BajaNomad

Which crossing to take

Mayne8n - 2-27-2013 at 04:09 PM

Mid March we (wife & I) are driving down to Mulege. Starting point is BC, Canada. We will be towing a 14' cargo trailer and will have 2 dogs. This is our first trip down and while we have come the other way, north from Cabo, I am told the roads are not as good this way. Depending on who I talk to, some say cross at TJ, others say Tecate. What are your thoughts? We plan to cross on Tues or Wed early morning. We plan on stopping in Ensenada for a couple of hours. How far can we expect to make it that first day without driving in the dark. Thanks for your help on this.

Udo - 2-27-2013 at 04:28 PM

By far the best crossing is to take TECATE, even towing a 14' trailer. Take it VERY SLOW in going through the town. You will be going downhill most of the way.
Assuming you start the crossing at about 6 a.m., you should be able to make it to either El Rosario or San Quintín.
If you don't have your tourist cards by now, you can get them at the entrance to Tecate.
Park on the US side, walk across to the INM office, pay for your visa fees at the bank across the street, then walk across to the INM office to get them stamped along with your passport.
If you are a DISCOVER BAJA member, they can do that over the mail well ahead of time for you (you'll need to fax in your passport information).
Second day plan on either Guerrero Negro or San Ignacio (2.5 hours down the road. Mulege is about two hours from San Ignacio.
Guerrero Negro stay at the Cowboy Hotel and eat at Mario's Palapa, about 1/2 mile before you get into Guerrero Negro. Order a "CAMPECHANA" and an order of guacamole, the best in Baja.
In San Ignacio stay at the Ignacio inn B&B.

durrelllrobert - 2-27-2013 at 04:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mayne8n
Mid March we (wife & I) are driving down to Mulege. Starting point is BC, Canada. We will be towing a 14' cargo trailer and will have 2 dogs. This is our first trip down and while we have come the other way, north from Cabo, I am told the roads are not as good this way. Depending on who I talk to, some say cross at TJ, others say Tecate. What are your thoughts? We plan to cross on Tues or Wed early morning. We plan on stopping in Ensenada for a couple of hours. How far can we expect to make it that first day without driving in the dark. Thanks for your help on this.


Depending on which part of BC you are leaving from you should be able to make it as far south as Sacremento the first day without driving in the dark :lol:

Oh, you mean how far south of Ensenada? In that case I would say Cativina if you don't stay in Ensenada too long.

DENNIS - 2-27-2013 at 04:34 PM

Welcome to BajaNomad, Mayne8n.
First.....what are you planning to do about your Tourist Permit?
And....what are you hauling in the trailer?
Are you moteling or camping?
Do you drink Pacifico or Tecate?
Do you buy insurance while on the road?
Do you want to buy a book about the Baja Missions from DK?
The roads are fine.

MMc - 2-27-2013 at 04:43 PM

I cross at TJ,San Ysidro fast, easy, as safe as anywhere else. For Tecate you add 1 hour for the drive inland on the USA side. Otay Mesa would be a second choice research, Ave 2000 for getting back to the toll road.
Driving is about the same going both ways. If you have trouble driving downgrades then watch out for the grade before Santa Roaslia, it is steep and curvy. I sure you remember it driving up it.

You can make San Quintin before dark easy. Are you looking for a hotel or a RV park? There are some nice hotels along the highway or Jardines, Baja is very nice all in San Quintin. Just outside are the Desert Inn San Quintin or what ever its call these days.
(google has it as Desert Inn San Quintin still) also Cielito Lindo (same road) used to be good, quit staying there long ago.

[Edited on 2-27-2013 by MMc]

willardguy - 2-27-2013 at 06:25 PM

I got some swampland in tecate (closer to the water) for sale:spingrin: go thru san ysidro and enjoy the tijuana/ensenada corridor being sure to stop and check tire pressure at each watering hole :yes:

Border Crossing

Mayne8n - 2-27-2013 at 08:47 PM

Hello again everyone, this was my first post, thanks for your great responses. We are on south Vancouver Island about 10 mins from the ferry. Expect to be on the mainland by 9am and clear the US border by about 10. We do have our tourist cards and Mexican auto insurance thru Discover Baja.....real easy, would do it again. We have some time so after reading these responses, I have to wonder if Tecate would be less stressful.....as in no LA. Are there many vineyards along this route? To answer someones question: Pacifico or Tecate, sure whichever is coldest. I am hoping El Rasario for our first night on the Baja. Cheers, Gord

DENNIS - 2-27-2013 at 09:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mayne8n
I have to wonder if Tecate would be less stressful.....as in no LA. Are there many vineyards along this route?


