San Ysidro crossing to get your FMT at sunrise

It Was My Post

Yes, a regular bank window (for money exchage) and the next window was only for tourist card payments... this was last year (July '09)... and things do change!

Here is the INM office (far right/ north end of building):



Here is the others to the left...



Here is the covered parking in front of the building:



Here is the far right lane you get into for the parking area (an electronic gate automatically opens as you get to it):

I once went through at dawn, could find nobody, and then just drove on down. Went through Guerrero Negro at Christmas, and again, nobody there to pay any mind to it. When I crossed back north at GN a few days after New Year's, the guy basically said, "ah, no big deal" and let me go through without a paid permit.

Pretty laid back enforcement, in that case!

the right lane

Yes, and they may still search your car... (big deal), and then when you exit the parking area, you have to get out and push a button to see if you get a red or green light... if red, another search, perhaps?

motoged...yesterday I posted this in a separate thread, but I think it is more germane to post it here...on the subject of FMTs at San Ysidro.

NEED A FMT? - TOURIST VISA?- WALK WITH ME

Here you go, Baja travelers. A little over a week ago, I walked two visiting SA tourists over the border to help get them thier FMT's...tourist visas.

So, that's what this photo-essay is all about..

".WALKING ACROSS THE BORDER TO GET A FMT..AND WALKING BACK.

It's NOT about anything else. Pretty simple, eh?


Naturally, I had a camera along and knew you would want to see some photos of the day trip.


Actually, they just might help the next Baja traveler.

So here we go:

Southbound on I-5 coming to the TJ border:

OCTOBER 28, 2010


Traffic entering Mexico..at TJ/San Ysidro. If you have anything to declare and pay importation taxes.....or want a tourist visa, stay in the far right lane. There will be a place to park for 20 minutes or so...long enough to get the job done if you are prepared.


But on this trip across the border, we are pedestrians. Parking in the pay lot at the Last US Exit off the freeway. Costs about $9, unless you get delayed.

A very short and easy walk from the lot to the Mexican border entry.



..uh..have YOU ever been trapped in a turnstile?



Walking across from the US parking lot.



This is the first official office as you enter. It's on your right.

Forget it, it's NOT the office you want.




Keeping walking ..straight ahead. The building you want is the first one of the left. Follow that guy in the blue shirt and white pants.


This is the place.

For those of you needing FMT..tourist visas...this building on the left is the one you want. Go on in. He won't bite.



I helped these two get thier 180 day visas. Easy as pie. The cordial official okayed my photography, although I think he was kind of preoccupied with helping out two nice young lassies.

In this particular case, I had got the visas for the girls from Discover Baja previously, and seeing as how that good organization has forms that are bank-paid, no visit to a bank was necessary. We went in, the officer stamped them, we left. Simple..took all of 5 minutes.

If you need to go to a bank and pay, it is just a little distance further. Ask the officer and he will point the way.



You're ALL DONE! Time to go sightseeing? Some shopping, perhaps? Need pesos? Now's the time, pardner.






Just ahead a little bit you will find taxis, dollar/peso exchange, fruit vendors, pot, your missing neice, etc, etc.


Stroll around a bit..get the feel of the place...lose your wallet to a pickpocket






Taxi drivers are always cordial...chew the fat...get the local day-to-day gossip.



Here's the way to walk back to the USA. Up and over that walkway.



Note: When you return in your vehicle ...and start to wonder what the hell lane you should be on?..STAY IN THE ONE MARKED PLAYAS - ROSARITO-TOLL ROAD-ENSENADA.
See..it's the one in the middle of all those damn confusing signs. If in doubt, just lean on your horn and keep bearing right.

If you pass a pink building named Irma's Bunny Hutch..you've taken a wrong turn....or maybe not?




Back where the taxis are..and just down the sidewalk from the FMT office..you will see the way to walk back to San Diego. Up and over this walkway.


Over you go...right over the freeway below.



It could be worse, however...you could be in that line of cars. Drivers in those lanes make use of the time...shaving, napping, reading newspapers, writing last will and testaments, etc.



Unless...you have the fast lane..and the right kind of card..SENTRI... like those in the right lane northbound. It costs a bit, but is worth it to frequent crossers.



This guy offers a quicker way to cross the border for pedestrians.

