Greetings to all,
I'm looking to get as much information I can on treveling by rental car from San Diego down into the Baja and back in about 8 days.
I'm open to any input on a creative itinarary for those 8 days.
I hope I'm not out of line by asking such a basic question but I need to start somewhere.
thanks for any help.
boshvideobajaguy - 6-14-2007 at 04:47 PM
Welcome to the board.
Check with various car rental companies....some may have a limit on the distance south of the border you can take the car. Also the Mexican insurance
they charge is somewhat steep....about $25 a day.
You may wish to rent a car in TJ....might be cheaper on rental rates and insurance, and possibly no mileage limits.amir - 6-14-2007 at 04:52 PM
There are restrictions on driving off-road with rental cars, so that narrows down the route to paved roads. If you want to go off-road, rent an
appropriate car.Boshvideo - 6-14-2007 at 04:56 PM
Thanks for the welcome.
For some reason, I have a very strong pull to visit Baja. I'll be in LA first two weeks in August and I know I need to head down South. Is there a
down side to getting a car in TJ?Boshvideo - 6-14-2007 at 04:58 PM
For my first visit, I'd like to stay to paved roads. I'd like to get a good feel of different regions.comitan - 6-14-2007 at 05:32 PM
I would rent a car from someone like national in Tijuana and drive south to Cabo San Lucas and leave the car there where they also have an agency and
fly back.David K - 6-14-2007 at 05:39 PM
Welcome to Nomad...
There is only one paved road that goes down the length of the peninsula, so you will be limited in what you see. However, as there are paved side
roads, you will still see a lot! A few interesting sites are very near the highway and the short dirt roads to many are easily traveled by 2WD cars.
North to south sites on or near pavement:
La Bufadora blow hole (touristy but interesting) 10 mi. south of Ensenada.
El Rosario mission ruins... just a few hundred feet left of the highway... to give you an ideas of how large a complex mission sites were, yet how
liottle remains of the adobe built missions in Northern Baja.
Cataviña boulder fields (Valle de los Cirios)... cactus and rocks, everywhere!
Bahia de los Angeles, 41 miles on a paved side road... This should not be missed. Drive through intense cactus forests, wild view of the island filled
bay, restaurants, taco stands, motels, campgrounds, stores, Internet.
San Ignacio, 2 miles off the highway on a paved road... Do not pass by without driving in... A river comes out of the ground for a couple miles before
vanishing again and it is here the padres built a beautiful stone mission and planted date palms to create this oasis in the desert. Motels, camping,
food, stores.
Santa Rosalia, a former French mining town unlike any other in Mexico... Interesting exhibits. The church was designed by Eifel and shipped here in
pieces. World's longest smokestack, too.
Mulege, the second oasis you can drive through... stone mission, hotels, campgrounds...
Bahia Concepcion, just south of Mulege... beautiful large bay, campgrounds and a motel.
Loreto, the first mission in California established in 1697 started the chain... All services, hotels, etc.
La Paz, beautiful capital city of Baja California Sur... It is still 140 miles to Cabo San Lucas with MANY places to see... two highways make a loop
drive possible...
GET the AAA Baja map (and their guide too) from the Auto Club or from on line book and map dealers (bajabooksandmaps.com, mapworld.com,
discoverbaja.com).
Tons of photos here on Nomad, too!
Enjoy!Boshvideo - 6-14-2007 at 05:40 PM
I love that idea. How long would it take to make the entire journey with stops to enjoy what's there?Boshvideo - 6-14-2007 at 05:45 PM
What a wonderful helpful community you Nomads are. I appreciate you taking the time to help a newbie.David K - 6-14-2007 at 05:49 PM
2 weeks would handle it... letting you chill out a couple days at a few places you fall in love with!