I would drive an additional thousand miles to miss LA.
On the way to Tecate, there's around twenty miles of hilly, windey road on the 94, but just drive your own race. You'll get there.
The Tecate Road has the vinyards and wineries about thirty miles from the border. It's a nice drive.
Stop for lunch in San Antonio de Las Minas....that's around twenty miles from the end of the Tecate Road.....or 45 miles from Tecate.
Have a great trip.

mtgoat666 - 2-27-2013 at 09:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by Mayne8n
I have to wonder if Tecate would be less stressful.....as in no LA. Are there many vineyards along this route?


I would drive an additional thousand miles to miss LA.


LA is great! stop in silver lake for lunch. go to griffin park. visit santa monica. go to the getty museum. la brea tar pits and art museum are great.

Islandbuilder - 2-27-2013 at 10:14 PM

Will you guys be taking the US or BC ferry?
We're on San Juan Island.

We like Tecate for several reasons. Mostly is my distain for crowds and congestion. It works well for us, and we don't mind the drive out 94 to get to the crossing.

We usually stop in San Quintin, because we have friends there that we try and meet for a late lunch, then stay at Hotel Jardines and eat either next door or at any of the other great restaurants in the area.
'
If Jardines is full (which it may be) then follow Udo's advice and run the 30 miles or so on to El Rosario.

DO NOT drive past El Rosario without having a full gas tank.

We stop in at Catavina to get a cup of coffee and use the banos, and to marvel at the empty place?! We stayed there once, and it was great, but pretty spendy.

Seems like no matter which crossing you choose, it will all work out. Maybe TJ south and then Tecate north to avoid the long wait? We came back north on a Tuesday late afternoon, and were the 2nd car in line!

DENNIS - 2-28-2013 at 07:56 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mtgoat666
go to griffin park.


Is that near Griffith Park? It's all so confusing. :lol:

Pescador - 2-28-2013 at 08:19 AM

If I am going south, I usually find it faster and easier to cross at San Ysidro where I have super highways all the way to the border. We come down 15 to 805 and then 805 right to the border. Now that presupposes that there are no or little traffic on the California Highways, which is not normally the case. Depends totally on the time of the day. But if you are going to Tecate, then you have to do 15 to 8 and then East, or go 15 to 805 and exit on 94. Cross at Tecate and then drive to Ensenada.
Going north, most prefer to do the Tecate crossing because of border snarl and slow crossing times. I am sure you have a lot of experience crossing south at the border and know how long it takes for the crossing, and it just gets worse at Tijuana (San Ysidro) during the day.

Mayne8n - 2-28-2013 at 08:31 AM

Island Builder, we will take the BC Ferries, 7am, first sailing, we can get a reservation. You live in a great spot. Last time I was at Roche Harbour I woke up to Mount St Helens blowing its lid...that was a longtime ago.
When I mentioned driving north, I should have said Cabo to Mulege and not all the way to the border.
Dennis, we are hauling household goods and are hoping to find pet friendly motels along the way.
One last question; how long should it take to drive from El Rosario to Mulege?
Thanks everyone.

Udo - 2-28-2013 at 08:53 AM

El Rosario to Mulege is about 6 hours.
Three plus hours from El Rosario to Guerrero Negro, and another three from GN to Mulege, depending on how long you stop at Mario's Palapa for lunch.
Mulege is totally devoid of tourists at this time. It seems that a good majority left after the hurricane last year.
There is lots of damage and evidence of flooding along the river roads.

Have a safe trip, Mayne8n!

David K - 2-28-2013 at 09:00 AM

He is towing... so not moving like us in our Toyotas Udo! Plus longer military inspections... I would put it closer to 8 hours...? Just get there safe, no hurry, no worry! You loose an hour when you cross the state line by Guerrero Negro, as well... Mountain Time Zone.

Alan - 2-28-2013 at 11:01 AM

Personally, headed south I cross at San Ysidro to make any necessary declarations but primarily to get my FMM. You said you already have yours but I believe it still needs to be stamped when you enter the country. So easy to do this and with a trailer (I usually tow a boat) at San Ysidro. Lots of room to park in the declaration area and then just walk back to INM and get stamped. From there just head for the toll road south and you will have 4 lanes all the way into Ensenada. Northbound I cross back at Tecate as the wait is significantly less.

