I have one spare day in anaheim after two day hopper in D land and a couple in LA by very tourist coach I should take it easy in a dark room but Iam a tourist from oz and my son[13] wants more.Is a day coach trip to Tijuana a good idea? ie shopping and a quick look inside Mexico worth the trip...thoughts of others much appreciated...Rhettski &son.

It's probably been about 10 years since we did a day trip to Tiajuana from San Diego. People warned us not to go but we had to see for ourselves. It was awful with lots of children begging in the streets. As I understand it, there are much nicer places in Mexico to visit. You will be expected to bargain but we didn't see anything except cheap things. When we returned to the border, one US soldier told us to smile if we were happy to be back in the states. I think it would be a horrible experience for your 13 YO son. esp if he hasn't experienced beggars. Unless it has changed, the children are very very young. I would suggest a trip to the San Diego zoo or the air and space museum.

Don't even think of a day trip to Tijuana.

The San Diego Zoo, or anywhere else in San Diego could be fun, but will you hae exhausted everything in the LA area?

If you really want to come down to San Diego, you could get the train. It drops you at the west end of Broadway, close to the Embarcadero in San Diego. You could visit the Maritime Museum which includes the sailing ship, the Star of India. A little further along is the USS Midway, and aircraft carrier which is now a museum. Your son might like that. There are many decent places to eat nearby and you're walking distance to Seaport Village, a touristy, but cute, group of shops-and more places to eat.

thanx for replys....Tijuana has been cancelled.regards Rhettski.

Wise decision!

Tijuana is not worth your time and is certainly not representative of Mexico. Much more to see in San Diego.

Good call on not going to TJ. I would also highly recommend to stay in LA itself and only go to Disneyland for 1 day as a day trip. There is nothing much to do around there without a car anyway. I would also highly recommend renting a car. A tour bus is a really bad way to see LA. It's a very big spread out city and you'll be on the bus most of the time. Rent a car, stay in LA, and drive to Disneyland for one day. There is more than enough to do in LA for 3-5 days.

On the other hand, coming from Oz, you may not wish to do extensive driving on the "wrong side" of the road. In this case, a tour might be something to consider. It could be good for your stress level. Think about it.

Just to present a counterpoint- Almost every time we entertain out of town visitors we include a trip to TJ and Rosarito, perhaps Ensenada.They always find it fascinating.
It would be a chance for a 13 year old to expand his mind and travel experience by getting a glimpse of the "third world".