Throughout undergrad and grad school, I often took trips south of the border. My most common…read moredestination in baja back then was Ensenada, which sits about an hour's drive from the US/Mexico border. That drive gave me two options: the toll road ("cuota") or the toll-free road ("libre"). I always opted for the toll road, as it is heavily patrolled by law-enforcement, and the commute time is considerably less than the toll-free road. There are three toll booths between Tijuana and Ensenada, which runs you about three dollars and change per booth. Traffic has never been an issue for me on this road, and neither has anything else. The scenery along this route is beautiful! The road hugs the cliffs along the coast of Baja California Norte. If you are a fan of winding roads, a-la-PCH-in-NorCal, then you will like this stretch of road as well! Rosarito sits along this route, about 15 minutes south of Tijuana. There are also various gas stations and convenience stores along the way. I like their coffee, particularly the mochas from 7-Eleven. I also get a couple of bottles of water for my stay in Baja (do NOT drink the tap water!). This road is safe, day and night. There is often a military check point, but the personnel are pleasant people. The police are no issue either, I've only been questioned once by them. I was riding alone in a beamer in the middle of the night... Don't let the news scare you, Baja is actually a safe place to visit as long as you don't look for trouble and mind your own business. And if Ensenada or Rosarito is your destination, then take this fine stretch of road there.

Review 29 The scenic…read moreHighway to Ensenada is one of my favorites, it's beauty resembles the Big Sur to Cambria stretch of Highway. Rollinghills and quick back to back turns makes you wish you were driving a sports car. (Video) The current speed limit is 70 mph, in my opinion the highway is not designed for this speed. There's areas you could exceed 100 mph but the danger is the uneven road. That being said if you do have the opportunity to drive this highway use your better judgment, your experience and know your vehicle capability. This is a toll road with two pay booths per direction, The current toll is $2.10 per booth North and south. Mexican pesos or US dollars only, no credit cards. On weekends expect 3 to 4 sobriety checkpoints, all week you can expect a bunch of drivers that think they have nine lives. I suggest you drive this highway during the day unless you're extremely comfortable driving at night with zero street lights. Have fun responsible, peace out! (excuse the miss spells and grammar errors, talking to my phone as I'm driving) Plan B.

To cross back over to America from Mexico on foot, you will need to get into one of the two lines…read more The left line is for those with a regular passport, while the right line is for those with global entry. That right line is never an actual line. It's like when Disneyland first came out with the Fastpass; you get to just walk all the way to the front without stopping. If you do not have Global Entry, or Sentri, then you could wait anywhere from 20 minutes, to two hours on foot. If you're entering by car, it will always take at least 2 hours or more, unless you have Global Entry, or Sentri of course. On foot, the line to cross the border is outside. The line is covered, but you will see many Mexican residents walking up and down selling things and asking for money. It is always best to keep your belongings as close to you as possible, and not have anything sticking out of your back pockets for easy access to be stolen. But as long as you aren't being flashy, and you're not showing off expensive jewelry or waiving your money around, you'll be just fine. I do wish that the line was inside the building, like how it is for the line on the other side when you're waiting to get into Mexico. Once inside though, you'll just be asked two questions, and then you're welcomed back in.

Review 31 Be…read moreprepared to know where you're going soon after you pass Mexico customs, the road splits 5-ways after entering Mexico. Check the image on my "Tip" to know your road options, you don't have much time to switch lanes. Try to enter Mexico with this in mind. Don't forget to buy MX Automobile Insurance, you're not covered with any USA policy. (Online) **** If traveling for more than 72hrs or beyond 30km you'll need a FM-T permit: Rosarito is 30km. You can stop at the vehicle inspection area, walk over to the "Garitas" office to purchase one. Drive defensively :) Plan B.

To return to the United States this port needs to improve their station because there are 20 lanes…read more It should be US citizens in one line to exit and foreigners in another line same as when you enter. Amazing how patient, children, babies, pets and adults are to wait 3+ hours to exit Tijuana into the United States. The line snaked into four lines. You'll see children selling woven flowers, mothers with infants walking up and down the lines selling snacks. There was a churro man going back and forth. Also blind or others saying chiclets, selling gum. Many people in line bought cold refreshments like popsicles, ice cream or granita looking cold treats. Happy to be back in the United States.

