Take I-5 or I-805 to south. Either park at the border and continue on foot or drive into Mexico. Driving from the US to Mexico often requires no stopping, but inspections driving south have become more frequent as authorities attempt to stop firearms trafficking into Mexico, resulting in long wait times during periods of heavy traffic. Driving across the border from Mexico to the US may involve a long wait, especially during evening rush hour or on holiday weekends.
Mexican insurance is highly recommended, and can be bought immediately before crossing the border, or even online before your trip. Many times, the Otay Mesa and Tecate border crossings, also nearby, are much less congested getting back into the US. To get to the Otay crossing can be a little scary (not good for Gringos at night) and the border agents don't seem as pleasant as at the San Ysidro crossing.
If the pedestrian line returning to the US is long, as it often is after the September 11 attacks, it may be faster to take advantage of the numerous van and bus lines that cross the border. You will undoubtedly encounter agents for these services when approaching the pedestrian line back to the U.S., who will ask for $5 to $10 per person to let you board the vehicles which are already in line. Generally, the closer the vehicle is to the front of the line, the more they will charge.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Tijuana
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Tijuana - updated May 2024
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Tijuana Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
