California Residents

Driving-Walking to Tijuana from San Diego

While it may seem like a daunting task, there are a few things you can do to make the transition easier.

First and foremost. Driving into Mexico is way easier than getting out. However, there are a few heavy traffic times to be aware of. Friday evenings are the worst. If you plan to come early, don’t plan to cross until after 9 pm. Saturday mornings can also be hard. I recommend going a little bit early, like 8 am or so, to avoid anything major.

A great option for those with able bodies and who plan to stay only for the baby shower: PARK AND WALK. There are a few border parking lots, and it is fairly straightforward: Park your car at the lot, and walk the mile or so across the international border. When you get to the other side, you can order an Uber to the event.

Please keep in mind that the parking lots are not the cheapest. It can cost $18 per 10 hours on weekends. You can get really adventurous and take the trolley to the border if you have the time.
It can be a little intense when you get to the other side. There will be local taxis trying to get you to take their service, but they are way overpriced. Just say no thank you. They might keep bugging you, but they won’t hurt you.
After the baby shower/after-party, you can take an UBER and walk back across. The waiting time can vary, but generally, on Saturday afternoon,s it will take about an hour.
We are considering adding on a van service to pick people up and drop them back off. If you are interested in this, please mark this in the RSVP.

The event will be at the Palazio Azteca Hotel. We would love it if you wanted to stay with us there. If you do this option, it might be worth it to just drive across. You can drive across, stay at the hotel, and leave early in the morning to cross back.

I DO NOT recommend trying to drive across at 3 pm on a Saturday. If you do not have Global Entry, crossing back in a car can take up to 4 hours! Please just stay and hang with us for the day, then either cross late at night or early Sunday morning. There are plenty of options.

Driving from the US to Mex is really not as bad as you might think. Here are some tricks of the trade I have learned!

All persons crossing into Mexico will need a passport in order to reenter the US, including children.
Get gas before crossing and then once you are closer to Ensenada.
GUNS ARE ILLEGAL IN MEXICO. Do not cross into Mexico with a gun.
You MUST purchase car insurance for Mexico. It is illegal to drive in Mexico without it and if you get into an accident, you can get into trouble with cops. This is not ideal. Check with your car insurance to see what they offer. We got our insurance through Geico easy peasy. https://www.geico.com/mexico-auto-insurance/

Crossing the Border