BajaNomad

Renting a car in the U.S. and driving into Baja

pauldavidmena - 1-24-2018 at 07:06 AM

We're planning a trip from New England to Todos Santos, BCS about a year from now and are debating the pros and cons of driving versus flying - in both cases with a 40-pound dog (see http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=89044 for that thread). As a side question, we thought we'd explore the possibility of flying into either LAX or San Diego, renting a car, and then driving the length of Baja. This would eliminate the drive from Boston to southwest U.S. and allow us a somewhat more leisurely drive in Mexico.

First - is it legal to rent a car in the U.S. and then drive it into Mexico, returning it to the U.S. in 3-4 weeks? Previous threads seemed to imply that this was okay.

Second - any recommendations on air travel with a dog too big to fit on a lap but not known to do well in a crate. :?:

Rental Car

bajaguy - 1-24-2018 at 08:07 AM

#1. Yes, have done it several times. Many car rental companies in San Diego to chose from.....However the rate they charge for Mexican insurance is about $25 a day +/- depending on the company

pauldavidmena - 1-24-2018 at 08:26 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
#1. Yes, have done it several times. Many car rental companies in San Diego to chose from.....However the rate they charge for Mexican insurance is about $25 a day +/- depending on the company


Good to know. If we limit ourselves to 500 miles a day, it's 4 or 5 days to southern Texas, and another day to Southern California. Frankly 2 weeks or more in a car for a 4-week vacation doesn't sound like much fun to me. Eliminating a large part of the drive seems like a win-win.

bajabuddha - 1-24-2018 at 08:39 AM

Paul, southern Texas is a big place. SoCal is 11 hours from southern New Mexico; you better plan 2 days from Texas unless you're a 14-hour driver.

bajaguy - 1-24-2018 at 08:43 AM

Have done the drive from "southern Texas" to Tecate....quite a stretch for one day. From El Paso, TX to Tecate, CA is 690 miles.

Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  
Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
#1. Yes, have done it several times. Many car rental companies in San Diego to chose from.....However the rate they charge for Mexican insurance is about $25 a day +/- depending on the company


Good to know. If we limit ourselves to 500 miles a day, it's 4 or 5 days to southern Texas, and another day to Southern California. Frankly 2 weeks or more in a car for a 4-week vacation doesn't sound like much fun to me. Eliminating a large part of the drive seems like a win-win.

BajaMama - 1-24-2018 at 09:09 AM

Can you fly into and rent a car in Tijuana instead?

pauldavidmena - 1-24-2018 at 09:24 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama  
Can you fly into and rent a car in Tijuana instead?


I'm not sure about flying into Tijuana, but I can do a little research. Ideally we'd like to take a direct flight (on account of the dog), and I know they exist between Boston and LAX as well as Boston and San Diego. A quick peek on Kayak doesn't show any non-stops between Boston Logan and TJ.

bajaguy - 1-24-2018 at 09:54 AM

Southwest from Boston to Houston, non-stop

Overnight in Houston

Houston to Cabo non- stop

Rent a car in Cabo

3 travel days, doggie gets a break between flights

pauldavidmena - 1-24-2018 at 09:59 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
Southwest from Boston to Houston, non-stop

Overnight in Houston

Houston to Cabo non- stop

Rent a car in Cabo

3 travel days, doggie gets a break between flights


An intriguing option. Have you ever flown into Cabo with a dog? I'm not sure whether or not there are other restrictions we should know about. I've only flown with cats, and that was over 20 years ago between Minneapolis and Boston. Tito is a trooper in the car but we've never tried him out on a plane.

bajaguy - 1-24-2018 at 10:09 AM

Nope, but i'm sure others will chime in.....probably a vet certificate and current vaccinations. Also check with the airline
Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  
Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
Southwest from Boston to Houston, non-stop

Overnight in Houston

Houston to Cabo non- stop

Rent a car in Cabo

3 travel days, doggie gets a break between flights


An intriguing option. Have you ever flown into Cabo with a dog? I'm not sure whether or not there are other restrictions we should know about. I've only flown with cats, and that was over 20 years ago between Minneapolis and Boston. Tito is a trooper in the car but we've never tried him out on a plane.

chippy - 1-24-2018 at 03:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  
Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
Southwest from Boston to Houston, non-stop

Overnight in Houston

Houston to Cabo non- stop

Rent a car in Cabo

3 travel days, doggie gets a break between flights


An intriguing option. Have you ever flown into Cabo with a dog? I'm not sure whether or not there are other restrictions we should know about. I've only flown with cats, and that was over 20 years ago between Minneapolis and Boston. Tito is a trooper in the car but we've never tried him out on a plane.




