Tijuana Mexico

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Crossing the border from the all-American city of San Diego to the Mexican vacation paradise of Tijuana is not such a difficult feat as many would assume crossing an international border might be. The municipality of Tijuana is on the northern part of the Baja California Peninsula, directly adjacent to the United States San Diego, California. The distance between the two cities is a mere 18 miles, making traveling across the border a constant and average affair every hour and everyday of the week.

Those who are in American soil that have a yearning to experience, if but for a short time, the nightlife, culture and lifestyle of Tijuana, Baja California can easily cross the international border through the many and different available transportation modes.

Tijuana Taxis

Many tourists do not know that sharing a taxi in Tijuana, or in many parts of Mexico, is actually a common practice. Most taxis in Tijuana do not have fare meters, and operate through set fares or negotiated fares. From the San Ysidro international border crossing point going to the Avenida Revolucion for instance, the usually set cab fare is five dollars regardless of how many passengers are in the cab. Tourists can feel free to negotiate with the driver before boarding the cab in order to get a lower cab fare.

There are also many Tijuana taxis that have meters. These usually cost less because the fare is determined by the distance traveled. Tourists can easily differentiate between the different kinds of Tijuana cabs thanks to their color coding system.

San Diego Trolleys

The famous trolley system of San Diego actually connects this city with Tijuana, Baja California. From downtown San Diego, you can board one of the brilliant red trolleys that makes frequent trips to San Ysidro. The blue line of the San Diego trolley system is currently the one that makes trips between the San Diego Old Town Transit Center and the San Ysidro Transit Center. From the San Ysidro Transit Center, tourists can take a taxi, board one of the passing tourist shuttles and buses, or simply walk across the border crossing point and in to Tijuana.

Bus lines and Shuttle services

Another public transportation option are the bus and shuttle lines that continually make their rounds to and from designated destinations in Tijuana. Most of the buses and tourist shuttles begin at the international crossing points and head towards different places in Tijuana, Mexicali, Tecate and Playas de Rosarito. Popular tourist areas such as the famous Avenida de Revolucion, the airports, greyhound racing tracks, bullfighting arena, and the Playas de Tijuana (Tijuana beach). There are also shuttle services and tourist buses that you can hire to follow special routes and destinations.

Car Rentals

There are several car rental companies that will lend you a vehicle of your choose to cruise around Mexico with. Some Tijuana car rentals will only allow you to drive their cars around Tijuana, others will allow you to drive as far as Mexicali or even Los Cabos depending on your agreement. Although an auto insurance is not required, it is recommended that you get one.

You also need not worry about getting an international driver’s license, although having one would be convenient. Those planning to drive around Tijuana need only a driver’s license and the vehicle registration of the automobile they are driving, both of which they must have in possession every time they hit the road.

Bringing your own car

If you’re driving your own car, keep in mind that not all US car insurance companies will provide coverage if your car is in Mexican territory so it is better if you make sure beforehand. If this is the case, there are several Mexican car insurance companies that offer daily, weekly, and monthly car insurances.