Wilbur4s
Junior Nomad
Posts: 56
Registered: 10-22-2013
Location: San Jose, CA
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Securing FMM - Best Method
Folks,
Newbie here; looking for confirmation of a process of minimizing the time required to secure the FMM, hence the border crossing. Given that I will
enter Mexico at the Tecate border, I've got conflicting ideas from different folks and I'm trying to get enough input to determine how best to move
forward with this process. Here are the 2 ideas that have been proposed.
1) Day before actual crossing at Tecate, walk across border at San Ysidro and secure FMM. Next day, don't have to deal with it.
2) Day of crossing at Tecate, just secure FMM at Tecate crossing.
My basic concern is, under average conditions, which method yields the least amount time?
Thanks, Will
Ciao, Will Pizz
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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FMM
Pick door #2
Don't overthink the procedure/process
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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#1 if it is not a big deal for you... We did this in 2012, and made it a breeze when we crossed later loaded for Baja.
#2 If during daylight hours, to insure better odds of the person with the cash box being there to take the fee.
Obviously #2 takes the least time... Only only one visit to the border.
A third choice is to get a pre-paid FMM at Discover Baja Travel Club, but you still need to stop at the border INM office to get it validated... The
advantage is no worry about a bank teller being there or someone that can take the fee payment.
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
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Location: OC So Cal
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For TJ, it all depends on how long the pedestrian line is
coming out of TJ, weekends 2 hrs. +, I'm sure
weekdays 10am, maybe from 0 to 20 min., I have done
it that way, but all things equal go to Tecate,
a lot is made of fmm's, which I don't get the point,
prepaid, online hopes, Tour Bus with 50 getting fmm's
in front of you,
I've never experienced anything but 10 min or so
[Edited on 12-5-2013 by sancho]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: | Originally posted by sancho
For TJ, it all depends on how long the pedestrian line is
coming out of TJ, weekends 2 hrs. +, I'm sure
weekdays 10am, maybe from 0 to 20 min., I have done
it that way, but all things equal go to Tecate,
a lot is made of fmm's, which I don't get the point,
prepaid, online hopes, Tour Bus with 50 getting fmm's
in front of you,
I've never experienced anything but 10 min or so
[Edited on 12-5-2013 by sancho] |
This!
There can be LONG pedestrian lines to get back into the U.S. at Tijuana... Good point.
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Wilbur4s
Junior Nomad
Posts: 56
Registered: 10-22-2013
Location: San Jose, CA
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Good input, thanks folks.
Ciao, Will Pizz
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mulegemichael
Super Nomad
Posts: 2310
Registered: 12-24-2007
Location: sequim,wa. and mulege
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Mood: up on step
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we JUST crossed over at tecate this morning....we crossed the border at 8am and were pulled into their "secondary", which is really nothing but a few
superficial questions, made us open the back of the 4runner, asked if the 8 tires i had were for my cars or what, (i told him they were for our boat
trailers), groveled a couple of bags and opened a tote briefly then told us to move on....AND provided us with a parking space so we could come back
and get our fmms...came back to immigration, got paperwork, took it to the adjacent bank to pay,(and this was the longest portion of time), returned
to immigration, stamp, stamp, stamp and we were on our way out of tecate....we were filling our gas tank at the fringes of tecate by 8:50am....not
bad...here at hotel jardines in san quintin by 2pm and that includes the stinking muddy mess of road construction between the border and here...pretty
happy with an adult beverage now...home in mulege by tomorrow afternoon, hopefully.
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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NICE!
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