Have you been to Tijuana?

[kiwi2768]

Just wondering about getting from San Diego to Tijuana. Is there a bus that goes there as we don't want to pay extra insurance for the hire car. I've got the impression there are long queues.

 

[cove]

Tijuana is not a place to go.
The drug underlings have taken up kidnapping because their dealing income has been smashed.
Seek advice on this from the travel advisory folks because kidnappers kill hostages who dont pay ransom if they feel that they have wasted their time.

 

[Andyzx]

Last time I was there I took a tour bus from LA but was dropped off in San Diego. There were plenty of options and prices from San Diego as I recall. I think i paid about US$35, but try the greyhound bus service as a start. I think return is about $35-40. They have a regular service.

A warning on car rentals, most (probably all) insurance does not cover you once you go over the boarder. You may also have a longer search at customs and immigration. I am not sure of the immigration process if you go to MEX for a trip, do you still have to fill in their websites to get pre clearance etc. We (via bus) were in the queue about half as long as cars and even small mini vans. There were about 35 on the bus but it moved pretty well. This was pre the latest security scares.

Have fun, I found it a little overwhelming (sight sound, esp smell) but the beer is cheap and coughtails fantastic:mrgreen:
Andy

PS don't give your passport to anyone other than your tour guide, bus driver or US imirgration official behind glass. Or at least key an eye on it.:shock:

 

[dragonman]

Last time I was there was prob 2008. You can get the tram (from San Diego) to the border with no drama. There are long queues coming back in to the USA (3 hours +). So much so that I have no plans to return any time soon. YMMV

 

[Postcode]

Easy to go from San Diego to Tijuana. Depending on where you will be in San Diego, best to go by what they call the trolley. Transit.511sd.com It will get you as far as San Ysidro which is on the border. You just walk over the border from there. Don't forget your passport.

 

[Warks]

So there's no Tijuana Taxi?

I do know The Way To San Jose at least.:mrgreen:

 

[Flying Fox]

Travelled from San Diego to Tijuana as part of a tour group. They give you lots of guidelines and basically stay on the main street and only shop in shops and not from back alley vendors.

Queue back into the USA was really quick and almost pointless as we got off the bus, walked through an immigrations build, flashed our passports (they didn't inspect them) and then back on the bus that drove us back to the USA.

I wouldn't do it again but glad that I did it once.

 

[mole]

It is easy to get the trolley to Tijuana and they are departing and returning all the time. We went the first time we went to San Diego and spent the morning there, I can now say "I've been to TJ" but honestly (for me personally) I wouldnt have missed much if I hadnt of gone. It is very time consuming returning back over into the US.
We were back in San Diego in January this year and whilst we caught the trolley down to the border it was only to go the Las Americas outlet shopping centre, which is definetly worth a visit (you can look over to the border as you cross the bridge to the outlets).

 

[Alanslegal]

Tijuana is not a place to go.
The drug underlings have taken up kidnapping because their dealing income has been smashed.
Seek advice on this from the travel advisory folks because kidnappers kill hostages who dont pay ransom if they feel that they have wasted their time.

And I would call this scare-mongering. I went there in end 2007 and as long as you stick to the main tourist'y parts, you will be fine. The shop vendors are a bit pushy though, but then again you get same pushy vendors in China.

Just wondering about getting from San Diego to Tijuana. Is there a bus that goes there as we don't want to pay extra insurance for the hire car. I've got the impression there are long queues.

I parked my rental car at the large Outlet shopping centre and walked (iirc) 15-20 minutes to the border crossing. (edit** can't remember now - maybe parked closer to the border than the outlets)

 

[notthedash]

I was staying in San Diego and joined a small bus trip to go over for a morning of shopping.

I was a little surprised that no-one wanted to see my passport on the way in - different story on the way out! As others have said, the queues to leave can be lengthy, although the day I went it wasn't too bad, we got off the bus and walked through - it didn't seem to take too long. The line of cars was backed up a long way though, so I probably wouldn't hire a car to go there.

