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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3296
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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I crossed at the new SY crossing a few weeks ago with an enclosed trailer and pickup full of stuff, both new and used at around 5:45-6:00am. The
declare lane wasn't open so I pulled in to the regular lane and parked where they pointed. The official asked me to open the trailer, took a look
around and waved me on. I had to pay (not much) the last time I crossed with a similar load at Otay. I always cross early at SY heading south, Tecate
going north.
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
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I second crossing at Otay
| Quote: | Originally posted by jeffg
I usually cross at San Ysidro, BUT with a 14' trailer full of household goods, I would cross at Otay. I don't know if it's changed with the new
crossing setup, but in the past if you had a trailer full of stuff they would turn you around and send you to Otay. Not a good way to start the
day...
But, maybe it's different now with the new crossing, does anyone have experience with that? |
...and since you are comming from BC I would follow this route to avoid L.A., Orange County and San Diego traffic:
1 - Stay on I 5S until Santa Clarita/ Magic Mountain then get in left lane and at bottom of grade take the I 210E exit
2- Stay on I 210E until you get to Rancho cucamonga and take the I 15S exit
3. Stay on I 15S until just past MCAS miramar and get off on CA 52E
4. Stay on CA 52E until you get to Santee then get on CA 125S
5 -125 S becomes a toll road (South Bay Expressway) just before you get to Chula Vista but stay on it until you get to CA 805 then just follow the
signs to the Otay border crossing
6 - After you cross follow David K's direction to Blvd. 2000
HAVE A GOOD TRIP
Bob Durrell
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
You loose an hour when you cross the state line by Guerrero Negro, as well... Mountain Time Zone. |
Does Baja Sur go on dalight savings time? If not then you don't lose that hour after March 9th.
Bob Durrell
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absinvestor
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 11-28-2009
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I like Tecate and I agree with David K about the time. It is 402 miles from Baja Cactus to our house in Mulege. With some military checkpoints (and if
you have a wife at least one potty stop) 7 to 7 1/2 hours would be a better estimate. We crossed going North into the US at Tecate two days ago. We
got to the border road at 1:06pm and was in the US at 1:09pm. There were two cars ahead of us!!(There was no wait when we crossed going south the
middle of Jan.) I found more tourists than mentioned by UDO. There were over 30 motorhomes at Santispac and Coco and the other small beaches were
pretty full. Most days Scotty's pizza was fairly busy and according to Scotty this has been his busiest year??
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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Tecate
After more than 40 years of making a border crossing to and from Baja, I long ago decided that Tecate is my favorite way to enter and leave the
country. As with the Tecate crossing, I've taken the San Ysidro/TJ crossing with large trailers, motorcycle, solo cars, pickups, and motorhomes...
and I will confess I am not a TJ fan. I like a more relaxed route without all the drama and traffic. Not to mention the squish of something foul
under your tires...
The extra 25 drive from San Diego to Tecate following Hwy 94 is through a pleasant alpine setting with more than a few good spots to refresh
yourself...Jamul, Dulzura & Barret Junction, and Portero County Park for camping, etc. I don't miss the overflowing sewers and dangerous traffic
on the TJ roads at all. The drive from Tecate to Ensenada is through the Guadalupe Valley, which is beautiful in itself, with the numerous vineyards
and award-winning restaurants (Lala and Mustafos) making it by far my favorite route.
But ultimately, you will have your own preferences, and if any of these route recommendations on Nomads help you, then we have done our part.
Here's some up-to-date info on Tecate conditions:
I did a favor two days ago (March 27) and drove to Tecate from San Diego to help some fellow travelers get squared away for a trip to Baja Sur.
Photo 1 The US side peso exchange just before crossing the border into Baja Norte.
Photo 2 We found that the pay parking lot in this mini-mall (small grocery store next to a Payless Shoe store) was very convenient for walking across
the border and back. $5 for an all day space was well worth it for the convenience.
Photo 3 This parking is also close to a duty free shop. The walk-in border gates are conveniently close and straight ahead.
Photo 4 The crossing here is very laidback. As you can see, we had no crowds to contend with at all...coming or going.