Udo - 2-28-2013 at 05:00 PM

Problem I ran into at the San Ysidro crossing last December, Alan:

The declaration office and the INM office share the same parking lot, and when you drive out of that lot, (I also received a green light at the gate) the Mexican border inspector "ASSUMES" you went into the declaration office and wants to see your receipt from the office. I actually went into the office to get my FMM stamped.
After some arguing (in Spanish, I might say), for some minutes, and after his speaking to a supervisor (about another 12 more minutes), they let me by without having to make a U turn and obtain a declaration receipt.

Pescador - 2-28-2013 at 05:07 PM

Yeah, but the new crossing has made all of that a lot easier. I think it makes going south a breeze. And unlike the US side, they actually smile like they welcome you to their country.:light::light:

jeffg - 2-28-2013 at 05:43 PM

I usually cross at San Ysidro, BUT with a 14' trailer full of household goods, I would cross at Otay. I don't know if it's changed with the new crossing setup, but in the past if you had a trailer full of stuff they would turn you around and send you to Otay. Not a good way to start the day...

But, maybe it's different now with the new crossing, does anyone have experience with that?

David K - 2-28-2013 at 05:46 PM

Otay is great southbound... because you just continue south a mile and turn left on Industrial avenue (signed for Mexicali/ Tecate toll hwy) for about 5 miles to the free CORREDOR 2000 highway to the coast (Popotla)! No toll, as you leave 2-D just before the first toll for Tecate bound cars.



[Edited on 3-1-2013 by David K]

dtbushpilot - 2-28-2013 at 06:27 PM

I crossed at the new SY crossing a few weeks ago with an enclosed trailer and pickup full of stuff, both new and used at around 5:45-6:00am. The declare lane wasn't open so I pulled in to the regular lane and parked where they pointed. The official asked me to open the trailer, took a look around and waved me on. I had to pay (not much) the last time I crossed with a similar load at Otay. I always cross early at SY heading south, Tecate going north.

I second crossing at Otay

durrelllrobert - 2-28-2013 at 08:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jeffg
I usually cross at San Ysidro, BUT with a 14' trailer full of household goods, I would cross at Otay. I don't know if it's changed with the new crossing setup, but in the past if you had a trailer full of stuff they would turn you around and send you to Otay. Not a good way to start the day...

But, maybe it's different now with the new crossing, does anyone have experience with that?


...and since you are comming from BC I would follow this route to avoid L.A., Orange County and San Diego traffic:
1 - Stay on I 5S until Santa Clarita/ Magic Mountain then get in left lane and at bottom of grade take the I 210E exit
2- Stay on I 210E until you get to Rancho cucamonga and take the I 15S exit
3. Stay on I 15S until just past MCAS miramar and get off on CA 52E
4. Stay on CA 52E until you get to Santee then get on CA 125S
5 -125 S becomes a toll road (South Bay Expressway) just before you get to Chula Vista but stay on it until you get to CA 805 then just follow the signs to the Otay border crossing
6 - After you cross follow David K's direction to Blvd. 2000

HAVE A GOOD TRIP

durrelllrobert - 2-28-2013 at 08:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
You loose an hour when you cross the state line by Guerrero Negro, as well... Mountain Time Zone.

Does Baja Sur go on dalight savings time? If not then you don't lose that hour after March 9th.

absinvestor - 2-28-2013 at 09:33 PM

I like Tecate and I agree with David K about the time. It is 402 miles from Baja Cactus to our house in Mulege. With some military checkpoints (and if you have a wife at least one potty stop) 7 to 7 1/2 hours would be a better estimate. We crossed going North into the US at Tecate two days ago. We got to the border road at 1:06pm and was in the US at 1:09pm. There were two cars ahead of us!!(There was no wait when we crossed going south the middle of Jan.) I found more tourists than mentioned by UDO. There were over 30 motorhomes at Santispac and Coco and the other small beaches were pretty full. Most days Scotty's pizza was fairly busy and according to Scotty this has been his busiest year??