Straight driving, allow 3 days for the drive from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. No night time driving (you miss scenery and you risk hitting cows or
burros on the highway), and never pass a gas station if you are under half a tank as they are not all open... Top off at El Rosario going south or
Guerrero Negro/ Eagle Monument going north, as it is over 200 miles to the next sure gas... Bahia de los Angeles does have gas, so fill up there.DENNIS - 6-14-2007 at 05:51 PM
This is your Nomad honeymoon. After 20 posts, your a moving target.
Just kidding Bosh.........Welcome to Baja Nomad.David K - 6-14-2007 at 05:55 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Boshvideo
What a wonderful helpful community you Nomads are. I appreciate you taking the time to help a newbie.
That's what we do... and it's our pleasure! I only ask that you give us a full trip report when you return home... those are always fun and
informative to read... See the Nomad Baja Trip Reports Forum!
Here is a boojum tree (cirio), which you will see many of!
Boshvideo - 6-14-2007 at 06:04 PM
Wow that's one hell of a tree David. I'm afraid I won't have the luxury of 2 weeks. I'm thinking 8 days max. Is there a good loop I could do in that
time?
Thanks for the welcome Dennis. I'll try and be brief.David K - 6-14-2007 at 09:18 PM
Make Bahia Concepcion you farthest point south then, IMO (in my opinion)!
Day 1 leave early, stay at El Rosario's Baja Cactus Motel
Day 2 Go to Bahia de los Angeles.
Day 3, free day at L.A. Bay (See the museum, turtle research facility, La Gringa (about 4 dirt miles after the end of pavement heading out that way).
Motels Villa Bahia, Raquel & Larry's and Costa del Sol are recommended.
Day 4 get driving and go to San Ignacio... see the mission and cave painting desplay at the museum next door. Stay at Ignacio Springs Bed &
Breakfast, on the river!
Day 5 get driving and go to Santa Rosalia, Mulege and Concepcion bay...
Day 6 Free Day at Mulege and/ or Concepcion Bay.
Day 7 Drive north to ? El Rosario or ??
Day 8 Drive back to U.S., shop in Ensenada or Rosarito for curios.
Day 9 write your Nomad Trip Report (post photos, too)!Boshvideo - 6-15-2007 at 01:51 PM
David,
Many thanks for the obvious detail you put into your replys. I'm thinking of getting a rental in TJ and going all the way to Cabo San Lucas. I'll try
and get some extra days. Any suggestions on the best way to arrive from San Diego? Can I get the tourist card here in Philly or must I get it there?
Any car rental advise? Sorry for such basic questions but..... I'm a newbie.
Have a great weekend.
BobPaula - 6-15-2007 at 08:17 PM
Boshvideo, David's itinerary is good. The only thing I might change is in San Ignacio. Look at Ignacio Springs and also at Casa Leree, further into
town and a block from the plaza. Both are great hotels, very different from each other. Choose the one that suits you. If you really want to go
further south, you could skip Bay of LA and take in La Paz. It's a beautiful classic Mexican city, and nothing else in Baja is quite like it.
Research hotels there on the web, and find one that suits your style. The cabanas at Los Arcos are nice.
If seeing Cabo is really your goal, just fly down like Soulpatch says. While there is much natural beauty and some other things to see there, it is
minimized by the generic tourist development that begins before you reach San Jose del Cabo. If you have just 8 days and drive all the way there, you
won't have much time to find the good things there, and with the traffic it WILL take time.
Better to see the more relaxed parts of Baja and save Cabo for your second trip, or a fly-in separate trip. Most people do want ot come again.
Mexico 1 is not like a US highway-- the driving is slower.Wingnut - 6-16-2007 at 10:42 AM
Bosh
If seeing Baja is your goal and you have only 8 days to do it in, follow David
s short trip from San Diego and enjoy it.
If your intent is to get to the party city of Cabo San Lucas, then I would fly directly there and rent a car at the airport. The airport is located
north of both San Jose Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. Once in Cabo SL you can enjoy the nightlife until you are partied out and take side trips. One of the
best is a day trip to Todos Santos, the site of the real Hotel California. Or a trip up to La Paz, the capital of Baja Sur.
