Do you want to go from San Diego to Tijuana for a day tip? Can’t you choose whether to go by bus, or take a flight? Do you want to know how to cross the border between the US and Mexico? Read this post to learn everything about how to get to Tijuana from San Diego and what to do there for a day!
Introduction
San Diego is one of the best cities in the US in many ways. (Not housing prices!)
You can go there any time of the year and love the weather, it’s never too cold or too hot. That is the case for its southern neighbor, Tijuana.
If you are planning to visit San Diego, why not staying on the other side in Tijuana at nights and save some money? Or just have a delicious meal in Mexico and come back to the US at night?
BORDER between San Diego and Tijuana
We’ve all seen the border fences along the beach between Tijuana and San Diego on the news which is never tempting to visit those sad families on each side, talking and crying, but this border could have some potentials for you as a tourist.
crossing the border from San Diego to Tijuana
For crossing the border, you have three options:
Bus
You can take an hour ride bus to Tijuana, using Greyhound buses, It’s usually around $20 plus a border crossing fee which is less than $5!
Driving
you can get there by the comfort of your car and buy insurance from Mexican insurance agencies online or in San Ysidro, right before crossing the border.
When you get there in Tijuana, there’s plenty of park o meter on the street sides.
There might be some traffic, but never that crazy!
Hint: This way of communication is not recommended, because if God forbid, you have an accident, there’s probably a lot to deal with or if you get pulled over by Police, you never know if he’s a corrupted one or not but that’s how a lot of people prefer.
walking
Simply park your car on the American side and walk to the border, signs are pretty straight forward and won’t allow you to get lost but before walking to the border, make sure you got whatever you needed from your car because you have to officially return to the US if you only want to go back to take something!
After getting there, take a white Taxi (Not the yellow ones) or Uber.
Uber works the same as in the US, plus when you’re right at the Mexican side, your phone still has coverage and you don’t need to use roaming.
Hint: If you don’t want your credit card to get charged in another country, exchange some money before crossing the border and on Uber’s app, choose the “Cash” option.
what to do in Tijuana
Stay in touristic areas and you’ll find tons of cool bars and restaurants.
you can also check for cultural events before going there.
safety in Tijuana
Tijuana has more than 1.3 million population and Mexico’s 6th largest city, so, don’t expect it to be crimeless, but it’s not as bad as media tries to tell you. their problems are mostly in none touristic areas.
If you go to touristic areas, you’d be completely safe because it’s heavily guarded by the Police, but be careful, local neighborhoods are only a few blocks away. If you’re not sure where you’re going, take a taxi or Uber.
Do not walk in the streets at night, especially if you have a large sun hat, shorts, sandals and a big camera around your neck, and I don’t have to remind you not to walk there drunk as much as possible!
coming back to the USA
It would be exactly like when you’re going there, that easy! (You’d remember it once you are coming back!)
The only con is that you should give yourself a considerable amount of time, waiting in the line if you don’t have Sentri pass, but if you do have it, you can come back in less than 5 minutes most of the times since there’s no line up on the Sentri’s side.
Have a great trip to Tijuana! Don’t forget to share your experiences with us!
Oh yeah. Border logistics. My parents learned so much about that when they were living near the French/Swiss border!
Right! It takes time to get specialized in the whole border thing! Lol
Thank you for your comment! 😊
Yep. I was born in Switzerland because the closest hospital was across the French/Swiss border from the town my parents (and eventually me) lived in
That makes sense! You’re far more familiar with the border crossing than I am!
Was it before the formation of the EU and removing the borders?
Well, the EU was a thing back then, but it was still getting off the ground. Also, a lot of immigrants worked in Switzerland and lived across the border in order to avoid high rents and living expenses.
Very interesting. As ever.
Thank you dear Simpson! I appreciate it! 😊
😊💛💛💛
Love this article! Check my experience of crossing the border between Tijuana and San Diego… -> https://letimanzoni.wixsite.com/mysite/post/san-diego
Sure! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve never been to Tijuana, but I’ve been to San Diego eight times, I think. The most recent of those trips was when I was in a terrible long-distance relationship with someone in San Diego for much of 2011. I haven’t been back since.
It’s a fun city to be in and as I told you before, I’m kind of obsessed with the whole border thing! It’s a fascinating feeling for me to cross the borders during my trips, even the regular ones! That’s how I discovered Tijuana!
Long distance relationships are pure torture for me! I experienced it once for 5 months and would never ever do it again!
I think the right people with the right commitment can make it work. And I think the fact that it didn’t work for us really had more to do with her being the wrong person to begin with, not just the wrong person to be in a long-distance relationship with.
Well, that could be one reason, but the main reason for me was not being able to be in touch when ever I desired! because of the challenges like the different time zones and being busy!
Time zones make things trickier, I would imagine.
I did this many times in the 80’s, my brother went to SDSU. Would drive to Ensenada or K38 for surfing when it was a dirt bluff. For some reason I never got pulled over? Everyone I know has been pulled over and had to give cash to the police there by car. Day trips and not getting too drunk is good advice!!
Wow! You’ve been extremely lucky!
Good tips😊👍🏼
Just wondering, are Nexus cards accepted?
Not sure but I think Nexus is mostly used for Canadian-American borders. With Mexico, Sentri might be the only answer!
Sounds exciting. But not at this moment is it possible.
No, it’s not possible now!
Thanks for your comment!
It is terribly sad though. Hopefully a thing for the future for some people 😊
Yes, that was the main goal! 😊
Brilliant. I couldnt do it myself as am blind and in a wheelchair but I loved reading about it. It took me to places I can never go in reality but I felt the thrill of it. Thankyou,
My pleasure. Comments like yours keep me motivated enough to be consistent in writing!
Thank you very much for sharing! 😊
You are very welcome indeed, 😊