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fernando
Junior Nomad
Posts: 69
Registered: 11-16-2008
Member Is Offline
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Thanks for your ad Packoderm. Indeed we would be happy to assist you with camping gear in case you would need.
In terms of car rental, try Califoria Baja Rent A Car, talk to Kelly
California Baja, Rent-A-Car
9245 Jamacha Blvd
Spring Valley, CA 91977
Ph# (619) 470-RENT (7368)
Fax# (619) 479-2004
Fernando
Baja Outfitters & Adventures
[Edited on 12-15-2008 by fernando]
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chiku
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 12-13-2008
Member Is Offline
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Back again with more questions!
Thanks again for so many suggestions and I’m back with more questions.
Thanks for the SD car rental and camping gear info. But those cars quite expensive, even including Mexican insurance compared to what we can get at
TIJ. That camping gear info sounds quite good, however we are not going in for camping this time thinking about cold and wind. May be next time.
1. I have checked the trolley schedule, and it takes about 45mins-1hour to get to SY from the downtown. And then we take a cab to TIJ airport which is
supposed to be just couple of miles from SY. Does anyone know how much will the cab cost approximately? Just to get an idea.
2. Any idea how long will it take to get FMT so that we can plan accordingly when to leave? I suppose there is a Mexican bank with ATM at the border.
3. Do any hotels/motels accept credit card or cash only?
4. Where’s the best place to get Pesos, ATMs?
5. Any suggestions on a good mapbook/milepost(kmpost?) to have whole driving through Baja?
6. Any suggestions for a simple hotel/motel/B&B in Mulege or Concepcion Bay?
Well I think I have exhausted my questions but you never know until we are actually down there.
Thanks.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64837
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The auto club Baja map is the best one for road travel as it has milages on all roads... The auto club guidebook is also as good as any, if not better
for highways and major dirt roads. The Moon or Lonely Planet guidebooks are also pretty okay, as well. You can order them from Baja Nomad Tienda or
BajaJudy's BajaBooksAndMaps.com
The big, beautiful new National Geographic maps are very nice and detailed (except for missing El Marmol and a few other errors)...
Here's the Auto Club map and book covers:
[Edited on 12-16-2008 by David K]
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3822
Registered: 2-9-2004
Member Is Offline
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Once you get to border crossing and walk across, go to the Migra office to get your visas. There is a bank a couple doors down for the fee - takes
about 10 minutes. You can get pesos in San Ysidro just before you walk across - many cambio kiosks. Get enough to pay for all your gas with pesos -
much simpler and more accurate than calculating conversion. Then get a taxi another 50 yards down the walkway. Why do you want to go to airport?
Car rental companies are all in a row about 2-3 miles from downtown TJ - should be no more than $8 in a white taxi (libre taxis). There are a couple
car rental companies within walking distance of the border. I've enjoyed the Las Casitas motel in Mulege. For a splurge, try La Serinidad (get one
with a fireplace).
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chiku
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 12-13-2008
Member Is Offline
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Thanks David and Wilderone.
Wilderone, I thought TIJ airport car rental companies are the ones close by the border. I tried to check map online. So should we book car at
downtown? Is that closer than the airport? Do you happen to know which car rental companies are within walking distance? or anyway I can find that
out?
I was thinking of Las Casitas.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64837
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The airport is close to the Otay border crossing... but quite a ways from Tijuana crossing...
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3822
Registered: 2-9-2004
Member Is Offline
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There's one car rental place that is 3-4 blocks off Revolution Ave. I think it's a Dollar or Budget office. But make reservations online, and get
the best rate you can. I'm sure whatever that company is will be among those all strung together along the road that is en route to the airport,
about 3-4 miles out of downtown TJ. It normally costs $10 taxi fare to go to the airport, so should cost less to get to the rental car places. Some
places might reimburse your taxi fare. Just be sure you get a street address to the place you're going to for the taxi driver, and agree on the taxi
fare before you start.
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danaeb
Senior Nomad
Posts: 991
Registered: 11-13-2006
Location: San Diego; El Centenario
Member Is Offline
Mood: groovy
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If you end up getting your car at the airport, you can also get your FMT there, and get money at the ATMs inside the lobby, rather than going to a
casa de cambio. You'll get a much better exchange rate at any ATM.
Also, if you start your first leg on a Sunday, you'll have much less traffic, if you're getting a late start.
Experience enables you to recognize a mistake every time you repeat it.
