CaboSako
Newbie
Posts: 11
Registered: 2-3-2008
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Destination: Cabo - Mainland or Baja?
Heading back to Cabo after spending 2 months in San Diego. A friend recommended the Nogales crossing and then taking the ferry Topolobampo to La Paz.
Anybody have any experience with that route? Do I need to get a "pass" for the car?
Pros: easier on the car and my nerves (4 lane highway), no dealing with construction/topes/semis, and I get to be home by 10 am Sunday instead of 7
pm.
Cons: it's not baja, straight roads = boring, unfamiliar area, one less notch on the "down baja" belt
 Help? It's a tough call. Btw, I don't have the option of a leisure trip...back
to work on Monday. 
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vandy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 538
Registered: 10-10-2003
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To Cabo and back for what I assume is the weekend, man you must want to bring things down badly.
Right now Volaris flies from TIJ to SJD for $221 R/T, even with no advance purchase. That's including everything.
Rentals are cheap at SJD now too, unless there's some huge hidden airport fee.
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oxxo
Banned
Posts: 2347
Registered: 5-17-2006
Location: Wherever I am, I'm there
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Mood: If I was feeling any better, I'd be twins!
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| Quote: | | Originally posted by CaboSako I get to be home by 10 am Sunday instead of 7 pm. |
How do you figure that? I drive Cabo to San Diego in two days all the time (staying in GN for the night and crossing at Tecate). I figure that
taking the ferry across to the mainland will add at least a day to that trip.
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CortezBlue
Super Nomad
Posts: 2213
Registered: 11-14-2006
Location: Fenix/San Phelipe
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It is hard to tell from your comments, but do you live in Cabo?
If so did you import your car already?
The reason I ask has to do with the way Baja deals with autos compared to the mainland.
My friend owns a home in Cabo and he took an older car down to leave in his garage so when he flies in from Denver he has his car ready.
He drove down through the mainland and took the car across to La Paz and was told that he had only about 10 days to travel before his car permit
expired.
He ended up driving back up to the states and back down through Baja so he didn't have to permit his car.
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Mainland car permit meaning a 200 to 500 dollar deposit is now mandatory.
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karenintx
Senior Nomad
Posts: 538
Registered: 3-16-2008
Location: CSL
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Mood: Living The Dream
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Hola CaboSako,
Welcome to B/N. I can tell you about out trip from Nogales - CSL via the Los Mochis/La Paz ferry.
First of all we were coming from Texas so it was an easy choice to go down the west side of the mainland. We crossed the Nogales/Mexican border at
7:20 am. We had Texas license plates on our SUV and we both have FM-3's. Since we had flown out of SJD we needed to stop at the Mexican INM there at
the border to turn-in our FMT (this was 2008 when it was still a FMT) and have our US passports stamped that we were entering the country of Mexico.
That took about 10 minutes. We asked where do we go to get the "windshield permit" that would allow us to drive south of San Carlos...which is where
the free zone ends. We walked about 20 feet to a different window where we showed them our FM-3's. It was explained to us..."Your FM-3's expire in
52 days so the sticker will show the same "expire date". If you renew your FM-3 you should always keep a current copy of your FM-3 in the car's glove
compartmenet because the sticker will now be expended to that date every year you renew." We were told if our FM-3's were not expiring so soon the
sticker would have been issued for 180 days. I have forgotten what was paid, I think it was less than $40 USD. We were back on the road (toll road)
by 7:50 am.
Traveling on the toll road was fast, smooth but there are several toll booths. I think the total cost on the toll road was around $45 USD. We
arrived at the Los Mochis ferry terminal at 5:30 pm. Went inside to buy our ticket for the SUV, us and a room for night. Even thought it was only a
six hour trip to La Paz we were tired from driving and wanted to get a good night's sleep. Before paying for everything a young lady followed us out
to our car to do an inspection and confirm the size of the SUV. After all the paper work and payment was completed we were told to be back at 10:30
pm and get in "the line".
We found a nice seafood restaurant there on the water close to the ferry terminal. Got in line as told, drove on the ferry, parked then walked up a
very steep and long stair case up to the lobby where you check-in for the trip. After putting our small travel bag in our room (only take what you
need for that night...nothing more) we went out on the deck to have a bottle of wine while we pushed away from the dock. Back to the room...slept
like babies!.
Arrived in La Paz at 6:00 am. Only "the driver" is allowed to be in the car when exiting off the ferry, all other passenger of the car have to walk
off then meet up with your "driver".
The problem using the ferry...once you get to La Paz be ready to "hurry up and wait." Every car, SUV, truck, and semi-truck will be inspected and
sometime emptied. It took the hubby/the driver almost two hours to get through the inspection...all the time while I am waiting "out there" for "the
driver".
Again we took the ferry because of a time limit we had and needed to get to Cabo fast. From the time we depart DFW (Texas) and walked into our condo
in CSL it was 72 hours. That included spending the nights in El Paso and Nogales, AZ.
Times for the ferry may have changed so do not use my reported times, check for yourself.
Hope this isn't "TMI"...too much info.
CortezBlue...did you friend have a FM? Doesn't matter, just wondering why the "10 day story".
Edit - I have heard about "deposits" being required but in April 2008 we did not pay anything...no cash, no credit card...not a thing. Maybe an
oversight on their part. We still have the sticker on our windshield and probably always will.
[Edited on 9-22-2011 by karenintx]
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Try to apply for a new permit online to see just how badly screwed up your car permit history is, karenintex. In any case do not let banjercito or a
federal highway PFP see that hologram as without proof they can seize the car. They are nightmarishly strict about car permits now.
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karenintx
Senior Nomad
Posts: 538
Registered: 3-16-2008
Location: CSL
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Mood: Living The Dream
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Hi David E,
Is there a reason we would need to apply for a new permit? When we got it we were told to keep it on our windshield until we take the SUV back out of
Mexico at which time we would turn it back in where we got it, Nogales MX. We have been stopped by the Federal Highway PFP before...all they did was
look at it, asked when we got it and we showed them the copies of our current FM-3's we keep in the glove compartment. Nothing else was said. Even
at SJD airport when they are doing "spot checks" all they do is look at it. Last time that happened was about four months ago and that time the
Federale only asked "is this your car?" Go figure...maybe it is different where we live in the Baja.
What do you mean "without proof"...our FM-3's?
One of our American friends lives and owns a garage door business outside of Mexico City. He still has the same truck, same Texas license plates and
same windshield permit from when he first drove down five years ago. He is the one that confirmed all he does is show a his current FM-2 along with
his current Mexican auto insurance when he is bringing parts back to Mexico.
It has been about a year since we talked about this topic with him so maybe things have changed. Hopefully we want have any problems...but then
things do change here...sometimes from one day to the next.
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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"Back out" of Mexico --- forgive me I missed that. I should have checked your location as well :-) My imagination had you pulling up to a banjercito
office, southbound, with that hologram on your windshield (shudder). Perdoname amiga!
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