Just so you understand, traveling and seeing Baja is a lifetime goal. It has taken a number of the Nomads most of their life to explore it and no one
has seen it all, it's just too grand. Get a map of Baja California, you can get them at Borders, and take a look. There is only 1 major highway down
the peninsula and it is a narrow two lane blacktop that is not maintained well in all spots. Some area's cross arroyos that rains or hurricanes wash
out and need repair. The average speed is 70 to 80 miles an hour and everybody drives halfway in the other lane around curves and blind spots. If you
drive at night, you are writing your own death certificate unless you have experience on the road. Even the most well traveled Nomad won't drive at
night. Thus traveling takes a lot longer. Certain areas particularily south of Ensenada are awash in traffic speed bumps slowing traffic through small
towns. Besides, you will want to take time and enjoy your trip. Just food for thought.Bedman - 6-16-2007 at 06:54 PM
Only one thing I would add to the list of "Must Do's"
Get a visa IF your travelling beyond Guerro Negro.
BedmanDavid K - 6-17-2007 at 12:27 PM
Boshvideo, Cabo is a whole seperate place that is not really like anywhere else in Baja... and deserves to be saved for another trip (or avoided all
together, depending on what you seek in Baja)!
The visa that Bedman mentions is the 'tourist card' you obtain at the border, by pulling into secondary (something to declare) parking and walk into
the INM door facing the parking area. Show your IDs or passport, get the card, take it to the bank teller (almost next door) to pay the fee (about
$21), go back to INM office, request 180 days if you are coming back to Baja within 6 months and you are on your way...
As mentioned above, San Ignacio rates up there with 'real Baja' in my book, along with L.A. Bay, Concepcion Bay, Gonzaga Bay and a whole bunch of dirt
road destinations you will need to do after you buy your 4WD!Boshvideo - 6-18-2007 at 02:26 PM
Many thanks to David K, Bedman, Wingnut, Paula and Soulpatch for your insightful suggestions. I can see that a trip down the Baja is not an everyday
walk in the park. I was able to put together two weeks to travel from TJ to Cabo San Lucas. My plan is to start in LA and take a bus or train down to
TJ and rent a car from National. Drive the distance and then fly out back home. My questions are:
Is this a doable time frame?
Is National a reliable company to deal with?
Is there a better way for me to get started on this adventure then doing the bus/train idea.
I'm sure I'm forgetting many questions but I still have some weeks before heading off.
Many thanks, once again for all your collective help. This site is wonderful.mtgoat666 - 6-18-2007 at 03:02 PM
2 weeks to drive 1-way along penninsula? That's plenty of time to do so while exploring.
I don't know much about rental car outfits in Mexico
There are airport shuttle busses that regularly travel between LAX and San Diego. I have also periodically found cheap 1-way/1-day car rentals from
LAX to SAN and SAN to LAX (1-way car rental for a single day is usually cheaper/faster than 2 people travelling on airport shuttle bus).
If doing train from LAX to SD, then take shuttle from LAX to union station in LA, then take amtrak south to SD. Or take bus from LAX to commuter
rail, then commuter rail to union station, then amtrak to SD. These train options may be great for train buffs, but will take you twice as long and
cost more than shuttle bus.Boshvideo - 6-18-2007 at 03:30 PM
Many thanks. Is it easy to go from SD to TJ? What was that cheap one way car rental company?mtgoat666 - 6-18-2007 at 03:47 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Boshvideo
Many thanks. Is it easy to go from SD to TJ? What was that cheap one way car rental company?
Easy as pie. To get from SD to border/TJ, you take the trolley to San Ysidro (trolley ends at border), then walk across border and you are in TJ...
cabs, busses and crowds abound on Mexican side of border.