Tecate

Pompano - 3-1-2013 at 07:46 AM

After more than 40 years of making a border crossing to and from Baja, I long ago decided that Tecate is my favorite way to enter and leave the country. As with the Tecate crossing, I've taken the San Ysidro/TJ crossing with large trailers, motorcycle, solo cars, pickups, and motorhomes... and I will confess I am not a TJ fan. I like a more relaxed route without all the drama and traffic. Not to mention the squish of something foul under your tires...:rolleyes:

The extra 25 drive from San Diego to Tecate following Hwy 94 is through a pleasant alpine setting with more than a few good spots to refresh yourself...Jamul, Dulzura & Barret Junction, and Portero County Park for camping, etc. I don't miss the overflowing sewers and dangerous traffic on the TJ roads at all. The drive from Tecate to Ensenada is through the Guadalupe Valley, which is beautiful in itself, with the numerous vineyards and award-winning restaurants (Lala and Mustafos) making it by far my favorite route.

But ultimately, you will have your own preferences, and if any of these route recommendations on Nomads help you, then we have done our part.

Here's some up-to-date info on Tecate conditions:

I did a favor two days ago (March 27) and drove to Tecate from San Diego to help some fellow travelers get squared away for a trip to Baja Sur.

Photo 1 The US side peso exchange just before crossing the border into Baja Norte.



Photo 2 We found that the pay parking lot in this mini-mall (small grocery store next to a Payless Shoe store) was very convenient for walking across the border and back. $5 for an all day space was well worth it for the convenience.



Photo 3 This parking is also close to a duty free shop. The walk-in border gates are conveniently close and straight ahead.



Photo 4 The crossing here is very laidback. As you can see, we had no crowds to contend with at all...coming or going.




Photo 5 Our destination, Immigration, is on our immediate right. (these locals just ahead of us in this photo sized us up and pointed, saying..."Visas are right there!" Muchas gracias, amigos. This kind of friendly greeting by a stranger reminds me of North Dakota...a normal feeling.





Photo 6 This is the building where the Immigacion office is located..inside these doors and to the right. We were greeted very cordially by the officer in attendance and after a maximum of 10 minutes of typing and stamping, a 180-day visitors tourist visa (FMM) was issued. So quick and easy. No waiting in lines. Make sure you have your passport handy. Actually, the whole official visa business only took 5 minutes, the rest of the time was spent on friendly small talk with the officer about US and Baja.



Photo 6 After getting the tourist visa we had plenty of time to take a leisurely walk down the street to the zocalo..town square..where we found a nice cafe facing the plaza. We chose the one with the red/white umbrella. (drop dead good-looking waitress) Had a great lunch of tacos with cold beers, and watched the life play out in the square (always one of my favorite daytime events) As you can see, it's winter and folks are dressed for it. Me? I'm from ND...had on T-shirt and jeans and looked for a breeze.



Photo 7

My friends were off on the bus heading south. Bon Voyage, amigos. I started walking back to the US border. On the stroll back the traffic had built up a bit on the US return side of the border. Compared to TJ, this is a piece of cake.



I had ZERO people ahead of me when walking on the yellow-arrowed sidewalk back into the USA. Coming in the outer door, the friendly US customs agent sitting at the desk just asked me for my passport card which I already had in my hand. A quick computer run and... Zip, done deal, good to go. But he was kind of garrulous...like me... and we spent a few minutes talking about a certain dentist in Tecate that he recommended. I told him about mine in Algadones. An even swap of information. I walked across the street to where my pickup was waiting. Pretty easy, eh?





All in all, a very quiet and non-stressful day in Tecate...on both sides of the border.

I hope you and other travelers find this useful. Have a good trip! Buen Viaje!

Mayne8n - 3-1-2013 at 08:13 AM

Thanks again everyone. Well my other half would prefer the relaxed Tecate route so thats what it will be. Next time probably Otay. If we cross early in the morning, are there motels close to the border on the US side? Thanks, Gord

Skipjack Joe - 3-1-2013 at 08:26 AM

By going through Tecate you are adding about 1 1/2 hours to your drive to or from Ensenada. This may make sense when driving north but makes no sense entering Mexico because there is no wait going south at either entry.

Either route will require a drive through LA/SanDiego area. To minimize stress you want to hit Tejon Pass from I-15 by no later than 8:30AM and you should be past San Diego by 2PM. You will still hit some traffic but there will be little stop-and-go. Stop for lunch and you will miss the window. And don't think that once you've passed Camp Pendleton you're home free. San Diego has it's own gridlock. The other option is to drive at night, of course, and then it's a breeze.