Photo 5 Our destination, Immigration, is on our immediate right. (these locals just ahead of us in this photo sized us up and pointed,
saying..."Visas are right there!" Muchas gracias, amigos. This kind of friendly greeting by a stranger reminds me of North Dakota...a
normal feeling.
Photo 6 This is the building where the Immigacion office is located..inside these doors and to the right. We were greeted very cordially by the
officer in attendance and after a maximum of 10 minutes of typing and stamping, a 180-day visitors tourist visa (FMM) was issued. So quick and easy.
No waiting in lines. Make sure you have your passport handy. Actually, the whole official visa business only took 5 minutes, the rest of the time was
spent on friendly small talk with the officer about US and Baja.
Photo 6 After getting the tourist visa we had plenty of time to take a leisurely walk down the street to the zocalo..town square..where we found a
nice cafe facing the plaza. We chose the one with the red/white umbrella. (drop dead good-looking waitress) Had a great lunch of tacos with cold
beers, and watched the life play out in the square (always one of my favorite daytime events) As you can see, it's winter and folks are dressed for
it. Me? I'm from ND...had on T-shirt and jeans and looked for a breeze.
Photo 7
My friends were off on the bus heading south. Bon Voyage, amigos. I started walking back to the US border. On the stroll back the traffic had built
up a bit on the US return side of the border. Compared to TJ, this is a piece of cake.
I had ZERO people ahead of me when walking on the yellow-arrowed sidewalk back into the USA. Coming in the outer door, the friendly US customs agent
sitting at the desk just asked me for my passport card which I already had in my hand. A quick computer run and... Zip, done deal, good to go. But
he was kind of garrulous...like me... and we spent a few minutes talking about a certain dentist in Tecate that he recommended. I told him about mine
in Algadones. An even swap of information. I walked across the street to where my pickup was waiting. Pretty easy, eh?
All in all, a very quiet and non-stressful day in Tecate...on both sides of the border.
I hope you and other travelers find this useful. Have a good trip! Buen Viaje!
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Mayne8n
Newbie
Posts: 9
Registered: 9-12-2012
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Thanks again everyone. Well my other half would prefer the relaxed Tecate route so thats what it will be. Next time probably Otay. If we cross early
in the morning, are there motels close to the border on the US side? Thanks, Gord
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8088
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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By going through Tecate you are adding about 1 1/2 hours to your drive to or from Ensenada. This may make sense when driving north but makes no sense
entering Mexico because there is no wait going south at either entry.
Either route will require a drive through LA/SanDiego area. To minimize stress you want to hit Tejon Pass from I-15 by no later than 8:30AM and you
should be past San Diego by 2PM. You will still hit some traffic but there will be little stop-and-go. Stop for lunch and you will miss the window.
And don't think that once you've passed Camp Pendleton you're home free. San Diego has it's own gridlock. The other option is to drive at night, of
course, and then it's a breeze.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65411
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Great as usual Roger... Did the INM officer also take the money for the FMM, or was there a different window you had to walk to to pay, then return to
INM?
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Great as usual Roger... Did the INM officer also take the money for the FMM, or was there a different window you had to walk to to pay, then return to
INM? |
Two weeks ago Tecate INM made my friends go to the bank about 25 feet away from the INM office
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Mayne8n
Newbie
Posts: 9
Registered: 9-12-2012
Member Is Offline
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Hello there Pompano, thanks for the great write up and pics, very helpful. As mentioned earlier I think we will take the Tecate route this trip. We
have some time so no rush, we may as well enjoy it.
