BajaNomad

San Diego to Cabo San Lucas

Binger - 1-16-2010 at 09:04 AM

My son and I are driving our new car down from Phoenix in two weeks. Want to be at border (Tijuana) by sunrise. I would like to make the trip in two days, two of us driving. Want to get to Guerro Negro first day. Is this feasible and any suggestions. Do we need to get tourist passes at the border or can that wait until we get to GN? Several have told us we can wait. I am going to staying at our house in Cabo for about 10 days, my son for only a day and flying back to Phoenix. Any suggestions would be great.

bajaguy - 1-16-2010 at 09:06 AM

If you have a house in Cabo, don't you have an FM-3????

Get the FMT as you cross at San Ysidro

woody with a view - 1-16-2010 at 09:07 AM

you can make it. cross at 5am to get a better chance of arriving in the daylight. driving the toll in the dark is safer than the other end. get the visa at the border. your mex car insurance MAY be void without it. imagine the adjuster finding out you're in the country illegally.... claim denied!

bajabass - 1-16-2010 at 09:13 AM

I did the drive in 2 days on my honeymoon in August of 2007. Much longer days, so little night driving. Day 1 Ensenada to Mulege, day 2, Mulege to Cabo. I did 90% of the driving, as my wife was not used to a truck on a 2 lane highway with no shoulder. You will be tired when you get there, but you will be there! Get your FMT at the border, or online and just stop to pay and get stamped. There are many previous threads about where and how, timing, ect. Have fun, it is a great drive!

woody with a view - 1-16-2010 at 09:17 AM

and post a "report".

oxxo - 1-16-2010 at 09:52 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Binger
I would like to make the trip in two days, two of us driving. Want to get to Guerro Negro first day. Is this feasible and any suggestions.


See the McLuLu thread
Quote:
Do we need to get tourist passes at the border or can that wait until we get to GN?


Cross at Tecate and get your visa there, right at the border. The office opens at 6am. Bank will probably be clossed and he will tell you to pay for it at a bank in Cabo. We've done that several times.

bajabass - 1-16-2010 at 10:08 AM

The road from Tecate to Ensenada is going through major construction now. Unless they finish in a week or two,:rolleyes:, driving at night would not be a good idea.

Binger - 1-16-2010 at 11:05 AM

Ok, thanks everyone and please keep up the posts. It looks now from advice it is better to cross at Tecate if I am coming from Phoenix and just get the visa right at the border? Mucho gracias.

Bajahowodd - 1-16-2010 at 01:06 PM

Just thinking. Your son is going to have to surrender a valid FM-T at the counter as a prerequisite for boarding his flight home. It's been a while since I've come through that airport, as I've taken to driving recently. But, I am not sure that there's a bank at the terminal. Perhaps some locals can chime in. I raise this issue based on oxxo's post. so you pay in Cabo? At what bank? Where does it get stamped? Just curious.

oxxo - 1-16-2010 at 02:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
But, I am not sure that there's a bank at the terminal.


Nope, no bank at SJD terminal. You can pay at any bank in San Jose or San Lucas. Immigration stamps the visa at the border and you pay as soon as you can get to any bank. They will stamp your visa with their receipt. We have done this before with no problems. If no lines at the bank, takes 5 minutes.

However, we usually cross at Tecate after 8am and just pay at the bank at the border which opens at 8am. You can still make GN by twilight, even this time of year. This is what I recommend that Binger does.

Bajahowodd - 1-16-2010 at 02:29 PM

That's totally new to me. Whenever I've gotten the FM-T, I'd get the form from immigration, presenting my passport, and he wouldn't stamp it until I paid the bank and came back the receipt. Live and learn.

pacside - 1-16-2010 at 03:27 PM

This exact thing happened to husband recently. We drove in and flew back out of SJD. We parked and got his FMT at the Tijuana border, paid at the bank and got the receipt. When he went to board his flight they gave him a very hard time because he did not have his RECEIPT for the FMT even though he had the FMT. He didn't think he needed the receipt since he had his FMT.

I do not know if his FMT was stamped or if they only stamped the receipt thus making it difficult to board without said receipt. Anyway, when I flew back with son and his FMT they definitely wanted to see the receipt in addition to his FMT which I promptly showed them and we had no problem.

So lesson here is bring FMT bank receipt showing you paid along with FMT when flying back after driving in. Also I would ensure FMT is stamped...I think they also stamp the receipt but not sure.

pacside

woody with a view - 1-16-2010 at 03:41 PM

i seem to remember the bank stapling the receipt to the visa.....

oxxo - 1-16-2010 at 04:13 PM

I don't recall ever getting a bank receipt. The bank just stamps the visa and you take that back to immigration for the final stamp.

The bank in Tecate isn't open on Sunday, so if you cross that day, the immigration officer just stamps the visa and tells you to pay as soon as possible. Its the honor system and we have always complied.