Lotsa people fly here (pvr/zlo) with dogs. I don´t know why it would be any different to Cabo.

CaboMagic - 1-24-2018 at 09:51 PM

pauldavidmena

Respectfully recommend checking with your veterinarian for the input about travel.

We never chose to give ours meds for the flight .. We would use the kennel/crate at home for 'special time' so the fur-babies didn't get freaked out when it was time to travel.

Definitely check with whatever airlines you are considering, for their $/allowances/restrictions etc. Some limit the number of cargo hold kennels permitted per flight .. Guessing 40# would be a large-size kennel. The dog is checked in like baggage when you check in for your flight.

Also some airlines wont allow cargo hold kennels if ambient temps get to a certain level (sorry I don't know what that is but again, airlines will provide ...)

We avoid LAX , especially flying to Cabo with pets ..
San Diego is amazing and a breeze .. would be worth an overnight stay so you can fly out first thing in morning ..

Hope this helps - don't hesitate to contact me directly if you want to ask more .. Lori

pauldavidmena - 1-25-2018 at 08:05 AM

@CaboMagic

Thanks for your reply! We would definitely check with our local vet about air travel with our dog. In addition to not being fond of the crate, Tito has a heart murmur that we need to pay attention to. It's never caused an issue thus far, but we'd hate to see a problem when we're taking a once-in-a-lifetime vacation.

I realize that airlines vary widely in terms of their accommodation of pets - or the lack thereof. When I moved from Minnesota to Massachusetts, I specifically chose Northwest because of how they would transport my cats.

Good to know about the differences between LAX and SAN, as we have relatives in the LA area who would steer us toward the former. Would I choose the needs of my dog over my brother? You bet I would. :D

Car rental from San Diego to Baja

Kell-Baja - 1-25-2018 at 12:46 PM

www.cabaja.com Been specializing in vehicle rentals from San Diego, CA to Baja, Mexico for almost 28 years! (619) 470-RENT (7368):bounce: Most places only let you drive about 100 miles in. California Baja, Rent-A-Car (CABAJA) let's ypu drive all the way to Cabo San Lucas and back.
Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  
We're planning a trip from New England to Todos Santos, BCS about a year from now and are debating the pros and cons of driving versus flying - in both cases with a 40-pound dog (see http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=89044 for that thread). As a side question, we thought we'd explore the possibility of flying into either LAX or San Diego, renting a car, and then driving the length of Baja. This would eliminate the drive from Boston to southwest U.S. and allow us a somewhat more leisurely drive in Mexico.

First - is it legal to rent a car in the U.S. and then drive it into Mexico, returning it to the U.S. in 3-4 weeks? Previous threads seemed to imply that this was okay.

Second - any recommendations on air travel with a dog too big to fit on a lap but not known to do well in a crate. :?:

BajaMama - 1-25-2018 at 01:08 PM

Flew once to Loreto with my dog in 2012. The requirement at that time was a health certificate from your vet indicating good health and all current vaccinations. You must procure the certificate within 10 days of entry into Mexico. And from what I hear you need to prove no intestinal parasites and show what your on-going treatment to prevent them is.

Good luck. I didn't like flying my dog, we always drive now BUT I live in CA, not the east.

pauldavidmena - 1-25-2018 at 03:34 PM

Thanks to everyone for their input. We have some time to figure out the details. What we don't seem to have time for, however, is a leisurely transcontinental drive with a dog in a four-week timeframe. Some combination of air travel and driving will have to do. Stay tuned...

SunDevil - 1-26-2018 at 08:03 AM

We were in the SJD airport Nov 2017 and there were several dogs in crates in the oversized pickup area waiting for their owners. Everything seemed fine.

The 'Pet travel from the U.S. to Mexico' article below from the USDA will tell you all you need to know about laws.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/by-country/pettr...

pauldavidmena - 1-26-2018 at 08:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by SunDevil  
We were in the SJD airport Nov 2017 and there were several dogs in crates in the oversized pickup area waiting for their owners. Everything seemed fine.

