When I was still a 'newbie', I kept this map in my travel stash. I'd been to TJ several times, but only ventured between AB and CC, as I just didn't think that I had enough of a feel for the area. This map gave me all the info I needed to explore the whole of la zona. Looking back, this seems pretty silly to me.

Hee, hee. I remember, after about for or five months of having it on me, when a chica wanted to give me her phone number, I had her write it on the back of that piece of paper. (never let her see the map!)

Even funnier was that when she disappeared right after that, I met a chica with whom I really hit it off. About a month later, this new amiga especial invited me to her home in TJ to meet her brother and kids. I did and it was fun. But, guess who her next door neighbor was?? Yep, the chica who had given me the phone number.

When she saw me out in front of her house, her face turned to horror. Not that she didn't want to see me, or that she was jealous. I'm sure that her family didn't know what she was doing for work. I closed my eyes, and smiled at her as a way of letting her know that I understood. She let out a big sigh and mouthed 'thank you'. Her husband and kids never knew.

That's another key thing. If you are ever outside la zona and see a chica you know, don't rush over and say 'hello'. Make eye contact, and let her initate the conversation. If she doesn't, just let it go. It's possible that she's with family or friends who don't know what she does, and it would be VERY bad for her to have to try to explain how she knows this 'Americano'.

Anyway, here it is. I believe that we have Mark to thank for this map. It's a 'reprint' from Red Snake.



StrikeEagle

I have been looking for a street map of TJ for a while because I want to try driving in this year.Found one, I got it at Longs drugs,in National City,5 south,get off at Sweetwater,turn left,1/8 of a mile down on your left. 3.95,by Rockwell.
Right now time is more important to me than even money so if I drive in I can't afford to spend all that time in line waiting to get home.
I'm either going to have to get a sentri-pass, which I have serious reservations about applying for because I'm self employed and I'm worried about them contacting my wife or I buy a low priced second car and store it on the other side of the border. If anyone's ever done this I'd be interested in hearing about their experience.Thanks.

FYI There's an incredible backlog of applications for the sentri lane. I couldn't get an appointment until May and I called more than a month ago. And for reasons only the U.S. government could come up with the sentri lanes are not open on weekends when traffic is arguably even worse.

I am afraid I don't think either of those ideas are likely to work very well.

Sentri is for "commuters", NOT just for our convenience. They have made a HUGE issue out of this - they want to see you living in TJ and working in San Diego, or vis-a-versa.

That is also why it is not open weekends. It is for those folks who commute!

As to the car, you would face multiple problems - where to store it in TJ being a major one, plus if it is registered in CA you will violating several laws by doing this.

Also realize that the US Border tracks your license number when you cross the border. In and out of Mexico. When you needed to bring the car back into the US, they would see that it had been in Mexico for an extended period of time.

Sorry, but I don't have an easy solution.

Unless you buy your fave in TJ a car, and she drives you around...

A friend who inquired about a Sentri pass last week was given his choice of time and days to come in for an appointment...in August.

I would be extremely surprised to find that the U.S. Border Patrol keeps records of every car going into or out of Mexico. I also have known several Mexicans who lived in TJ, but had California registered vehicles. However, Curious' point about the difficulty of finding a place to keep a car is a good one.

Rent a cab all day. I find it takes as long to take a car through C&I as it does to walk. You can take a cab anywhere in TJ for $5 or negotiate all day service wirh a cab driver (use the ones by the square NOT the cab area) for about $30. This is less than it would cost to garage a car in TJ even if you could find one.

Ever noticed that you drive thru a controlled section on your way into Mexico now (but on the US side)? They have an automated system that digitizes your license plate number and stores it in the computer.

Same when you approach the border on your way back to the US. The vehicle history pops up on the agents computer screen, including a history of your trips in and out of Mexico.

This came to my attention one day when the agent asked what I had been doing in Mexico. I told him I had just dropped off a friend. He said "Fast trip." I must have looked confused, cause he then said "You were only in Mexico 56 minutes."