Thanks to everyone who has posted, it has helped us sort this out.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65411
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Typically it was a separate person, but last July at Tijuana, the INM officer had a cash box and happily accepted our turista tax dollars. A new deal
to make it easy, but not open 24/7.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
...and since you are comming from BC I would follow this route to avoid L.A., Orange County and San Diego traffic:
1 - Stay on I 5S until Santa Clarita/ Magic Mountain then get in left lane and at bottom of grade take the I 210E exit
2- Stay on I 210E until you get to Rancho cucamonga and take the I 15S exit
3. Stay on I 15S until just past MCAS miramar and get off on CA 52E
4. Stay on CA 52E until you get to Santee then get on CA 125S
5 -125 S becomes a toll road (South Bay Expressway) just before you get to Chula Vista but stay on it until you get to CA 805 then just follow the
signs to the Otay border crossing
6 - After you cross follow David K's direction to Blvd. 2000
HAVE A GOOD TRIP |
Either what Bob wrote above ^ or you might want to look at what I have done several times:
I-5 south to the 210 east
210 east to the 57 south
transition from the 57 south to the 71 south
71 south to the 91 east
91 east to the I-15 south
I-15 south to either the I-5 south or the 805 south
From there you can cross at San Ysidro or take the 905 east to Otay
Sounds complicated, but it is really easy and you are not going out of your way too far east as you would if you took the 210 east to the I-15
south.............get a map and check it out
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65411
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Avoid L.A.!!! 
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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Mi amigos are members of Discover Baja Club and had the visas made out and paid for well in advance..with receipts from Banamex...all insued by
Discovefr Baja...and all that was necessary was getting them dated, stamped and signed at Immigracion in Tecate.
From previous visits to the same office to obtain a co-pilot's tourist visa, it was as bajaguy reports, a very short walk to pay the bank fee and
back. Done deal.
Again, I personally feel that the little extra driving to enter and exit thru Tecate is well worth that route. But that's my way....and to each his
own.
[Edited on 3-1-2013 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65411
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Thank you Roger...
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windgrrl
Super Nomad
Posts: 1336
Registered: 9-2-2006
Member Is Offline
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Hola, Canadians!
Great advice above. If you stay near the border overnight (Potrero County Campground, CA), you can unhook your rig, scoot to the border, and have your
paperwork processed the day before. You park on the US side, go to Mexican immigration to do the paperwork and then walk back through US customs (they
understand people doing it this way). You'll need a little more time to do this, but for your first time, it could be worth it as crossing with
everything done when you have a trailer and you a looking for the way through Tecate is worthwhile. If you have a pre-paid visa through Discover Baja,
this speeds things up and is handy if the bank is closed.
Also consider taking Mex. #3 to south from Tecate to Ensenada. You turn left at the bottom of the hill below the border, drive down to the end of the
park on the right and then turn right and follow the road straight through. You navigator will have eyes peeled for all stop signs!
Finding a "legal" parking spot long enough for a trailer at Tecate requires a little more ingenuity! The best parking seems to be only for semis and
buses and can be very tight work trying to get into the paid parking.
When the way comes to an end, then change. Having changed, you pass through.
~ I-Ching
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65411
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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That is good advice!
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mulegemichael
Super Nomad
Posts: 2310
Registered: 12-24-2007
Location: sequim,wa. and mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: up on step
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in almost 30 years now of crossing back and forth, back and forth, we've crossed at tecate everytime except for one, and that was a mistake....and by
the way udo, mulege is teeming with tourists right now; can't find a parking place anywhere..the businesses are very happy!
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
Registered: 9-27-2006
Member Is Offline
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Tecate bank location
Great photo report on the Tecate crossing Pompano.
The "bank" is the green and white kiosk type building in the 5th photo. You will walk right by it going to the immigration office. After they
prepare the visas they will tell you go to the bank, pay, and return for them to finalize the paperwork.
A refreshment break by the Zocalo in Tecate is one of the must do's in Baja, IMO.
You're a good friend Pompano, to take you friends up and show them the way.
Ken
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windgrrl
Super Nomad
Posts: 1336
Registered: 9-2-2006
Member Is Offline
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Parking
You might still be able to cross the border and park immediately on the right on the very steep street after the border gate. Best to try this very,
very early in the a.m. We did it 3 years ago and found a big space for our truck and 24 foot RV, the walked back up past the guards who let us go
through both ways to get back to immigration.
Parking availability changes each time that we have crossed, but there always seem to be options for vehicles sans trailer.
All in all, stay calm, be brave and watch for the signs.
When the way comes to an end, then change. Having changed, you pass through.
~ I-Ching
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