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Hi:

I live Punta Banda, south of Ensenada. On occasion I have friends from Canada visit me by flying in to San Diego airport.

It can be a really long drive for me to pick them up...150 minutes to get to the border, up to 120 minutes at the border, another 60 minutes to get to the airport and park...that's 5.5 hours just to pick them up, and then another 3 hours driving back to Punta Banda. And then having to repeat the journey when they depart.

Is there any reliable service that will pick them up at the SD airport and drive them to, say, Rosarito where I could meet them? Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

They can take a taxi from the airport to the shuttle stop at America Plaza across the street from the Amtrak station. From there they can take the shuttle down to the border where they can catch the Mexicoach to Rosarito:

Mexicoach - Bus Service from San Ysidro to Tijuana and Rosarito

If they're taking a bus to Rosarito, they may as well take the ABC from the border to Ensenada.

I thought you had to go to the bus terminal for ABC. They pick up at the border???

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

I thought you had to go to the bus terminal for ABC. They pick up at the border???

Yeah....there's an ABC terminal about 200 yards from the turnstiles, in the big Mall across the street from the Caliente Foreign Book. It's around a ten dollar ticket to Ensenada and they make the trip faster than I can drive it.
Leaves every hour.

Thanks for the info.

So it seems the best thing might be to get a taxi and /or shuttle from the SD airport to the border, walk across, and then take an ABC bus to downtown Ensenada.

Can you give me directions to the ABC terminal, if my visitor is walking across the border? You said that it is" 200 yards from the turnstiles, in the big Mall across the street from the Caliente Foreign Book". So they walk straight from the turnstiles a couple of hundred yards and hopefully they can't miss it? (Sorry, I have never walked across so this is new to me).

I assume that on the return trip, they can follow the same method, in reverse (except it will take a lot longer to get across the border entering the US).

Thanks.

Walking into Mexico at San Ysidro.....you will enter through turnstiles, walk 100 yards to the far end of the yard where your path turns right and continues on for another fifty yards to a turnstile exit. At the point where the path turned right fifty yards back, there will be another turnstile exit, but ignore that one.
Exit through the turnstiles and cross the street in front of you, using the signal and crosswalk.
That puts you right at the Mall I mentioned.
Stay on the outside, perimeter sidewalk and continue walking in a clockwise direction around the Mall for about another hundred yards and you'll be standing at the terminal. You should see a bus or two parked there.
Make sure you enter the ABC terminal [very small place] as there are other bus lines there as well.

When in doubt, ask anyone in the area that doesn't look lost.

I haven't done this for a few years, so it's possible there have been some construction changes. If things don't look just like I described, ask for directions. If you ask a cab driver, [they're everywhere] he'll want to give you a ride to the terminal. Don't do it. Just ask someone else.

Another thing......The Ensenada terminal is on Tenth Street, but the bus will make one stop in Ensenada before going there. It stops at Sixth and Gastelum where most everybody on the bus will get off.
Sixth and Gastelum is about ten o'clock on this map.


Map of Ensenada Baja Mexico - Baja Mexico Maps, Ensenada Map

Originally Posted by colamex

Thanks for the info.

I assume that on the return trip, they can follow the same method, in reverse (except it will take a lot longer to get across the border entering the US).

Thanks.

Basically the same, but different. I don't know when your guests plan on leaving, but there are times during the day when the passenger load is more, or less.....such as first bus out in the morning around 6:00. Always crowded....so I would suggest going to the terminal in Ensenada the day before departure and buying your tickets. Seats are assigned when you buy your ticket and it's first come.......first seated.
Also....at the Ens terminal, be sure to get your tickets from the window that specifies, "LINEA." If you don't get on that TJ bound bus, you might end up at the main terminal and your troubles will just begin.

Crossing the border from the TJ Linea terminal will require you to walk, along with many others, across the bridge over the lines of northbound crossing traffic, and lining up to go through US Customs. This line can be long....and probably will be, so be patient.

Thanks, Dennis, that is very helpful information. I appreciate your taking the time to help me out.

Originally Posted by colamex

Thanks, Dennis, that is very helpful information. I appreciate your taking the time to help me out.

Anything for a fellow Punta Bandinian. El gusto es mío.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

Anything for a fellow Punta Bandinian. El gusto es mío.

And here all this time I have (affectionately) referred to you guys as Punta Bandidos...

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

And here all this time I have (affectionately) referred to you guys as Punta Bandidos...

That's us too. Thanks.

One last (I hope) question: Going north, after crossing the border on foot into the US at San Ysidro, is it easy to get a taxi there to go to SD airport? (rather than taking the shuttle)

Originally Posted by colamex

One last (I hope) question: Going north, after crossing the border on foot into the US at San Ysidro, is it easy to get a taxi there to go to SD airport? (rather than taking the shuttle)

I would take the trolley [it's right there, fifty feet away, when you exit the customs building] to America Plaza, downtown San Diego. It'll save you a bundle.
From the Plaza, take a shuttle or cab. The trolley doesn't get real close to the airport.

......"MTS’ San Diego Trolley is San Diego’s light rail transit network. Its three lines serve many popular areas and attractions, such as Downtown, the Convention Center, SDSU, Old Town, and the Mexican border.

The Trolley does not stop at the Airport. However, the Trolley’s Blue and Orange Lines make convenient transfers with MTS Bus Route 992 at America Plaza station......"

Great, thanks again guys.