BajaNomad

Border Crossing Advice Needed

Ourlocalife - 8-15-2018 at 09:57 AM

Hello. I have searched and I am overwhelmed with all of the info:)
Hopefully some of you can help.
We will be traveling from Northeast US into Baja (to La Paz)
We will have a small SUV and a small cargo trailer.
My husband is a Mexican Citizen. I will prob get my FMM this time since we are returning to the US a few months later (I will get my Perm Res then).
Questions:
Which crossing will be the "easiest?"
Which route to La Paz would be best with the trailer and small suv?
Any other anecdotal info would be appreciated. The more detailed your info the better. Not sure if it matters, but there is a program that we can bring items into mexico since my husband is a returning citizen of mexico. :) Thanks in advance for any help you are able to provide.

JZ - 8-15-2018 at 10:34 AM

Cross at San Luis.

As a side note, the drive from NM to Arizona is really pretty if you take the right route. Do a little research on it if you aren't a super hurry and have an extra day to burn.






[Edited on 8-16-2018 by JZ]

JZ - 8-15-2018 at 10:51 AM

Edit: answering a now deleted question.


You don't need one for the SUV if you weren't pulling the trailer. I'm not 100% sure w/the trailer. In Sonora you need to get a TIP for your vehicle if you are hauling/towing bikes or atvs.

I'm guessing you might need one for the trailer in Sonora. If so, you should continue on to Mexicail and then go down the 5. It's not much of a time difference.


[Edited on 8-15-2018 by JZ]

hermosok123 - 8-15-2018 at 01:48 PM

Current registration on all the rigs. The whole deal will go much faster if you have a manifest of the items in the trailer. Have everything in a folder and a copy to give to the Aduanal officer. If its used make sure the item is marked used on the manifest. At the worst they will ballpark a taxable figure and you will have to pay that. Electronics are taxed at a higher rate.

BajaBlanca - 8-15-2018 at 02:08 PM

You can become a citizen directly without the permanent residency.

Any immigration attorney can walk you thru the process but I do recommend Sr. Gilberto Pineda from Mexico City.

He is excellent. Slow to answer emails since he does everything solo - no secretary. 100% Spanish spoken only.

GILBERTO PINEDA CAMPUZANO <gpcpineda@hotmail.com>

bajabuddha - 8-15-2018 at 02:15 PM

Just a thought; easiest would be to cross at Nogales south of Tucson AZ, a few miles down the road get all the paperwork you need done, travel down the mainland and take the ferry to La Paz. Much better roads the whole way and save 2 days of travel.

mtgoat666 - 8-15-2018 at 05:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Ourlocalife  
Hello. I have searched and I am overwhelmed with all of the info:)
Hopefully some of you can help.
We will be traveling from Northeast US into Baja (to La Paz)
We will have a small SUV and a small cargo trailer.
My husband is a Mexican Citizen. I will prob get my FMM this time since we are returning to the US a few months later (I will get my Perm Res then).
Questions:
Which crossing will be the "easiest?"
Which route to La Paz would be best with the trailer and small suv?
Any other anecdotal info would be appreciated. The more detailed your info the better. Not sure if it matters, but there is a program that we can bring items into mexico since my husband is a returning citizen of mexico. :) Thanks in advance for any help you are able to provide.


I would not take a cargo trailer down 5, the 30 miles of unpaved road would be slow, and rough on the trailer/contents.

Best advice so far

thebajarunner - 8-15-2018 at 05:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by Ourlocalife  
Hello. I have searched and I am overwhelmed with all of the info:)
Hopefully some of you can help.
We will be traveling from Northeast US into Baja (to La Paz)
We will have a small SUV and a small cargo trailer.
My husband is a Mexican Citizen. I will prob get my FMM this time since we are returning to the US a few months later (I will get my Perm Res then).
Questions:
Which crossing will be the "easiest?"
Which route to La Paz would be best with the trailer and small suv?
Any other anecdotal info would be appreciated. The more detailed your info the better. Not sure if it matters, but there is a program that we can bring items into mexico since my husband is a returning citizen of mexico. :) Thanks in advance for any help you are able to provide.


I would not take a cargo trailer down 5, the 30 miles of unpaved road would be slow, and rough on the trailer/contents.


