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Crossing the border at Tijiuana
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If you have the right documentation, crossing the border (known as
la linea
, or The Line) is normally a breeze, though you may have to wait in line, and US immigration can be pretty intimidating if you're entering the States. Heading into Mexico, the main worry is to remember to have your tourist card stamped at migracion - people only visiting Tijuana, Ensenada and San Felipe don't need to do this. The border is open 24 hours a day.
On the US side , San Ysidro, there's excellent local transport into downtown San Diego - buses (US$1.50) and trams ("San Diego Trolley"; 5am-1am & hourly through Sat night; US$1.75) run every few minutes - and there are plenty of alternatives if you're heading further north. Vans and minibuses, as well as Greyhound and other services, run almost constantly to Los Angeles; the Greyhound terminal is right by the border. San Ysidro itself, at least around the border, has little to offer: you'll find McDonalds and Burger King , a few secondhand clothes stores, money exchange places and motor insurance offices, and a number of car parks charging US$5-12 a day. There are also a few motels - closest to the border are the Gateway Inn (tel 619/428-2251; US$25-40) and Holiday Lodge (tel 619/428-1105; US$25-40). On the Mexican side it's only a short walk downtown - through the Viva Tijuana shopping mall, over the footbridge, and along C 1 to Revolucion. Alternatively you can catch a bus headed downtown (look for those marked "Centro" or "Revolucion") or to the bus station (blue-and-white buses marked "Buena Vista/Central Camionera") from the public bus and taxi terminal right by the entrance to Viva Tijuana. There are also fixed-fare yellow taxis that stop between C 2 and C 3 on Madero and can take you to the Central Camionera for about US$2.
It's also possible to
cross the border by shuttle bus
, though it usually costs more and sometimes takes longer than walking over and picking up transport the other side. For example, Mexicoach (Revolucion and 7th) and Transportes Diamante (Revolucion, a block and a half below 1st) both run shuttles to San Ysidro (US$1.50); Mexicoach also operates a shuttle service between the border and Revolucion. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Mexico,
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