David K - 3-1-2013 at 08:27 AM

Great as usual Roger... Did the INM officer also take the money for the FMM, or was there a different window you had to walk to to pay, then return to INM?

bajaguy - 3-1-2013 at 08:30 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Great as usual Roger... Did the INM officer also take the money for the FMM, or was there a different window you had to walk to to pay, then return to INM?





Two weeks ago Tecate INM made my friends go to the bank about 25 feet away from the INM office

Mayne8n - 3-1-2013 at 08:37 AM

Hello there Pompano, thanks for the great write up and pics, very helpful. As mentioned earlier I think we will take the Tecate route this trip. We have some time so no rush, we may as well enjoy it.
Thanks to everyone who has posted, it has helped us sort this out.

David K - 3-1-2013 at 08:37 AM

Typically it was a separate person, but last July at Tijuana, the INM officer had a cash box and happily accepted our turista tax dollars. A new deal to make it easy, but not open 24/7.

bajaguy - 3-1-2013 at 08:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
...and since you are comming from BC I would follow this route to avoid L.A., Orange County and San Diego traffic:
1 - Stay on I 5S until Santa Clarita/ Magic Mountain then get in left lane and at bottom of grade take the I 210E exit
2- Stay on I 210E until you get to Rancho cucamonga and take the I 15S exit
3. Stay on I 15S until just past MCAS miramar and get off on CA 52E
4. Stay on CA 52E until you get to Santee then get on CA 125S
5 -125 S becomes a toll road (South Bay Expressway) just before you get to Chula Vista but stay on it until you get to CA 805 then just follow the signs to the Otay border crossing
6 - After you cross follow David K's direction to Blvd. 2000

HAVE A GOOD TRIP





Either what Bob wrote above ^ or you might want to look at what I have done several times:

I-5 south to the 210 east
210 east to the 57 south
transition from the 57 south to the 71 south
71 south to the 91 east
91 east to the I-15 south
I-15 south to either the I-5 south or the 805 south
From there you can cross at San Ysidro or take the 905 east to Otay

Sounds complicated, but it is really easy and you are not going out of your way too far east as you would if you took the 210 east to the I-15 south.............get a map and check it out

David K - 3-1-2013 at 08:40 AM

Avoid L.A.!!! :light:

Pompano - 3-1-2013 at 08:42 AM

Mi amigos are members of Discover Baja Club and had the visas made out and paid for well in advance..with receipts from Banamex...all insued by Discovefr Baja...and all that was necessary was getting them dated, stamped and signed at Immigracion in Tecate.

From previous visits to the same office to obtain a co-pilot's tourist visa, it was as bajaguy reports, a very short walk to pay the bank fee and back. Done deal.

Again, I personally feel that the little extra driving to enter and exit thru Tecate is well worth that route. But that's my way....and to each his own.

[Edited on 3-1-2013 by Pompano]

David K - 3-1-2013 at 08:45 AM

Thank you Roger...

windgrrl - 3-2-2013 at 08:02 AM

Hola, Canadians!

Great advice above. If you stay near the border overnight (Potrero County Campground, CA), you can unhook your rig, scoot to the border, and have your paperwork processed the day before. You park on the US side, go to Mexican immigration to do the paperwork and then walk back through US customs (they understand people doing it this way). You'll need a little more time to do this, but for your first time, it could be worth it as crossing with everything done when you have a trailer and you a looking for the way through Tecate is worthwhile. If you have a pre-paid visa through Discover Baja, this speeds things up and is handy if the bank is closed.

Also consider taking Mex. #3 to south from Tecate to Ensenada. You turn left at the bottom of the hill below the border, drive down to the end of the park on the right and then turn right and follow the road straight through. You navigator will have eyes peeled for all stop signs!

Finding a "legal" parking spot long enough for a trailer at Tecate requires a little more ingenuity! The best parking seems to be only for semis and buses and can be very tight work trying to get into the paid parking.

David K - 3-2-2013 at 08:50 AM

That is good advice!

mulegemichael - 3-2-2013 at 09:02 AM

in almost 30 years now of crossing back and forth, back and forth, we've crossed at tecate everytime except for one, and that was a mistake....and by the way udo, mulege is teeming with tourists right now; can't find a parking place anywhere..the businesses are very happy!

Tecate bank location

tripledigitken - 3-2-2013 at 09:05 AM

Great photo report on the Tecate crossing Pompano.

The "bank" is the green and white kiosk type building in the 5th photo. You will walk right by it going to the immigration office. After they prepare the visas they will tell you go to the bank, pay, and return for them to finalize the paperwork.