If you're crossing at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, here's the deal…read more 1.) When traffic gets crazy and the cops block off random streets, your GPS will absolutely lose its mind. Stop listening to it. Just find the end of the line of cars and get in. Otherwise you'll spend half your day doing scenic laps around Tijuana because your app thinks it's smarter than reality. 2.) Make sure you have gas before getting into this line. 3.) Download some shows or movies ahead of time. The wait can drag, and cell service isn't exactly reliable out there. 4.) Bring a little cash too, there are vendors walking around selling snacks and drinks. 5.) Just.....be mindful of your stomach. This is not the place to realize you made questionable food choices. Bathrooms are basically a rumor. 6.) Also, a big one: please don't buy the puppies. They're adorable, yes, but buying them keeps a really ugly breeding situation going, and the conditions the parent dogs are kept in are anyone's guess. You might feel like you're "saving" a puppy by buying it, but as long as people keep purchasing them, these breeders will keep producing dogs in grim, often inhumane conditions. If we collectively stop buying from them, the cycle finally breaks. We saw some really young puppies :( look too young to be separated from mom. Puppies being sold at the border are often far too young to be separated from their mothers. Responsible breeders and veterinarians agree that puppies should stay with their mom and littermates until at least 8 weeks old. Taking them earlier can cause lifelong health and behavior problems. When you buy an underage puppy, you're supporting practices that put the animals at risk. Please choose not to purchase these puppies. The wait itself isn't that bad if you've got some good music or something downloaded to watch. As long as you go in prepared, you'll be fine. Our wait was only 2.5 hours on a Sunday, we arrived in line at 4pm

$180 for 2days and 9hrs not worth it sign said $28per day parking at cbx and taking a uber way…read morecheaper

I mean when you gotta park, you gotta park but crazy expensive. $120 for less than 48 hrs. Dude…read moretook our credit card then came back saying if we pay him in cash it'll be $100. Could be legit but it sure didn't seem legit. Husband hands him $100 in cash and I immediately ask for a receipt and he goes on saying no, no receipts. Sorry sir need a receipt. He gets all upset and has us back up and re-pull in and has us pay with credit card. He did not wanna let go of that $100 bill. He finally handed it back to us. We are watching our bank account to be sure we are charged correctly. Car looks fine. Filthy with black soot but in one piece.

Going into Tijuana is literally 200 times easier and shorter than trying to return to the United…read moreStates into San Diego. For a safe and secure space for our vehicle we park in the structure on the US side. You get your steps in walking over the bridge to the immigration building but it's fairly a breeze. Another slower option is to catch the trolley both ways. There are two separate lines for Mexican citizens and foreigners(us.) the line on the left can zip through by showing a special card you apply for to enter Tijuana. For the rest of us just go through the turnstile, follow the queue to show the agent your passport and they will insert a printed document slightly larger than your passport. The path to reach the more active and colorful section of Tijuana is A good way to rack up your steps. Lots of walking is involved. Enjoy shopping if something strikes your fancy and become a thirsty sponge for their music, margaritas, tequila, and food. Our strongest beverages there are still bottled water, ice tea or Diet Coke in a large, reputable eatery. Trying to return to the United States is another story. We've been in line over an hour previously but this recent venture took us 3 hours and 45 minutes. Make sure you have a hat, sun glasses and apply sun screen. You're definitely immersed into the local culture, people and their dogs or children trying to exit along side of you in one continuous line forming 4 lanes of pedestrians. Everyone waits patiently in the heat with the sun's rays beating down on you. You can purchase churros, ice cream, popsicles and snacks if street food is your thing as there are vendors, roaming sellers and little convenience like stalls or shops where you must pass. The other alternative is driving over the border but it's anyone's guess which way is faster by foot or vehicle to exit. Luckily no hagglers like decades past. Haven't encountered pick pocketing but there are beggars and homeless you'll encounter. Not for the faint of heart. I saw one man in a wheel chair being rushed by a uniformed person through security with an ambulance waiting for him. Next I saw he was on a gurney and looked barely alive. If you are mobility challenged don't hesitate, if you have a walker or wheelchair bring it and use it.

We did it! We walked…read moreacross the Mexican Border! Many years ago, when I went to college in San Diego, I crossed the border twice: once on a bus when we went camping with the Biology Club, and once when we rode on the trolley to Tijuana! Now, I can say that I walked and crossed into another country! It was rather simple - and coming back into the USA wasn't too bad either... Except for the long line. I think we waited in line for about an hour? I was able to spend the rest of my pesos (and some of my friends' pesos) on a few souvenirs. Too bad there were no postcards. I should have looked earlier while we were in Downtown Tijuana... Next time!

This was a clean and safe bridge that crossed above the vehicular traffic entering and exiting…read moreTijuana, Mexico from San Ysidro, San Diego, California. It seemed relatively easy to stroll over. Some people walked quicker than others. Everyone goes at their own pace. The sides of the bridge were high enough so that no one should be able to fall over. It was well ventilated as we enjoyed the cross breeze. I was so happy to see the spotlight on our American flag when we were returning to the USA! God bless America!

Be Aware! They closed at 2pm today per website and the wait was 30 minutes online.....so we got in…read moreline at 12:48p and at 130pm They told us it was shut down and turned us away even though we had been waiting for 45 minutes. Obviously Mad rush towards the regular line...Total wait was 4 hours! Basically don't come here unless you can get in line before noon