BajaNomad

bus and taxis de ruta routes around town

adventurousfoodie - 1-1-2016 at 01:27 AM

I'm interested in exploring Tijuana by using the 10 peso big buses and the taxis the ruta that cost 12-18 pesos. I have a few questions I hope you guys can help me out on.

1. Do they have buses or taxis de ruta that go from the San Ysidro border to or near the Mercado Hidalgo?

2. How can I take a bus or taxi de ruta to get to Parque de la Amistad? What about to Parque Morelos?

3. Do you know of any other good bus or taxi de ruta routes I should take for some sightseeing, interesting locations, good restaurants, parks, or just a fun place to explore?

I've only used buses and taxis de ruta a handful of times. Even if I get on the correct bus or taxi de ruta, I'm nervous I wouldn't know the exact spot to get off to go where I need to go as I recall the drivers do not call out the various locations as he passes them. How would I work around this? Any advice or help is appreciated, thank you!

bajasusan/a - 1-1-2016 at 08:53 AM

great idea, and i can help a little, but i am guessing others know lots more...

what you most need to know, in my experience and opinion, is 1. patience and 2. how to ask for help! now, as for specifics...

1. Do they have buses or taxis de ruta that go from the San Ysidro border to or near the Mercado Hidalgo?

YES to both--the bus you want is should have a hand-painted list of destinations on the windshield, and you want PLAZA RIO, which is close. There is usually a guy calling out bus destinations, too, and just tell him you want Plaza Rio or Mercado Hildago. Make sure to ask the driver to tell you when you are close to the Mercado, or you might very well miss your stop.

2. How can I take a bus or taxi de ruta to get to Parque de la Amistad? What about to Parque Morelos?

PLAYAS UNO is the bus you want (playas dos would be doable, but you'd get lost!), and you get off at the OXXO that is the first real stop in town (you will have gone thru downtown tijuana first, then hit the highway for a brief spell). Walk down that road until you see the park! Which is a wonderful destination.

3. Do you know of any other good bus or taxi de ruta routes I should take for some sightseeing, interesting locations, good restaurants, parks, or just a fun place to explore?

ROSARITO! It's a cool 18-pesos taxi ride just for the sightseeing, and you might want to go as far as the famous Rosarito Beach Hotel, then make your way back north. If you really are a walker, walk from the hotel north until you hit dead (non-retail) space, then hop on a bus. You can get the taxi downtown TJ near 2nd and Revolucion (if you make it to that corner, someone can tell you exactly where to pick one up--it is hidden in an alley!

finally, you wrote: "I've only used buses and taxis de ruta a handful of times. Even if I get on the correct bus or taxi de ruta, I'm nervous I wouldn't know the exact spot to get off to go where I need to go as I recall the drivers do not call out the various locations as he passes them. How would I work around this?[/rquote]

ASK FOR HELP, ASK FOR HELP, ASK FOR HELP. in halting spanish, slow english, whatever. One of my favorite sayings in the Baja is "We always expect problems, and we always expect help."

If all else fails, send me a u2u and i will give you my phone (i live a couple of blocks from friendship park, behind the bullring, which is also a good destination to tell a driver (el ruedo)

adventurousfoodie - 1-1-2016 at 05:15 PM

Wow, thanks so much for your reply! After entering TJ and going down the walkway to the line of buses, I do recall seeing a bus with a sign on the front that said Plaza Rio. Will the buses and taxis de ruta let you off ANYWHERE along the route or do they only stop at designated stops? If a traveler has been to the Mercado Hidalgo, when the bus driver gets near, he can just say something like "aqui", but what if a traveler has never been to the Mercado Hidalgo and is unfamiliar with the area? Do you know how to say "Tell me when we get to the Mercado Hidalgo?" or something along those lines?

I recall tkaing the Playas 1 bus before and I got off at I believe the OXXO, where I then walked over to the bullrin and explored the playas area. I'm a bit confused as I believe Parque de la Amistad (where they have a lake) is in the Otay Mesa area not Las Playas.

And thanks for the Rosarito advice. I recently found out about this route and was AMAZED you can take a 45-minute ride there for 18 pesos! I'll definitely be exploring the area for food and fun things to do in the coming weeks. Do you know if there's a ruta taxi or 10-peso busfrom Rosarito to Ensenada or Puerto Nuevo, or any other interesting places worth exploring? Oh, and I love walking places, and don't mind having to walk anywhere, within reason, to explore or to hop on an inexpensive bus or taxi de ruta to see different parts of the city.

bajasusan/a - 1-2-2016 at 01:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by adventurousfoodie  
Wow, thanks so much for your reply! After entering TJ and going down the walkway to the line of buses, I do recall seeing a bus with a sign on the front that said Plaza Rio. Will the buses and taxis de ruta let you off ANYWHERE along the route

YES, just say "abajo, por favor" and the driver will stop at the next safe spot.

what if a traveler has never been to the Mercado Hidalgo and is unfamiliar with the area?