Also, when I was pulled into secondary, they had a pretty complete history of my trips in and out of Mexico for at least the past few months.

The rules in Mexico for cars registered in the US are strange and complex. In the last year or two they have started to crack down and enforce those rules much more than they have in the past. I have one friend, a Mexican, who lives in TJ but had a car registered in CA. He ended up losing the car to the Mexican authorities.

The rules for a US citizen to have a car in Mexico are even stranger. To come close to being legal you would need to post a bond to prove your intent was not to "import" the car to Mexico.

Also, in Mexico only the registered owner can legally drive a car registered in the US, unless the driver has a signed document allowing them to drive the vehicle - and then, the legal owner must also sign giving that permission (ie: the bank, or whoever holds the note on the car, if any).

It's a path I have been down with a friend of mine of over 40 years, and it is not a simple one. Certainly not as simple as buying a car and parking it somewhere in Mexico.

Hey Curious, what do you know about a US citizen actually living in Mexico and having their car registered in the US? I am thinking more in line of those who live deep within the country, say, like Guadalajara. It was my understanding that they had to take the car back to the US twice a year for a few days.

As far as the Mexican law that you have to leave the country with the vehicle that you registered upon entry (we're talking again about down on the mainland) I went through this around 7 years ago. The vehicle was to be left at our final destination. I flew out and no one ever said a word at the airport. I don't know if this is still possible.

Bonds have to be posted on bringing a car into Mexico except for a few border towns. If you keep a US registered car in Mexico you better have both UD and Mexican insurance. This is not cheap. I still say renting a taxi for a day is cheaper and less risky.

American registered cars in mainland Mexico have to be temporaly imported (see "bonds" above). The downside tot his is that you can only import them for a maximum of 6 months, and only once a year. So if you want to live down south, after six months, the car has to leave the country for the next 6 months. On the other hand, if you are going to live there full time, just buy a Mexican car. This does not apply to the Baja pensinula, by the way.
I live in Tijuana and have 2 cars, one with California plates and one with Washington DC plates. The authorities do not hassle me about either. It is ILLEGAL for Mexican citizens who are not US legal residents to own American cars, or drive them, and if caught the cars are confiscated. Think about it if a girl asks to borrow your car...

YES I STILL POST ONCE IN A WHILE...

The Sentri pass is the way to go. In San Ysidro the lane is open til 10pm 7 days a week. Even Otay Mesa is open on the weekend, though only until 6pm. I find the only challenge driving through the border is getting into Mexico, where it sometimes takes 30mins to 15mins. Getting out with the commuter lane available is a piece of cake.

This discussion about the border patrol keeping records of our licence plates everytime we cross the border really disturbs me. I drive my own car down about once a week and drive right up to AB and park out front. I have been doing this for about a year. You don't suppose anything would ever get mailed to my house by the Customs service do you? My GF would flip if she found something in the mail detailing every trip I'd made for the last year. No way I could explain that away? I used to take the taxis when I first started out down there about 1 1/2 years ago, but that got old real quick. I find driving in so much easier and faster. My missions "in country" usually only last about 2 hours and adding another hour for the walk across is kind of impractical. I can get away with a 6 hour absense(2 hours each way from LA, 2 hours in paradise). Does anybody else drive in everytime or am I the only psycho?

What about the time in line to get home,how long do you wait in line to get across in your car?

Hey Adelito,

The walk in isn't anywhere near an hour unless you're moon-walking the whole time. I'd say 10-15 minutes if you're walking quick...no more than half an hour if you're taking in the sights.

Adelito - I usually drive in once a week during the day and park at Willy's 5 pesos/hour lot one block south of Coahuila on Ninos Heroes (after having my car broken into and the radio stolen while parked on Coahuila across from Manhatten Club). I also do the 6-8 hour absence route so my time on task in TJ is important to me. My commute from Corona is around 1:40 hrs. Recently getting across the border back into the US has been a real pain even when I avoid the Gringo Trap (left side lanes) and enter the inspection lanes on the right. At the time I head back (between 3-5 pm) getting across the boarder almost adds an extra hour to the commute and I am considering going back to walking or taking the bus across to Rev. I used to park at the first trolley station (Beyer) and ride to San Ysidro then catch the $1 bus. I probably will go back to that for my trips and January.

