had a red curb but nobody seemed to care.
The customs agent walked over and greeted us. We declared a few items, he took a look around inside the trailer, and sent me inside to pay a small
amount of customs duty.
We are permanent residents so did not need to obtain FMM's. Don't see why parking for an FMM would be any different than parking for a Customs
Declaration.
There also seemed to a large empty area on the far side of the entry lanes. However, if you chose to park here, you would have to cross the entry
lanes on foot to get to the FMM office.
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David K
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| Quote: Originally posted by RnR | | Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista | How is the parking at that location, for a truck with trailer?
Is there adequate space at the West crossing/FMM office for parking?
Thanks! |
We went southbound through the Mexicali West crossing with a truck and trailer about three weeks ago. ...
There also seemed to a large empty area on the far side of the entry lanes. However, if you chose to park here, you would have to cross the entry
lanes on foot to get to the FMM office. |
The caravan of Raptors for Trail of Missions Recon 2019 did just that: After passing through the electric gate, we pulled along the curb on the right
so those of us who needed an FMM could dash across the lanes to the big building and walk into it to the INM desk , in the center of the building,
ground floor.
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Bob and Susan
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david...do you have a map of how to get in line to get back to usa
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David K
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No specific map like that, sorry. Search the auto insurance sites but I think they only have info for Tijuana and Otay?
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Bob and Susan
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all those maps and no map of the crossing you use... : )
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David K
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You just drive north, lots of signs, Garita/ Calexico, Estados Unidos... I said I was sorry! 
The easiest is to drive straight north, past the Hotel Lucerna, and come to the border fence/ wall. Turn west (one way street) to the border crossing
line. If you want Mexicali East, turn right one block south of the fence (one way street... I think Calle Argentina?) and follow it to that border
line.
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AKgringo
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David, all that has changed! Now there are detour signs that direct you to a line that is to the west of the border crossing, and you are headed east
to the entry.
It was very confusing for me!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Whale-ista
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I'm accustomed to SENTRI- but since that's not allowed w/trailer:
What are the best NB crossing times for Mexicali?
And is west preferred vs. east?
Related: are trailers allowed in the READI lanes?
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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David K
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| Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | David, all that has changed! Now there are detour signs that direct you to a line that is to the west of the border crossing, and you are headed east
to the entry.
It was very confusing for me! |
Gotta Map?
Sounds interesting!
In 2019, I crossed south at Mexicali West using the new border there. But, coming back, we used Mexicali East and I took photos of the signage
directing you to it from Hwy. 5, near the Costco.
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AKgringo
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | David, all that has changed! Now there are detour signs that direct you to a line that is to the west of the border crossing, and you are headed east
to the entry.
It was very confusing for me! |
Gotta Map?
Sounds interesting!
In 2019, I crossed south at Mexicali West using the new border there. But, coming back, we used Mexicali East and I took photos of the signage
directing you to it from Hwy. 5, near the Costco. |
I crossed north at that same port of entry in March, and it has changed significantly since then! I have looked at both Bing, and Google maps to
figure out what roads I was on, but nothing looked familiar.
Even if I had GE or Sentri, I think with the route the detours took me on, there was no way to get out of the regular lanes.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Bajazly
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| Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | | Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | David, all that has changed! Now there are detour signs that direct you to a line that is to the west of the border crossing, and you are headed east
to the entry.
It was very confusing for me! |
Gotta Map?
Sounds interesting!
In 2019, I crossed south at Mexicali West using the new border there. But, coming back, we used Mexicali East and I took photos of the signage
directing you to it from Hwy. 5, near the Costco. |
I crossed north at that same port of entry in March, and it has changed significantly since then! I have looked at both Bing, and Google maps to
figure out what roads I was on, but nothing looked familiar.
Even if I had GE or Sentri, I think with the route the detours took me on, there was no way to get out of the regular lanes. |
This is the route I took to Sentri and as I remember, there was a split where to the right were the regular lanes and the left was Sentri.
I was coming from the East so that is why the track starts off going south otherwise just cut over from 5 and it's pretty much right into line.
Not sure why you would suffer going thru Mexicali to the east crossing anymore but if one must, the best way I found is to take a right at the fist
stop light you come to on 5 and follow that road till it forces you to turn right on Lazaro Card##as. Go about 1/2 mile and turn left on Calle Novena
at the Ley in the Nuevo Mexicali shopping plaza and follow that straight to the east crossing.
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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