A refreshment break by the Zocalo in Tecate is one of the must do's in Baja, IMO.

You're a good friend Pompano, to take you friends up and show them the way.

Ken

Parking

windgrrl - 3-2-2013 at 10:59 AM

You might still be able to cross the border and park immediately on the right on the very steep street after the border gate. Best to try this very, very early in the a.m. We did it 3 years ago and found a big space for our truck and 24 foot RV, the walked back up past the guards who let us go through both ways to get back to immigration.

Parking availability changes each time that we have crossed, but there always seem to be options for vehicles sans trailer.

All in all, stay calm, be brave and watch for the signs.

One last question

Mayne8n - 3-4-2013 at 08:46 AM

I have read here that parking on the Mexico, Tecate side of the border can be a problem for a truck and trailer. I am 43' overall. Would it be best for me to park on the UU side, walk across to have our docs stamped then drive across once this is done? We already have our paid up FMM's from Discover Baja. The trailer is full of household furnishings. Thanks again for your help. Gord

Pompano - 3-4-2013 at 09:00 AM

Gord, I've done exactly that many times....parked my rigs on the US side in one of many such pay-to-park facilities..and then walked across to the right agency. My longest rig is 75 feet, pickup, fifth wheel, and boat. I couldn't park that on the Mx side very easily, if at all. Take your pick of the US side parking lots before the crossing and good luck.

RnR - 3-4-2013 at 09:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mayne8n
I have read here that parking on the Mexico, Tecate side of the border can be a problem for a truck and trailer. I am 43' overall. Would it be best for me to park on the UU side, walk across to have our docs stamped then drive across once this is done? We already have our paid up FMM's from Discover Baja. The trailer is full of household furnishings. Thanks again for your help. Gord



"The trailer is full of household goods"

Are you going to declare this stuff or just hope for the green light?

There is room to park a trailer (one only) directly in front of the Customs/Aduana office. I have done it two or three times with a rig that measures 48ft overall.

The Tecate crossing consists of three lanes. The right lane and the center lane are open with functioning gates and red/green lights. The left lane has been closed for years.

The customs office is adjacent to the closed left lane. There are about four head-in parking spaces for cars in front of the office. With the trailer, you can pull forward into the closed entry gate area and go to the office. When ready to leave, you have to back up about 50 ft and swing over to either the center or right lane to actually go through an entry gate. I have done this several times.

The INM office is adjacent to the right entry lane. If you are parked at Customs, just walk across the two lanes to INM and get your FMM's stamped. The bank is right next to the Customs office on the left side lane.

If you are not declaring the trailer full of stuff, it's probably best to park on the US side. Walk across, walk back, and hope for a green.

Tecate is a very mellow/low stress crossing. The whole area discussed above, (US side, US entry, Mexican Customs, Mexican INM), are all within about 200 ft of each other. Crossing the two active lanes of entry traffic is also a non-event.

And echoing Pompano above: Good Luck (and have a safe, enjoyable trip)

Mayne8n - 3-4-2013 at 09:28 AM

Thanks for the reassurances on this. We will park in the US side, deal with the paperwork then go back and collect the truck and trailer. Yes we will declare. Total contents are worth about $2500 with about $600 of it new so the hit shouldn't be too bad....I think about 12%. We have a detailed manifest. Again your help is much appreciated. Cheers, Gord

RnR - 3-4-2013 at 02:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mayne8n
Thanks for the reassurances on this. We will park in the US side, deal with the paperwork then go back and collect the truck and trailer. Yes we will declare. Total contents are worth about $2500 with about $600 of it new so the hit shouldn't be too bad....I think about 12%. We have a detailed manifest. Again your help is much appreciated. Cheers, Gord


Ok, here's our experience from Nov 2012.

We declared stuff and paid at the bank right next to customs. The bank does not accept US Dollars for payment, only pesos. And, the bank does not exchange dollars for pesos nor is there an ATM machine. Fortunately, we had enough pesos on hand.

Your other two sources of pesos are the Casa de Cambio on the US side or walk two blocks further straight ahead into Tecate and go to the large bank next to the square.

The import duty is 16% of whatever you declare after a $75 free exemption. You should be able to get the exemption for each person in the car. Just say that some of the stuff is theirs.

We parked a 48ft rig directly in front of Customs in the closed left entry lane.

Good Luck.