Also, what insurance do you use? I just switched to a different insurance company and they specifically point out they do not insure for anything in Mexico whereas the State Farm policy I used to have covered some limited liability.

One final note. I read awhile ago in the LA times that some guy got nailed in a divorce proceeding because he was using the FastTrack toll lanes when visiting his girlfriend. FastTrack even provided dates and times. One would hope that such information is not available from the INS/Customs but it is obvious that Big Brother is Watching...I just hope they don't have a long memory or talk about what they see.

Buena Surte
BluJay

Adelito -

When I had a pile of crap car I preferred to drive in and park in the garage on Rev and Diaz Miron (go into TJ, head to Rev, and go left about one block). It's across from Madonna's.

Now that I have a car I don't want to get stolen or messed up, I just walk it. Driving back you can literally sit there upwards of an hour or more just to get over the border. Walking, it takes maximum of 10 minutes for me.

I usually leave AB at about 2 or 3AM. I try to NEVER leave after 4 because traffic is fucked then. I almost never have more than about a 10 minute wait if I get out by then. I have gotten stuck a few times later than 4. My first 10 trips or so I walked across, but to me it just seems so much easier to drive and pay a guy a couple bucks out in front of AB. The guy recognizes me and if there aren't any spots, he finds the driver of one of the cars parked there and gets him to move. The worst I have ever had to do is go around the corner on Ninos Heroes and pay $6 to park in the lot. I have driven in at least 50 times in the last year and never had any trouble whatsoever. I know I am taking a chance, but we all take a chance everytime we drive 70 miles an hour on the freeway and there sure seem to be plenty of people doing that. We also are taking a pretty big chance going down there in the first place, be it our wives finding out, having at least fairly risky sexual contact with multiple partners, or risking going into an area where we can't count on the police to protect us where we all know plenty of criminals are just waiting for the chance to do who knows what to us. I understand the ideas behind minimizing risk and I guess I am adding just one more potential hazard to myself by driving, but ever the optomist...so far, so good.

I usually park at alot next to CC. It costs about 5 bucks for 5 hrs.I used to walk but that got old quick. I also leave by 1-2 am and get right through in 10 minutes or so.The worst time is after 3:30 it can take about 20-30 minutes at least.

Good afternoon gentlemen. RT here.

I have a question. I hope it is appropriate in this discussion.

Where (in relation to the border) is the Zona Rio? According to the maps I'm seeing, there is a Sears, a 'Plaza Rio', the Hotel Camino Real in the area I'm looking.

Can this be walked (safely) from la linea? Should I cab it? Anyone hear anything about the Como Que No! restaurant?

TIA,
RT (108 hours to go)

Gooch,

These are standard newbie questions, for which answers are available from the Brockton O'Toole FAQ.

Actually Zona Rio is not covered in the BOT FAQ.


I would take a cab from La Linea to Zona Rio. It is possible to safely walk there in the daytime but it can be a long walk. I have walked there only once and now I always take a cab to and from Zona Rio.

From Centro (on 3rd street between Ave. Revolution and Constitution) you can also take a bus or collective taxi for about 50 cents, but it helps if you can speak some Spanish or are with someone who can.

Dimone

Oops, I misread the message. Zona *Rio*, not the Zona Norte, is really not walkable from the border, largely because the river is in the way.

I would cab it the first time there.

Dimone: Thanks. Cab it is.

Explorer: No sweat. Good thing I'm not 20 years younger. I would have gotten all worked up over your answer. If I was a brand-new newbie, however, it would have been nice to point me to BOT's FAQ with the link. The link is: http://birch.he.net/~reunion/misc/botfaq.txt

Anyway, thanks guys -- I appreciate the attention.

