degoma
Junior Nomad
Posts: 64
Registered: 7-21-2009
Location: Mojave, CA
Member Is Offline
|
|
Parking for Tourist Card at Tijuana Crossing
We crossed at Tijuana on Christmas day. Only the second time at the new crossing but this time we needed tourist cards. It was not clear where to
get the tourist cards or where to park. After the short and courteous secondary inspection I asked where the office was. He pointed to the building;
OK but where do we park I asked. With a broad sweep of his arm he indicated an area off to the west side over near the exit…a good distance from the
building he had pointed out. We managed to park somewhere but it didn’t seem right and if we’d been in anything larger than a pickup….ummmm….wouldn’t
have been easy.
After getting the tourist cards I asked where is the real parking. Ah, it’s on the north side of the building. But what would one do if they had a
bigger rig or a trailer? Perhaps park in that area where I have written ‘parking’? Cross at Otay?
In any case it will work well for cars or pickups.
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64755
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Nice view of the new border... Thank you!!!
|
|
|
degoma
Junior Nomad
Posts: 64
Registered: 7-21-2009
Location: Mojave, CA
Member Is Offline
|
|
Here's a closeup of that parking area:
|
|
|
Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
|
|
actually that's a BIG lot...
and that's about how many cars I see each time I pass
a neighbor just used it and commented that he had NO problem with his HUGE motorhome
|
|
|
Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5898
Registered: 7-18-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
Nice photo. Yeah, the lot on the northwest corner is plenty big. Just enter right where the arrow is and turn right if you're driving a large
vehicle.
|
|
|
bkbend
Senior Nomad
Posts: 693
Registered: 11-27-2003
Location: central OR or central baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
What Ateo said. They just aren't pull-through slots, you will need to back out of the lot and go out the back end to re-enter the declare/no declare
lines.
|
|
|
Alan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1626
Registered: 4-6-2005
Location: Yucaipa, CA/La Paz
Member Is Offline
|
|
It is super easy and much better than the old crossing. Last June I pulled right in and parked my full size GMC Sierra towing my 23' Parker in one of
the slots just to the left of the flag pole. Got my paperworked completed, backed out of my slot, exited out the west side of the lot and got right
into line to cross.
In Memory of E-57
|
|
|
dasubergeek
Senior Nomad
Posts: 694
Registered: 8-17-2013
Member Is Offline
|
|
Yah, it's a little different than the old way and Tecate. At Tecate, you go through the stoplight and then pull over and get your FMM. Here, you pull
in and get your FMM *first*, then you pull back almost to the border fence and go through the stoplight and inspection.
|
|
|
mcnut
Nomad
Posts: 177
Registered: 12-9-2013
Location: Dammeron Valley, UT
Member Is Offline
|
|
Over the holidays we crossed southbound at the new San Ysidro crossing which I had researched beforehand. We needed FMMs and were driving a fairly
long rig, extended cab long bed + 22" travel trailer for close to 50' combined length.
As we slowly approached the building to park and go inside (near the end of the flag's shadow in the photo) a smallish young female officer with a big
gun shook her head and pointed southeast to the entry lanes. Now I don't speak Spanish but none of my words including "inmigración" would convince her
otherwise.
We ended up going through the inspection booth lanes and were instructed to park in small (area lower right with the concentration of vehicles in the
photo). A real shame as the area north of the entry lanes was vastly better and closer.
Our error may have been not driving directly & with confidence, into the area labeled parking in the photo but there is something of a wall and it
was not clear what kind of room we would have once inside. It is labeled for buses.
Bruce
|
|
|
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
|
|
NEVER argue with a female that has a big gun
| Quote: | Originally posted by mcnut
.........As we slowly approached the building to park and go inside (near the end of the flag's shadow in the photo) a smallish young female officer
with a big gun shook her head and pointed southeast to the entry lanes........... Bruce |
|
|
|
bkbend
Senior Nomad
Posts: 693
Registered: 11-27-2003
Location: central OR or central baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by mcnut
We ended up going through the inspection booth lanes and were instructed to park in small (area lower right with the concentration of vehicles in the
photo). A real shame as the area north of the entry lanes was vastly better and closer.
Our error may have been not driving directly & with confidence, into the area labeled parking in the photo but there is something of a wall and it
was not clear what kind of room we would have once inside. It is labeled for buses.
Bruce |
Oh well, that's Mexico for you. Need to stay adaptable. It was my first time through the new entry and I did not drive with confidence into the new
parking area (didn't even see it at first) so I asked a nearby officer where to park for IMN and was directed to the parking area. And I was pulling
a trailer. So, as always, YMMV.
[Edited on 2-4-2014 by bkbend]
|
|
|
Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5898
Registered: 7-18-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
Hey Mexico: invest in a couple large signs that read "TOURIST CARDS HERE" and put this topic to rest! That will never happen. :LOL:
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