The 'Pet travel from the U.S. to Mexico' article below from the USDA will tell you all you need to know about laws.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/by-country/pettr...


Excellent, essential information. Thank you!

moreofless - 1-26-2018 at 11:01 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
Southwest from Boston to Houston, non-stop

Overnight in Houston

Houston to Cabo non- stop

Rent a car in Cabo

3 travel days, doggie gets a break between flights


To fly on Southwest the dog must fit in a very specific size carrier which can fit under the seat.

https://www.southwest.com/pets/

pauldavidmena - 1-26-2018 at 11:08 AM

Quote: Originally posted by moreofless  
Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
Southwest from Boston to Houston, non-stop

Overnight in Houston

Houston to Cabo non- stop

Rent a car in Cabo

3 travel days, doggie gets a break between flights


To fly on Southwest the dog must fit in a very specific size carrier which can fit under the seat.

https://www.southwest.com/pets/


Thanks for providing this link. Looking at the size of the carrier, as well as the room under the seat, there's no way our 40-pound pooch would fit. That eliminates Southwest as a possibility. :(

JZ - 1-26-2018 at 11:30 AM

Get the dog certified as an emotional support animal and take him on the plane. The number of ppl doing that right now is ridiculous.

I'd definitely fly to San Diego. Drive over to Mexicali and cross there. Much better drive down the East coast of Baja. Rent a jeep if you can. Gives you more options to go offroad on some side trips.

I wouldn't fly into Cabo, the drive down is amazing.


8knots - 1-27-2018 at 09:28 PM

Flew with our 40 pound pup in November. Seattle to Cabo. Dog did fine. Felt Alaska Airlines did a great job communicating with me regarding the whole process of checking in and they let you know when the dog is safely loaded. Had paperwork ready to show in Cabo and that took 2 minutes to check.

pauldavidmena - 1-28-2018 at 08:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by 8knots  
Flew with our 40 pound pup in November. Seattle to Cabo. Dog did fine. Felt Alaska Airlines did a great job communicating with me regarding the whole process of checking in and they let you know when the dog is safely loaded. Had paperwork ready to show in Cabo and that took 2 minutes to check.


I've heard that Alaska Airlines does a good job with pet transport. I'd have to figure out how to leverage them from Boston, but if it's doable, it seems like the most pooch-friendly carrier.

AKgringo - 1-28-2018 at 09:24 AM

I fly with my dog on Alaska regularly. They do a good job, but they are more pet cautious than pet friendly! Here is the info from their site; https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/policies/pets-...

My big girl does not have any breathing issues although her head looks pretty pit bullish, but her long legs help me pass her off as a 'retriever/ridgeback' mix! It is important that it says that on the health certificate as well.

Edit; Reserve a kennel space as soon as you know you will be booking a flight, they are limited! Severe weather at any segment of your flight (hot or cold) can cancel the reservation.

[Edited on 1-28-2018 by AKgringo]

pauldavidmena - 1-28-2018 at 10:37 AM

It looks like Alaska airlines will fly from Boston to Portland, where we can stay overnight, and then from Portland to Cabo the following day. The caveat about weather-related cancellation hits close to home, as we once took 3 days to get to Cabo due to ice in Dallas and wind in Albuquerque. A cancellation when traveling with a dog could mean bigger delays if the next flight already has reached its limit for pets. While there are worse things than getting stranded in Portland, it would have the potential to delay us for days. Something to think about, I suppose.

pauldavidmena - 1-28-2018 at 10:49 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Get the dog certified as an emotional support animal and take him on the plane. The number of ppl doing that right now is ridiculous.

I'd definitely fly to San Diego. Drive over to Mexicali and cross there. Much better drive down the East coast of Baja. Rent a jeep if you can. Gives you more options to go offroad on some side trips.

I wouldn't fly into Cabo, the drive down is amazing.



I agree that the whole "service dog" racket has gotten absurd. The idea that a pug, for example, could provide any "service" beyond looking permanently sad is beyond laughable.

Our dog Tito, pictured in my avatar, is Australian Cattle Dog mix. He's intelligent, energetic and very loyal. While not destructive, he doesn't deal with separation very well, nor has he done well in a crate. Passing him off as a Service Dog would be great, except that he's more easily distracted than a hyperactive 2 year-old. Another dog, an oddly dressed person or a loud noise could set him off. Not exactly a Chocolate Lab.