WHEN YOU GET ON, say "Me voy al Mercado Hidalgo pero no se mi parada. Ayudame, por favor. (I am going to MH but I dont know my stop. Help me, please."

I'm a bit confused as I believe Parque de la Amistad (where they have a lake) is in the Otay Mesa area not Las Playas.

AHA! what we have here is a failure to communicate! The Mexico side of the ludicrous fence separating the people of both nations has a rather famous "Friendship Park", as well.

AND RE ROSARITO AND AREA, I am not sure how far south the route taxis go, but at least as far as SPLASH restaurant, the famous-for-its-food Popotla, and swell food and scenery in between, so maybe you just make that as far south as you need to go. Do NOT bother to eat at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, and you MUST have the shrimp quesadilla at the beach at Tacos Y Beers. Get off the bus at Waldo's in the north end of downtown (before the pavillion, which is worth exploring and easy to get to) and walk straight west until you are at the sea; turn left and walk toward the swell smells (near the end of the road, NOT open Tuesdays). When you go, tell the Mexican chef who also does a swell bowl of japanese noodles--(Fran)cisco -- that Susan/a says HEY. he also did my tattoo of the symbol of La Paz (descending whale tail that is also an ascending dove of peace)

HAVE A GREAT TRIP!

fdt - 1-2-2016 at 02:44 PM

Hi adventurous foodie, for all the routes you are wanting to explore, your hub will be downtown Tijuana.
If you are walking across in San Ysidro and don't really know your way around take a colectivo yellow taxi of 10 pesos from the border to Downtown, this way you won't be confused.
That yellow taxi will drop you off at the corner of 3rd and Constitucion, there is a big store called Dax and anyone can guide you back to Dax if you were to get lost.
Colectivo taxis that go to Mercado Hidalgo are green and creme and they are on Constitucion between 4th and 5th.
Colectio Taxis to Parque de la Amistad are at Constitucion and 5th and are light purple with creme. BTW this rout is a long one and goes by the airport and all the way to the Otay Border Crossing.
Big blue buses to Playas are on 3rd and Constitucion.
Colectivo Taxisto Rosarito are Madero between 3rd nd 4th and are yellow and creme.
To go further south from Rosarito, colectivo taxis are at the south end of town in Rosarito and yes, they go to Puerto Nuevo and beyond, all the way to Cantamar / Primo Tapia.
Here is the thing to know, there is another major cab/bus hub and that is in La Mesa at 5-10 (Cinco y Diez)
So to get to Parque Morelos, you would take a red cab from 4th and Revolucion or 4th and Madero to 5 y 10 and transfer there to a Calafia, small buses that are brick and creme in color to Parque Morelos.
Sorry but, Never say "Me voy al XXX" it will make them laugh since it means I'm leaving for XXX. It's just "voy a XXX" and that means I'm going to XXX.
As for the confusion on the park in Playas is that on the US side it's called Friendship Park and some people have adopted the name for the mexican side but it's actually named Parque Binacional.

This should help you on your adventures and maybe someday you can join us on a Tijuana tour or a Tijuana Foodie Tour http://www.meetup.com/tijuana-walking-tours/

Or better yet, join us on the 17th for our Dia de Reyes Toy Drive, includes transportation and food and a great time without having to pay any colectivos, all you'd have to do is donate one or more toys http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=81132

sancho - 1-2-2016 at 05:16 PM

The poster ftd would be your source for up to date info, I
walk TJ on occasion. Never have taken a bus or taxi, recently
found the collectivo spot to Rosarito. I walk to the Hidalgo from
the border. maybe 25 min., over the ped bridge past Costco

SlyOnce - 1-4-2016 at 10:06 AM

Be cautious because the 5 x 10 area in TJ can be dangerous for pickpockets.

All the ruta taxis have a big hub in Centro. All are within a few blocks of 3rd and Constitution. Centro should be a good destination for you to walk around and explore. Lots of open latin markets and food places for example Pasaje Rodriguez on Ave Revo just next to the Caliente or the open markets on 2nd by the church. Try to find Tupidos on 8th and Revo behind the Sanborns with the yellow awnings.