RT (102 hours and counting)

Everything is a $5 cab from CC or AB or the border. I go too the zone, find a friend & then take a cab to Zone Rio for dinner, there are some nice restaurants there. Then I cab back to AB if I feel like it or straight to the border. Look in "Hungry Hiker" website.

RT, Plaza Rio is the shopping mall right in the middle of the Zona Rio, which translates as River Zone. It is a fairly long walk from the border, but safe if you just really like to walk. It extends from the border roughly to Blvd. Agua Caliente, from Av. Sanchez Toboada on the SW to Colonia Libertad on the other side of the river. I know nothing about Como Que No as a restaurant, but I am told that it is sometimes a good bar if you like to dance and prefer women in their late 20's to mid 30's, as opposed to the younger crowd you will find at Senior Frogs, Plaza Fiesta, and Baby Rock. When you are facing Como Que No, the is a restaurant in the far left corner of the parking lot called El Faro de Mazatlan. They are expensive by TJ standards but have excellent seafood. It is my favorite place to take a date for lunch or dinner. La Diferencia, Espadana, and Cas de Mole are also good restaurants in the area, and I am sure there are others as well. I am told that Hotel Camino Real has a great Sunday brunch, but I keep forgetting to check it out.

Hungry Hiker has restaurant reviews and a map.

Thanks for the excellent info, Hippie.

Does Como Que No vary from night to night with regards to age of chicas that frequent it? What kind of music is generally played there for dancing? Also, is it a club that is so popular that it is wall to wall people on a Friday night, for example? TIA

Celtics, someone else will have to answer that question. I want to go, but have not made it yet. That is why I was careful to say "I am told" - I hate it when people pass on second hand info without telling you it is such. I know Tomas has been a couple of times, and my answer was based in part on what he has told me. As far as the age factor, all of the people I have talked to who have been there made a point to mention that it is a somewhat older crowd, so my guess is that is true just about every night. I have heard that the attractiveness of the women varies greatly from night to night, however. I would definitely be up for going some weekend night soon.

I've been there a few times and thought it was pretty good. Big place. Talk to Rockin if you can find him(I don't know his e-mail)he goes there every Saturday night I think.

I will be in that region this weekend and if I have time I will drop by.

There is a nice hotel over that way on Sanchez Taboada called Hacienda del Rio. It's about $65 a night or for a bit more you can get a suite. What I usually do is drive my car there and leave it if I am planning on drinking alot and taking a taxi over to AB. Very clean and nice place...would probably cost about $140/night in U.S. Como Que No is about 2 blocks away, but I have never been in there. I think I will try it out next time.

Hey if you guys are looking for a good map of TJ here's one I found in a store here in Redondo Beach that specializes in stuff for travelers.

GUIA ROJI (red vial) are the premier map brand for Mexico. They are published in huge fold outs and also bound book form. I have both for Guadalajara.

There are several on-line map dealers that stock or can order these. I bought the GDL fold out one at geographia.com in Burbank.

Darn good maps.

This map is very detailed compared to the Rockwell map. However, it is also frequently incorrect! There are many streets missing or misnamed, especially outside the central area.

Part 1 of 2, Tijuana Map, shows border crossing and side walk bridge.

Part 2 of 2, Tijuana Map, shows plaza fiesta and zona rosa.

Tijuana Map, local area.

... and if you look at the last map, find the airport, then go about another page EAST of the airport, that's where I am and about half the population of Tijuana, had a house.

Here is a link to a really excellent street map of downtown Tijuana, its Zona Rio, and the area to the south of those two areas. You can enlarge the detail via your toolbar above the map, about in the middle of the screen.

http://www.advantagemexico.com/tijuana/images/tijuana_map.pdf

wow. interesting to see such a detailed map of TIJUANA..!!!!!

I WILL MAKE ME A COPY...
maybe one day it will come handy.

Well its 2010 and now you can check out the streets of Zona Norte virtually on Google earth.just type in 601 constitcion, tijuana. You can see the names of all the bars and hotel you would like to stay. You don't see the girls faces since they are all blurred....which is a good thing.