As I was with a small bus trip, the bus driver came with us, and pointed out the best places to go shopping. We stayed to the main streets, and the driver was never too far away, so I felt quite safe.

 

[Voyages]

According to the concierge at the Sheraton Marina, Tijuana is "not the place that I would want to go, and I was born in San Diego".

I went anyway, using the trolley, as previously suggested in this thread. If you're going for the novelty of it, the trolley is the best way (and cheap) to go. It takes you around 30-35mins to head to the border from down town San Diego. Be mindful of the long queue on the way back.

If you intend to do some shopping, maybe it's best to join a little bus tour. There're several tours available in San Diego, and your concierge might also do some bookings for you.

I think it's generally safe if you stick to the touristy areas. A friend of mine stayed over night...went out and indeed got mugged... lost everything, including his passport, *gawd*

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

Just got back from San Diego and you can catch the Blue Line Trolley from San Diego Old Town to San Ysidro and walk across the border. We chose not too, all the warnings being posted were for travellers not to enter Mexico due to the current drug war going on, think it more applies to central Mexico but not sure that the effort of going to Tijuana is worth it.

 

[clifford]

I think it's generally safe if you stick to the touristy areas. A friend of mine stayed over night...went out and indeed got mugged... lost everything, including his passport, *gawd*

Doesn't sound all that safe!

 

[Flying Fox]

Doesn't sound all that safe!

Well when I was there I didn't feel particularly safe.

 

[cove]

Times changed since 2009.
Our suppliers wont take us there to do factory visits and our San Diego friends are now very careful.
I have always gone over the border for the last 30 years as I love the traders by the roadside.
Please check the current travel advisory and pay special attention to what your hotel concierge has to say.

 

[odysseus]

Like others have said, practically it's cheap and simple (if you take the trolley). However, just be aware of your safety. I had no issues when I went there but was cautious and it was some time back, maybe things have changed. The poverty there is very apparent and the market traders keen by Western standards, but not a problem if you know what you want and why you're there.

 

[QF WP]

I have always checked the Smart Traveller website - thus, here is the current page for Mexico.

From Lonely Planet, their website indicates:

Travel Alert: The level of drug-related violence throughout Mexico is a major problem, with the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango and northern Baja California the worst affected. Tourists are not specifically targeted, but any travellers visiting these areas, and in particular the cities of Ciudad Juárez, Nogales and Tijuana should exercise extreme caution. Check Safe Travel for current government warnings.


Also, not a bad idea to register with DFAT

 

[kiwi2768]

Well, I'm thinking we'll give Tijuana a big miss lol. Thanks everyone for your input.

The outlet shopping in San Ysidro and looking at/over the border sounds a lot safer

 

[canabear]

I have been to TJ a couple of times staying overnight and would make the suggestion that it would be fine to visit even with a drug war ongoing if you stick to the very touristy area immediately after you cross the border. You will find cheap beer and food, some market stalls selling all sorts of things and a lot of cheap, prescriptions free pharmacies.

I have been through a lot of the town both by foot and cab, and have found it to be very safe, and there are a couple of amazing restaurants to go to. You will be checked for weapons in most local bars and restaurants. Also as others have said the best way to get there is on the trolley. Expect to wait a while to clear immigration returning to the US, and it stinks walking over the bridge when crossing the border (I think it's an open sewer). Oh also i wouldn't even consider taking a rental car over the border, and if you take a taxi or buy anything from a market haggle.

One last thing. I have never met a San Diego resident who has endorsed going to Tijuana, and mostly they haven't been themselves, but that doesn't mean it isn't safe if you are cautious.

 

[tuapekastar]

Tijuana certainly received some mentions and attention during a Four Corners episode re the Mexican drug wars a couple of weeks ago. It would not be first on my list as a travel destination (but if I really wanted to go there, then maybe I would)