But as we all know, every location has different rules. Our visas have always been accepted at SJD airport without a need for a receipt.

toneart - 1-16-2010 at 05:09 PM

Binger- Welcome!

Keep an eye on the weather. If the huge storms bring the kind of rain as predicted, it will slow you down. Lots of mud to negotiate too; construction between Tecate and Ensenada, Maneadero, lots of little towns on the way to San Quintin become mud holes. You can get through OK. It will just be slower...and splatty/slippery/slimey.

Bridges are pretty good now. Not like in the past when a flooded arroyo could halt traffic for days; i.e. on the east end of El Rosario.

Travel well - Vie bien!

The Honor System?

Bajahowodd - 1-17-2010 at 01:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by oxxo
I don't recall ever getting a bank receipt. The bank just stamps the visa and you take that back to immigration for the final stamp.

The bank in Tecate isn't open on Sunday, so if you cross that day, the immigration officer just stamps the visa and tells you to pay as soon as possible. Its the honor system and we have always complied.

But as we all know, every location has different rules. Our visas have always been accepted at SJD airport without a need for a receipt.


As far as I can recall, and bear in mind that we almost always cross at SY, this year was the first time we received an actual receipt at the bank. Previously, the bank just stamped the form. But, it has only been recently that the immigration guy took time to enter information into his PC. May just be difference by location.

That said, and keeping in mind other discussions on this forum about auto insurance possibly being voided for lack of FM-T, inasmuch as one is virtually an illegal, How is an FM-T valid if it has not been paid for?

David K - 1-17-2010 at 02:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by oxxo
I don't recall ever getting a bank receipt. The bank just stamps the visa and you take that back to immigration for the final stamp.

The bank in Tecate isn't open on Sunday, so if you cross that day, the immigration officer just stamps the visa and tells you to pay as soon as possible. Its the honor system and we have always complied.

But as we all know, every location has different rules. Our visas have always been accepted at SJD airport without a need for a receipt.


There was a change last year... Instead of the bank stamp... they staple an 8.5"X11" paper receipt to the little FM-T!

oxxo - 1-17-2010 at 02:23 PM

We flew into SJD last November. The airport gave us an FM-T with no receipt attached. What's going on?

Bajahowodd - 1-17-2010 at 02:31 PM

Didn't the form come from the airline? In that case, it's already been paid for in the price of the ticket. Just seems to amplify the fact that there are differences. And little sense.

805gregg - 1-23-2010 at 10:37 AM

You can get your visa ahead of time through Discover Baja in SD.

Bajahowodd - 1-23-2010 at 02:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 805gregg
You can get your visa ahead of time through Discover Baja in SD.


Given that one must be a member to use this service, and they add a premium to the charge (I believe they want $32), is this valid upon receipt, or does it still require a stamp at the immigration office at the border?

PYandre - 1-26-2010 at 03:03 PM

You can get your tourist visa in Guerrero Negro ONLY IF you get there during their normal work hours, which I believe are 9 to 5, but remember they are on Mountain Time, so you lose an hour crossing into Baja Sur. I would highly recommend getting your tourist card at the border and then you don't have to worry about it.
Under normal conditions, it should not be a problem to get to GN the first day and Cabo the second, starting very early each day (I do not believe it is a very good idea to drive in the dark because of cows on the road and slow moving vehicles without taillights). Currently quite a few bridges have been washed out and sections of the road have been washed out, primarily in Baja Norte, IF the rains stop, it shouldn't take too long to make them passable, but I'm sure the detours will slow you down a little. I am in Ecuador right now, but will be driving down to Loreto, crossing the border on February 1st. I will try to remember to post the road conditions once I get there (I hope to make it to Loreto by the 2nd).
Quote:
Originally posted by Binger
My son and I are driving our new car down from Phoenix in two weeks. Want to be at border (Tijuana) by sunrise. I would like to make the trip in two days, two of us driving. Want to get to Guerro Negro first day. Is this feasible and any suggestions. Do we need to get tourist passes at the border or can that wait until we get to GN? Several have told us we can wait. I am going to staying at our house in Cabo for about 10 days, my son for only a day and flying back to Phoenix. Any suggestions would be great.

Bajahowodd - 1-26-2010 at 03:44 PM

The problem with waiting until you get to Guerrero Negro to try and get the FM-T is that once you are South of Maneadero, you are technically an illegal alien, if you do not already have your visa. This could play havoc with your auto insurance, should you be unfortunate enough to have an accident.

I am guilty for being one of what is apparently many Baja travelers who have, at one time, or another, been illegal. But, I have seen the light, so to speak. When one considers all that is transpiring in the US about cross-border legality, it just makes plain sense that if a citizen of the US crosses the border into Mexico, they should respect and obey the laws of Mexico. Waiting until Guerrero Negro before obtaining a visa is, in my opinion, disrespecting the nation of Mexico.