Some of our guys pulled boat trailers across and went super slow and still shook things apart
Lost a motor cover, etc.
Love that road, but not with a small SUV and trailer

bajaric - 8-15-2018 at 05:15 PM

JZ, the pictures you post are always too large and require scrolling back and forth to read the text of anything below them...

charliemanson - 8-15-2018 at 05:39 PM

take the 5 and just get a 12 pack instead of 8. go slow and you will be fine. other routes will cost you a day instead of 2 hours of beautiful Baja and not the northern pacific side with is a cacahole

Alm - 8-15-2018 at 05:41 PM

For those married to Mx nationals, minimum 2 years of residence is required for citizenship. I "think" this means - legally residing, i.e. with some form of RT papers, so, not quite directly.

The bottom-line is, they can't refuse to those legally married. Just a matter of getting all the papers together and following the deadlines.


[Edited on 8-16-2018 by Alm]

Beagle - 8-15-2018 at 08:20 PM

We crossed at Tecate with a Tacoma with camper shell and loaded to the top with household items. Lots of Nomads here with years of experience with this stuff and they were super helpful with us in prep/planning.

In the end, we were waved through by a guy with an ice cream cone. I literally had an antique chair leg poking me in the back of the head and he asked, "this stuff is all for camping right?". I squinted and nodded with a dumb look on my face. He waved us on. He couldn't be bothered.

A NOTE about MANIFESTS: They are tedious and time consuming. If you do one, they won't ask for it. BUT if you don't do one, they WILL ask for it!

[Edited on 8-16-2018 by Beagle]

Alm - 8-15-2018 at 10:15 PM

Aduaneros are a lot more reasonable when it's a Mexican coming in.

With small SUV and trailer merge with Hwy 1 at Ensenada and stay on it. You'll get those blind curves and huge 8-wheelers on Hwy 1 anyway, whether you take Hwy 5 or not.

Obey posted speed limits - when it says reduce speed to 40 km/h, this is 25 mph - they really mean it. In towns after such a sign there will be nasty speed bumps on the "highway", out of town - blind curves.

Marc - 8-16-2018 at 08:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha  
Just a thought; easiest would be to cross at Nogales south of Tucson AZ, a few miles down the road get all the paperwork you need done, travel down the mainland and take the ferry to La Paz. Much better roads the whole way and save 2 days of travel.

My thoughts exactly.


[Edited on 8-16-2018 by Marc]

JoeJustJoe - 8-16-2018 at 01:02 PM

I'm always shocked to see Nomad members try to bend over backwards answering questionable newbie questions on this forum.

You would think if Ourlocalife's, husband is a Mexican citizen, he would know the answers to some of her questions.

Anyway, if this was me, and I had a SUV and small trailer, I could consult many tourist online sites, and books on the subject, and just use "map quest," because they could use the same highway/roads as the regular cars.

Googling the name, Our Loca Life, show there are Facebook blogs and YouTube, videos from this same "handle" and it's of a couple, an American Woman, Mexican man, and children, but they are already living in Baja, so they don't need help with directions.

Maybe, before answering anymore questions, find out if the woman, is the same woman in these videos, or if they are just using their," Our Local Life" handle, for unknown reasons?

See they are already in Mexico in their SUV:




Here is another video:


[Edited on 8-16-2018 by JoeJustJoe]

Alm - 8-16-2018 at 01:07 PM

Ferry tickets aren't cheap, from $US 500 for stateroom and a car with trailer. Will probably need car permit to Sinaloa? Though Baja Hwy 1 sucks too... Blessed are the poor for they are traveling by air :)

bajabuddha - 8-16-2018 at 01:17 PM

Ferry tickets as compared to extra miles driving and two days' lodging/meals? About sixes methinks. If the Sta. Rosalia ferry was larger and more stable I would've used it a lot. It's a cork in big seas.

JZ - 8-16-2018 at 03:39 PM

Have driven the 15 through Sonora 30 times. It's more fun to drive down Baja. The ferry ride isn't short.

They will need an import permit going that route. And I don't know if you can turn that in once you hit La Paz (doubtful). So that's a huge can of worms. Santa Rosalia ferry is 9 hours and boring as hell. If they have weather that day that thing isn't going out.

No problems pulling it over a few miles of dirt on the 5. 3/4 of what comes out of Goat's mouth is made up gibberish.



[Edited on 8-16-2018 by JZ]

Alm - 8-18-2018 at 11:06 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha  
Ferry tickets as compared to extra miles driving and two days' lodging/meals?

Nogales to Tobolobampo is still 500 miles, I haven't been on this route but driving that much in one day would be tough. So, - one day difference, compared to Baja road. Lodging in Mexico never cost me more than 25-30 bucks, though there are hotels that cost three times as much as well. Spending more money than you want has never been a problem :)

There are ways to save on meals too, don't want to go in all the details now. Traveling by car that far is not going to be comfortable, no matter what.

[Edited on 8-18-2018 by Alm]