"Senor..you are limping, no? Oh, just old, eh?..Well, how about a nice BUS to take you to the border. your granddaughters, too! Only 50 pesos. Save your legs. Save 2 hours waiting in that long line of pedestrians."

"Hell yes..why not", I said.



"Okay, senor..so it's not exactly a BUS. But it will get you there WAY ahead of those unfortunates who must walk. Do you need help getting in, old hombre?"


Hey! THAT'S A BUS! WAIT!



Oh Well...this van is not that bad. Hope it's got AC. AND..no walking. That pedestrian line must be 3 miles long!!



Grunt..groan..SSQQueeze in...ah..there. "Opps, sorry, senorita..but you're sitting on my shoe?"





Meet my seatmates. Babies are sure beautiful, aren't they?


Nice shirt, gringo. Mind if I throw up on it?





Finally, the end. The bus/van took 1 hour and 45 minutes. We get off to stand in line.

Lines = Mexico
Mexico = Lines



And...Another line....so what else is new?

Note: I recognize a pedestrian. I had talked to him before buying passage on the van.

He got here before me. CARUMBA!




Once thru US customs...walk outside..and take the pedestrian walkway back over the freeway and back to your USA parking lot.

This traffic is Baja-bound.



I know one thing after going through this mish-mash...

...I'm flying from now on!

Pompano ....fantastic photo hike you did.

motoged .....they accept hubcaps for payment too.

[Edited on 11-10-2010 by mcfez]

Discover Baja sells auto insurance, books, etc. Offers Tourist cards to members. Pompano must have adopted those little cuties??! Vagabundo does the same, I believe. As bad as the road is over at Tecate Ibelieve it is better than wading thru this mess! Then you're on the pay road if you don't get lost in Tijuana first! Suerte, amigos. Tio

Yeowtch!, Now I'm almost more confused than before. :| I came thru in Jan 2010 with a prepaid DBTC voucher; passed thru secondary before I realized I was actually in secondary; and further down parked my 'leetle' SUV at the not much further-on taxi lot; communicated to those in authority there that I needed to do ~'immigrado', walked back with my young random craigslist Australian/Swedish rideshare companion, got it done, and moved on.

This year I have a big 'ol pickup and a ~25' trailer. I was planning to secondary park etc. and blah blah, say 'immigraddo fmt, blah fmt', there and park there and walk the ~50 ft to inmmigrado (DBTC prepaid) and be gone in 5 mins. Is this not the case???? I like seeemple.

Quote:

Originally posted by Casey67 Yeowtch!, Now I'm almost more confused than before. :| I came thru in Jan 2010 with a prepaid DBTC voucher; passed thru secondary before I realized I was actually in secondary; and further down parked my 'leetle' SUV at the not much further-on taxi lot; communicated to those in authority there that I needed to do ~'immigrado', walked back with my young random craigslist Australian/Swedish rideshare companion, got it done, and moved on. This year I have a big 'ol pickup and a ~25' trailer. I was planning to secondary park etc. and blah blah, say 'immigraddo fmt, blah fmt', there and park there and walk the ~50 ft to inmmigrado (DBTC prepaid) and be gone in 5 mins. Is this not the case???? I like seeemple.

TJ Crossing at Dawn

Great information - thanks for the step by step explanation.
One question - it looks like you walked these two ladies over to get their FMM cards so they can spend 180 days in Mexico and walked right back to the US on the same day - right?

Does that mean you can get your FMM stamped at immigration one day by walking over and then drive over the next and not have to stop? We're going to be towing a 5th wheel and my husband is a little concerned about parking while we take care of the FMM at immigration. So he wants to walk over a day or two beforehand and then drive through the "No Declarations" lane (because we don't have anything to declare) so we don't have to deal with parking.
Thanks again for the information.

Charlene (new to this forum and driving through Baja for the first time ever and can't wait to get going)

Thank you VERY much. We're brand new to RVing . . . so what did we do? Become full timers and decide to go to Mexico with absolutely no experience in either RVing or driving in the Baja.

So I've been reading this forum avidly to learn as much as I can, so with any luck at all -- we'll be posting a trip report very soon!

We can't wait!!

Quote:

Originally posted by Angelos Thank you VERY much. We're brand new to RVing . . . so what did we do? Become full timers and decide to go to Mexico with absolutely no experience in either RVing or driving in the Baja. So I've been reading this forum avidly to learn as much as I can, so with any luck at all -- we'll be posting a trip report very soon! We can't wait!!