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Mike99km
Nomad
Posts: 178
Registered: 5-23-2007
Location: San Dimas and ? in baja
Member Is Offline
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Some places take ATM and credit cards some don't.We always carry cash for few days or longer depends on the places we're going.The more remote the
less likely the are able to able to process cards. B A I doubt will take any cards. Stash cash in a couple of places and on yourself. Always use
pesos for gas and at the smaller stores. I will always take pesos back as change even when I pay with dollars. Our rule of thumb is to ask about ATM
or credit cards in the larger places and have a cash back up. I try not to use ATM's on the weekend if we need to be some other place. We had one
eaten a few years ago on Sunday and had to wait till Monday for the bank to open. It sounds like your going to have a great trip.
You live the life you settle for.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W. C. Fields.
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chiku
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 12-13-2008
Member Is Offline
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Thanks to you all, our first trip is more or less all planned. We leave in a day. I have just couple of last minute questions.
David, I didn’t get around to ordering online the mapbook you suggested. Is there any place it’s available in San Diego?
I thought it might be better to rent car at TIJ airport, especially for the return trip we can get a bus back and don’t have to stand in line for
border crossing. Any suggestions are welcome. I am hoping that we can buy bottled water at TIJ airport so we don’t have to carry it from San Diego.
Any idea what is the gas price in Baja and how much, approximately, we'll need to get to Mulege? I just need to get an idea of how much cash I should
get at the border.
Thanks
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64837
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Discover Baja Travel Club is in San Diego, near I-5 at Clairmont (uphill from Mission Bay)... They do sell to non-members, if you don't care to
join... Discounts if you do join! They have a full Baja book and map store!
For their phone and address go to http://www.discoverbaja.com
Mulege is 618 miles from Tijuana... gas price is about US$2.20 a gallon (?)...
Don't know your vehicle mileage... but keep it topped anytime you are below 1/2 tank or so. Fill up in El Rosario (220 miles from TJ)... last chance
gas station for 200 miles or so.
You will get gas 3-4 times, I would guess (Tijuana, El Rosario, Guerrero Negro, Mulege)
Bottled water sold everywhere... An ice chest in your car is nice to have cool drinks and snacks in.
[Edited on 12-29-2008 by David K]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64837
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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You will still need to get into a line at the border... you can't ride the bus across without getting out to clear customs... then get back onto the
bus if it goes straight through.
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BajaBruno
Super Nomad
Posts: 1035
Registered: 9-6-2006
Location: Back in CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy
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I'm sure someone has already written this, but I would throw out the schedule. Take a good map, like David K. says, cruise around, and stop where it
feels good.
On my first trip in 1985 I intended to go to Cabo, but I never made it past Mulege. I fell in love with the place and really didn't need to go
further. I did go further, but not for a few years after that.
Just enjoy the people and the places and don't try to do the macro at the expense of the micro--there's always the next trip.
Christopher Bruno, Elk Grove, CA.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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All the helpful posts. But, seriously, it's too bad that Chiku didn't enlist the help earlier. The whale experience, as life altering as it may be, is
something better encountered a bit later in the season. The whales have been arriving later each year. Really hope Chiku is able to encounter the
magnificent critters.
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Alan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1626
Registered: 4-6-2005
Location: Yucaipa, CA/La Paz
Member Is Offline
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I'm glad Accudoc identified BoLA. The opportunity is slipping away quickly to catch a glimpse of Baja the way it was back in the days when many of us
first fell in love with it.
In Memory of E-57
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AcuDoc
Nomad
Posts: 331
Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: The Seven Seas and Thailand
Member Is Offline
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Because I've been hanging out in San Carlos for the last few years I haven't been to Baja for 3 years. I haven't camped below San Lucas Cove for 2-3
years before that and can't wait to see La Ventana.
I'm sure I'll notice lots of changes along the way, even over the last 5 years.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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Progress
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chiku
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 12-13-2008
Member Is Offline
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Thanks again.
David I will try to get the map you mentioned. And for the return trip, I know that we will have to get down from the bus but it just might save
standing for long time if there’s a long wait. Well.. that’s what I read somewhere. We will see how it goes.
We are not tied to the schedule, but it’s rather to have an idea of how much time we have to spend on this trip. We plan to be flexible thanks to some
of your suggestions.
I’m sure we will have great time and hope to have some experience with whales. As I mentioned earlier, I know it’s rather early, but unfortunately
that’s the time we have. Well, there is always next time. We are off tomorrow. I will surely write back once we are back.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64837
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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We look forward to your detailed trip report! Please include both likes and dislikes as well as surprises or unexpected things that happen... It may
be a negative during your trip, but those bad experiences sure make for some great story telling for years and years that follow!
Beware that you may catch BAJA FEVER... there is no cure... only treatment (like return trips south and reading Baja Nomad)!!!
[Edited on 12-30-2008 by David K]
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