Plaza Rio is situated in Zona Rio which has many fantastic places to dine. Plaza Rio is just a mall, but around it are interesting places, such as CECUT the museum and cultural center.

Personally I don't find much to recommend about Parque Morelos but if you wanted to go there you would need the ruta taxi for Insurgentes.

I live in Playas, which I refer to as the city of restaurants and schools. Ruta taxis to Playas are on 3rd and Martinez, are white and yellow and cost 12.5 pesos, there are 3 routes which will be written on the window BUT you should always ask the driver for route 1, 2 or 3 to make sure.

Make really sure coming back from Playas you get in one with CENTRO on the window, not 5x10 or Hildago.

BajaSusan I'm sending you a U2U as a fellow Playas resident in case you would like to meet some day.

adventurousfoodie - 1-5-2016 at 02:34 PM

Bajasusan

Thanks so much for your help. I can't wait to explore the Rosarito area, and even making it to the much-heard-about Potpola area for some good eats! And I LOVE the idea of a shrimp quesadilla on the beach at Tacos y Beers. I haven't ever had a really good quesadilla before so I hope it hits the spot.

Fdt, thanks for all your help! Wow, you definitely know your way around Tijuana! I've only explored Tijuana as far as my feet would take me (which is at least 6-8 miles each way as I've walked to the Mercado Hidalgo, the Grand Hotel, Plaza Rio, and most recently, all the way down to the Hipodromo Caliente Casino), but now I'd like to utilize TJ's cheap buses and ruta taxis to explore different areas to check out mainly the food scene...plus of other fun things to do. It's interesting because I've previously ONLY traveled on foot before in Tijuana so I'm pretty familiar with the area. I'm new to the whole bus/ruta taxi scene, and I hope I'm able to figure it out and navigate my way in and around Mexico.

All the info you provided on the different routes is REALLY useful! I also love how there's a bus/taxi hub in La Mesa, as it gives me more options to explore different areas. According to Bajasusan I can take a 10-peso bus from the San Ysidro border to Mercado Hidalgo by looking for the bus with "Plaza Rio" on the windshield. If I got in the bus and just said "Mercado Hidalgo," will the bus drop me off there or would they just go straight to Plaza Rio? And you route to get to Parque Morelos sounds adventurous, but do you know if there's a direct route there using a taxi de ruta? I recall reading somewhere there may be an Orange and Grey ruta taxi that take you there, or at least close by. I don't mind at all if I only have to get close and have to walk the rest of the way.

Also, I'm not sure if there's a way to know this, but do you know the cost of the ruta taxis to the different places you mentioned? Last week when I was in TJ I tried to take note of the tarifa fare supposedly posted on the windshield of the taxis, but most of them didn't even have prices listed.


Slyone, I've been to the places you mentioned and they're all great to explore. I think I recall seeing a ruta taxi or bus to Insurgentes before. Would the ruta taxi take me directly to Parque Morelos or just close to it? And thanks for the info on Playas. I've been there once before using a 10-peso blue and white bus and it was quite the adventure. Would love to go back and explore the area for any good eateries and other fun things to do.

bajasusan/a - 1-5-2016 at 02:54 PM

pardon my piggybacking, but i need to get from playas de tijuana to la fonda in la mision! help? thanks...

David K - 1-5-2016 at 03:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by sancho  
The poster ftd would be your source for up to date info, I
walk TJ on occasion. Never have taken a bus or taxi, recently
found the collectivo spot to Rosarito. I walk to the Hidalgo from
the border. maybe 25 min., over the ped bridge past Costco



fdt = Ferna de Tijuana (Fernando)

When I met him, in 2000:


On our Viva Baja Cactus tour in 2006:



At the Pyramid Resort Booksigning, representing Tijuana Beer, in 2008:

SlyOnce - 1-6-2016 at 03:14 PM

Parque Morelos is on Blvd Insurgentes directly next to the mall MacroPlaza. When I have been to the park, we parked the car at MacroPlaza and walked over. Any Insurgentes ruta taxi will take you to Macroplaza. Parque Morelos has among other things a small (free) zoo. Macroplaza features Fridays, McDonalds and other fine gringo dining.

El Trompo the children's science museum is between the two (its quite entertaining).

There is a permanent "sobre ruedas" street market in Agua Caliente that you would probably enjoy. It's partially indoors and all the stores are made of steel shipping containers (conex).

BajaSusan, I don't know of how to get to La Fonda by ruta taxi, my wife Suzy may know, or we could take you some time. We just went to Playa La Mision last weekend to collect shells and ate at Puerto Nuevo on the way back, I love sampling Camarones al diablo recipes.