I don't remember who I rented from in past for 1-ways, because it's different every time. Finding a cheap 1-way car rental seems to be a matter of
finding a car rental company that has extra cars at origin, and who can predict that? Keep shopping for 1-way rental until you find the price you
want.Boshvideo - 6-18-2007 at 04:11 PM
While I'm at it, let me ask you about reservations . What would be reasonable distances to drive each day to asure reservations ahead and get to Cabo
the day before I'm flying out ? Are resevations for lodging strongly recomended? I now have have 12 days.
thank you
[Edited on 6-18-2007 by Boshvideo]Paula - 6-18-2007 at 04:17 PM
Are you bringing a guidebook with you? The Moon Baja Handbook is pretty good. But after your first or second trip, you'll know much more than the
author.
Have a good trip, and let us know how it was!Boshvideo - 6-19-2007 at 02:42 PM
With 12 days and a rental car from TJ. How much driving is a good average per day, to get to Cabo San Lucas?woody with a view - 6-19-2007 at 02:54 PM
depends on what you get stuck infatuated with on a daily basis. you can leave tj and be in cabo in 2.2 5 days with 10 hour driving days so go by that.
btw, the trolley station in SD is next to the train station downtown and 3-4 blocks towards the bay from the greyhound station. take trolley to border
+/-40 minutes and get a cab to the car rental office. it's easier than it may seem.Boshvideo - 6-19-2007 at 06:43 PM
brilliant!
many thanks
and don't drive at night-or something.....
woody with a view - 6-20-2007 at 01:23 PM
Man driving down Mex 1 at night.
Woman driving same road, opposite direction...
They pass each other...
The woman yells out the window, “PIG!”
Man yells back out window, “B I T C H!”
Man rounds next curve.
Crashes into a HUGE PIG in middle of road and dies.
[Edited on 6-20-2007 by woody in ob]Boshvideo - 6-20-2007 at 02:45 PM
Good one Woody.Boshvideo - 6-20-2007 at 03:08 PM
Woody,
What is that symbol below your name. It doesn't look Mexican.woody with a view - 6-20-2007 at 03:38 PM
chineese symbol for my last name=wood.
another version on my old Rhino Chaser....
[Edited on 6-20-2007 by woody in ob]
Boshvideo - 6-20-2007 at 05:15 PM
sweet... still use it?
While I've got you.... what's the best thing to do about reservations for lodging? Are they always required?woody with a view - 6-21-2007 at 06:21 AM
it's just an ornamant on the wall now. won't float me 17 years later.
don't worry about reservations. they put you on a schedule that you won't want to keep. there is ALWAYS more than one place to stay. don't miss
ignacio springs bed and breakfast on the road into san ignacio. best breakfast in baja included with your room.
Boshvideo - 6-21-2007 at 03:44 PM
Many thanks for advise on the reservations. The B&B is well noted.mtgoat666 - 6-21-2007 at 04:37 PM
you only need reservation xmas, easter, and prime mex and US holidays, and on the weekends the knuckledraggers race their ATVs and bikes, e.g. baja
1000Boshvideo - 6-21-2007 at 04:59 PM
excellent, that takes a load off.Boshvideo - 6-23-2007 at 11:14 AM
I'm at the stage of plotting my journey. What's a good distance to cover each day without missing the good stuff. TJ to Cabo, 10 days.oslotboom - 6-23-2007 at 07:46 PM
I'm contemplating a similar trip and I like the advice of renting a vehicle for a one-way trip.
Problem is, I want to make some side trips on some unpaved roads that can be moderately rough. The side trips include San Javier mission, San Borja
(including the north section to the LA Bay highway), Montevideo, Yubay, and Los Martires road (the easy part). Possibly others if time permits.
I'm thinking a high-riding 2WD can make these trips.
Does anyone know of a rental firm that would rent a vehicle one-way for the off-roading I am contemplating?
Can a small 2WD SUV safely navigate the routes on my itinerary?
