Day trip to Mexico from San Diego?
 

We will be in San Diego soon and are curious to make a day trip south of the border. We could do at Tijuana or Mexicali. Does it make a difference? Is there any way to do this and have it be interesting, attractive and not tacky, and also get a good meal? Is driving oneself okay, particularly if mother and teenage son? Thanks.

I did this using Contact Tours. They picked us up at the hotel then a shopping trip and nice lunch in Ensenada.

Are you driving your own car or renting a car in San Diego?

Most rental companies will not allow you to drive their cars into Mexico.

If you are driving your own car, check with your insurance company about extra coverage.

The easiest way to vist Tijuana is to take the trolley to the border and walk across to the town. It is nicer further south of Tijuana, for sure, but again you will have to really make sure of your insurance coverage. Mmmmmm, do you think there is a reason for all of this caution on the part of car rental companies and insurance companies concerning driving in Mexico?

I wanted to do this when I was in San Diego for business but I ran out of time. You can take the trolley system right from any of the downtown stops for one thing. I thought that this sounded better than parking and paying for a spot at the border. There are also bus tours that will pick you up at your hotel. Check the city convention website for particulars.
I would use caution parking in the border area - had friends whose car was broken in to and they lost everything while on vacation.

I would follow the previous suggestion and have a tour take you to Ensenada, Rosarito or Puerto Nuevo (have a lobster at La Casa de Lnagosts or Ponderosa). It is possible to take the trolley to the border and walk across. From the border you could take a taxi into the center of town. Try El Faro de Mazatlan or Cien Anos.

Oops--mind faster than my fingers:
Casa de Langosta.

If you have an overwhelming desire to visit Mexico, then please take IamBooth's recommendation of a tour to Ensenada. Please reconsider going to Tijuana for a day, or a few hours. It is tacky, dirty and not very safe and completely unrepresentative of Mexico.

As someone else mentioned, it is unlikely that you would be able to take a rental car into Mexico, although I think Enterprise used to have some cars they would allow across the border, but maybe only from their Chula Vista office.

IF you drive into Mexico, make sure you have Mexican insurance. If you are involved in even a tiny fender-bender in Mexico and you do not have Mexican insurance, no matter who is at fault, you may go to jail. Mexican insurance is readily available at many places when you are driving south on I-5, before you get to the border. Also be aware that it can take hours to cross the border back into the US. A one hour wait would be quite quick, and the whole time you are in line waiting, Mexican vendors will be trying to sell you stuff, mostly junk.

If you go to Ensenada, or to Puerto Nuevo or Rosarito, it is lobster season, so you'll get great lobster meals-lobster, refried beans, tortillas, chips, salsa...margaritas for adults only! Yum! There's another reason to take a tour, no margs if you're driving!

I agree with the others. Ensenada, Puerto Nuevo or Rosarito is a much better choice for a day trip/ touyr than Tijuana.

thank you for these good opinions. i would rather not drive myself and my son. much prefer either private car and driver or a bus arrangement, but with some flexibility. tijuana is not my first choice. i'm look for the best experience possible within the time limits of a day trip.