gulrich

also looking for suggestions for a day-trip bus tour to Tijuana. Any suggestions for a tour company? Tips on what to see and do there?

Thanks!

Jean

Have you googled? There are several companies.

But, personally, in the current atmosphere with regard to our border with Mexico, I probably wouldn't do a day trip.

You might want to read the comments here:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...alifornia.html

Cali

I also would skip the day trip to Tijuana. We used to go there a lot years ago but never go now. Not worth the hassle in my opinion.

gail

There are parking lots at the boarder and then you walk across the boarder. Although a number of years ago, very depressing. Unless you are interested in questionable prescription pharmaceuticals, beer, and street merchants.

ekscrunchy

Or soccer:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/s...a-mx.html?_r=0

sf7307

I haven't been to Tijuana in many years, but I recently heard it was a somewhat "cool" and "trendy" destination, despite hitting an all-time high for homicides in 2016.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loca...352315921.html

NorthwestMale

Tijuana used to be very accessible and certainly inviting to tourists from the USA. I suspect Tijuana itself still yearns for the tourism dollars and that they do a respectable job of prioritizing the safety of U.S. tourists who stay on the main thoroughfares.

With that said, recent years have found heightened violence in Mexico as a whole, and border towns/cities are certainly not immune to that.

The effect of this has been U.S. tourist traffic is down considerably, and with it, the perceived safety-in-numbers effect is down as well.


Unless one needs to go to some specific spot well into Mexico from the San Diego-area border, the only sensible way to visit Tijuana is to park near the U.S. side of the border (or take the trolley from S.D. to get there) and then walk across the border into Mexico.

From the other side you can get a taxi to take you anywhere you could fathom wanting to go... and the walking across facilitates a minimal delay across the border going south, and a tolerable delay at the border when returning north.

To take a rental car into Mexico increases your risk factors exponentially, and assures a considerable delay at the border coming back.

They really DO make it easy to walk to and fro across the SD/TJ border.


In February of 2017, IF I were in San Diego with a free day, I think I would dare to cross into central TJ and roam around the main street there.

Tijuana still needs your tourist money more than it would take for their entire infrastructure to fully ignore tourist safety concerns.

Jean

Does anyone know how long it takes to cross back into the U.S. following Trump's border control order? The last time I crossed the border on foot was many years ago (pre 9/11), but the return line was over an hour even for U.S. passport holders. I would imagine it takes longer now, but does anyone know?

gail

Jean - I don't know. When we went our re-entry was delayed because a couple of Immigration guys shut down the line so they could arrest, handcuff, and pull packets of drugs out of the shoes of a couple of scary dudes.

BuffaloGirl

Once was enough for me, and that was 1983.

Dayle

Once was enough for me too. 1977

NorthwestMale

I came back, on foot, in... 1999... and the wait was momentary.

(I didn't even have a passport at the time)

travisblue

you might try this website for a day tour

http://clubtengohambre.com/

I went in December 2016. I took the trolley to the border then walked across. There is a new (well new to me) entrance behind McDonalds to TJ. Getting back is fine, but be prepared for LONG lines. BUT if you have Global Entry, you just walk right past all the lines and go straight to the exit. Your passport is looked at, and you just walk right out. Took me all of 5 minutes.

auntie_raine

Here's the link to the San Diego/Tijuana border crossing time info:

https://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/mobile.asp?action=n&pn=2504

It is updated hourly.

You might want to research to see if there are bus tours into Tecate instead, or check about renting a car to that border crossing, parking and walking over, if you want to visit Mexico for a day. I don't know if there are many options for that, but I think you might find that more interesting than Tijuana, which is really still set up for attracting people looking for nightlife rather than day tours. Tecate might have more interest for a day tour into Mexico. There used to be a day tour train trip into Tecate, but I think it has been suspended for the past few years due to collapse of the tunnel at the border.

travisblue

Stuff to do in TJ

http://nymag.com/travel/weekend-escapes/tijuana/

nanabee

I live near the border but I would not recommend going to TJ at all. It is a waste of time IMHO.

These are the two options I would consider though.

1. About an hours drive east of the San Yisdro/Tijuana Border crossing is a wonderful Mexican town called Tecate.

It is very small, with a lovely main plaza and fountain where bands serenade visitors and locals hang out for coffee and to chat. The famous TECATE beer brewing company is near by and offers tours (check for closed days).

TECATE: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...htmlstory.html

2. VALLE DE GUADALUPE
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...s-wine-country

You can google tour companies to see what would work for your schedule.

Then another wonderful option is to go to is the Valle de Guadalupe just a short drive south of TJ.

tom42

I have been to Tijuana several times but that was to visit friends who lived there. I don't think I would go visit just for the sake of visiting. It is not a particularly pretty city and I'm not sure what I would actually do there. But I would agree with nanabee about Tecate and the Valle De Guadalupe. Also Ensenada might be a worthwhile day trip.