[Edited on 1-6-2016 by SlyOnce]

[Edited on 1-6-2016 by SlyOnce]

[Edited on 1-6-2016 by SlyOnce]

Udo - 1-6-2016 at 03:19 PM

Playas to La Fonda is not bad. From Rosarito take the bus all the way down Mex1 free road to about K58.5. I know there are busses going from Playas to Rosarito.
Quote: Originally posted by bajasusan/a  
pardon my piggybacking, but i need to get from playas de tijuana to la fonda in la mision! help? thanks...

fdt - 1-6-2016 at 03:53 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajasusan/a  
pardon my piggybacking, but i need to get from playas de tijuana to la fonda in la mision! help? thanks...

No, sorry, I don't know of any, you would have to go from Playas to downtown first, take the colectivo to Rosarito and from there the ones to Primo Tapia would know if someone goes to La Fonda or La Mision. I'm sure there is one.

bajasusan/a - 1-6-2016 at 04:10 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Udo  
Playas to La Fonda is not bad. From Rosarito take the bus all the way down Mex1 free road to about K58.5. I know there are busses going from Playas to Rosarito.


Thanks for the help. I dont think one can go Playas to Rosarito direct--I think I need to go to downtown TJ, as another nomad suggested, but I will surely check around in case I am wrong (not a rare occurrence). Meanwhile, the only "busses" going are the ones I blow to my pals there! (Sorry, one of my past lives included being a copyeditor, and not that many people know or care about the difference between "busses" = kisses and "buses" = more than one bus!)

fdt - 1-6-2016 at 04:21 PM

Quote: Originally posted by adventurousfoodie  
Bajasusan



Fdt, thanks for all your help! Wow, you definitely know your way around Tijuana! I've only explored Tijuana as far as my feet would take me (which is at least 6-8 miles each way as I've walked to the Mercado Hidalgo, the Grand Hotel, Plaza Rio, and most recently, all the way down to the Hipodromo Caliente Casino), but now I'd like to utilize TJ's cheap buses and ruta taxis to explore different areas to check out mainly the food scene...plus of other fun things to do. It's interesting because I've previously ONLY traveled on foot before in Tijuana so I'm pretty familiar with the area. I'm new to the whole bus/ruta taxi scene, and I hope I'm able to figure it out and navigate my way in and around Mexico.

All the info you provided on the different routes is REALLY useful! I also love how there's a bus/taxi hub in La Mesa, as it gives me more options to explore different areas. According to Bajasusan I can take a 10-peso bus from the San Ysidro border to Mercado Hidalgo by looking for the bus with "Plaza Rio" on the windshield. If I got in the bus and just said "Mercado Hidalgo," will the bus drop me off there or would they just go straight to Plaza Rio? And you route to get to Parque Morelos sounds adventurous, but do you know if there's a direct route there using a taxi de ruta? I recall reading somewhere there may be an Orange and Grey ruta taxi that take you there, or at least close by. I don't mind at all if I only have to get close and have to walk the rest of the way.

Also, I'm not sure if there's a way to know this, but do you know the cost of the ruta taxis to the different places you mentioned? Last week when I was in TJ I tried to take note of the tarifa fare supposedly posted on the windshield of the taxis, but most of them didn't even have prices listed.



Next time you go to Caliente, just take the red cabs those are the ones I previously mentioned on that are on 4th. Or there is also the green and creme buses that do the same.
Terminology;
All buses and taxis are "De Ruta" except for taxi libre, yellow cabs from the border,cabs from the airport or cabs from the bus station. All others are ruta!
The are also referred to as colectivo (collective) because they all have a starting point or departure point and there they will have a sign of some type with the route along with a route person that can give you information on the route or other routes, along with the fare you pay, so the cab leaves on it's route once it's full or they also go by wait time. From there they go to the end of the route or Ruta.
Very strict fines are imposed to those found outside of their route.
So when asking for a bus or taxi in spanish, you just say "Donde se toma el camion o taxi a Playas / Mercado Hidalgo / Parque Morelos.
One more thingis that most taxi routes also have a bus route and yo can save yourself an extra 2 pesos ;)

So, are you attending the toy drive or just sending toys? We also have Paypal

BajaNomad - 10-18-2019 at 03:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fdt  

Colectivo Taxisto Rosarito are Madero between 3rd nd 4th and are yellow and creme.


https://goo.gl/maps/waA4VNLTdFgLnt747