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Binger
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Registered: 1-16-2010
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San Diego to Cabo San Lucas
My son and I are driving our new car down from Phoenix in two weeks. Want to be at border (Tijuana) by sunrise. I would like to make the trip in two
days, two of us driving. Want to get to Guerro Negro first day. Is this feasible and any suggestions. Do we need to get tourist passes at the border
or can that wait until we get to GN? Several have told us we can wait. I am going to staying at our house in Cabo for about 10 days, my son for only a
day and flying back to Phoenix. Any suggestions would be great.
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bajaguy
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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If you have a house in Cabo, don't you have an FM-3????
Get the FMT as you cross at San Ysidro
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woody with a view
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you can make it. cross at 5am to get a better chance of arriving in the daylight. driving the toll in the dark is safer than the other end. get the
visa at the border. your mex car insurance MAY be void without it. imagine the adjuster finding out you're in the country illegally.... claim denied!
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bajabass
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I did the drive in 2 days on my honeymoon in August of 2007. Much longer days, so little night driving. Day 1 Ensenada to Mulege, day 2, Mulege to
Cabo. I did 90% of the driving, as my wife was not used to a truck on a 2 lane highway with no shoulder. You will be tired when you get there, but you
will be there! Get your FMT at the border, or online and just stop to pay and get stamped. There are many previous threads about where and how,
timing, ect. Have fun, it is a great drive!
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woody with a view
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and post a "report".
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oxxo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Binger
I would like to make the trip in two days, two of us driving. Want to get to Guerro Negro first day. Is this feasible and any suggestions.
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See the McLuLu thread
| Quote: | | Do we need to get tourist passes at the border or can that wait until we get to GN? |
Cross at Tecate and get your visa there, right at the border. The office opens at 6am. Bank will probably be clossed and he will tell you to pay for
it at a bank in Cabo. We've done that several times.
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bajabass
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The road from Tecate to Ensenada is going through major construction now. Unless they finish in a week or two, , driving at night would not be a good idea.
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Binger
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Ok, thanks everyone and please keep up the posts. It looks now from advice it is better to cross at Tecate if I am coming from Phoenix and just get
the visa right at the border? Mucho gracias.
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Bajahowodd
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Just thinking. Your son is going to have to surrender a valid FM-T at the counter as a prerequisite for boarding his flight home. It's been a while
since I've come through that airport, as I've taken to driving recently. But, I am not sure that there's a bank at the terminal. Perhaps some locals
can chime in. I raise this issue based on oxxo's post. so you pay in Cabo? At what bank? Where does it get stamped? Just curious.
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oxxo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
But, I am not sure that there's a bank at the terminal. |
Nope, no bank at SJD terminal. You can pay at any bank in San Jose or San Lucas. Immigration stamps the visa at the border and you pay as soon as
you can get to any bank. They will stamp your visa with their receipt. We have done this before with no problems. If no lines at the bank, takes 5
minutes.
However, we usually cross at Tecate after 8am and just pay at the bank at the border which opens at 8am. You can still make GN by twilight, even this
time of year. This is what I recommend that Binger does.
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Bajahowodd
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That's totally new to me. Whenever I've gotten the FM-T, I'd get the form from immigration, presenting my passport, and he wouldn't stamp it until I
paid the bank and came back the receipt. Live and learn.
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pacside
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This exact thing happened to husband recently. We drove in and flew back out of SJD. We parked and got his FMT at the Tijuana border, paid at the bank
and got the receipt. When he went to board his flight they gave him a very hard time because he did not have his RECEIPT for the FMT even though he
had the FMT. He didn't think he needed the receipt since he had his FMT.
I do not know if his FMT was stamped or if they only stamped the receipt thus making it difficult to board without said receipt. Anyway, when I flew
back with son and his FMT they definitely wanted to see the receipt in addition to his FMT which I promptly showed them and we had no problem.
So lesson here is bring FMT bank receipt showing you paid along with FMT when flying back after driving in. Also I would ensure FMT is stamped...I
think they also stamp the receipt but not sure.
pacside
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woody with a view
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i seem to remember the bank stapling the receipt to the visa.....
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oxxo
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I don't recall ever getting a bank receipt. The bank just stamps the visa and you take that back to immigration for the final stamp.
The bank in Tecate isn't open on Sunday, so if you cross that day, the immigration officer just stamps the visa and tells you to pay as soon as
possible. Its the honor system and we have always complied.
But as we all know, every location has different rules. Our visas have always been accepted at SJD airport without a need for a receipt.
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toneart
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Binger- Welcome!
Keep an eye on the weather. If the huge storms bring the kind of rain as predicted, it will slow you down. Lots of mud to negotiate too; construction
between Tecate and Ensenada, Maneadero, lots of little towns on the way to San Quintin become mud holes. You can get through OK. It will just be
slower...and splatty/slippery/slimey.
Bridges are pretty good now. Not like in the past when a flooded arroyo could halt traffic for days; i.e. on the east end of El Rosario.
Travel well - Vie bien!
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Bajahowodd
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The Honor System?
| Quote: | Originally posted by oxxo
I don't recall ever getting a bank receipt. The bank just stamps the visa and you take that back to immigration for the final stamp.
The bank in Tecate isn't open on Sunday, so if you cross that day, the immigration officer just stamps the visa and tells you to pay as soon as
possible. Its the honor system and we have always complied.
But as we all know, every location has different rules. Our visas have always been accepted at SJD airport without a need for a receipt.
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As far as I can recall, and bear in mind that we almost always cross at SY, this year was the first time we received an actual receipt at the bank.
Previously, the bank just stamped the form. But, it has only been recently that the immigration guy took time to enter information into his PC. May
just be difference by location.
That said, and keeping in mind other discussions on this forum about auto insurance possibly being voided for lack of FM-T, inasmuch as one is
virtually an illegal, How is an FM-T valid if it has not been paid for?
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by oxxo
I don't recall ever getting a bank receipt. The bank just stamps the visa and you take that back to immigration for the final stamp.
The bank in Tecate isn't open on Sunday, so if you cross that day, the immigration officer just stamps the visa and tells you to pay as soon as
possible. Its the honor system and we have always complied.
But as we all know, every location has different rules. Our visas have always been accepted at SJD airport without a need for a receipt.
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There was a change last year... Instead of the bank stamp... they staple an 8.5"X11" paper receipt to the little FM-T!
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oxxo
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We flew into SJD last November. The airport gave us an FM-T with no receipt attached. What's going on?
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Bajahowodd
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Didn't the form come from the airline? In that case, it's already been paid for in the price of the ticket. Just seems to amplify the fact that there
are differences. And little sense.
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805gregg
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You can get your visa ahead of time through Discover Baja in SD.
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