San Diego Airport to Ensenada and Back
For people coming from outside of Mexico, the easiest way to Ensenada is to fly to San Diego. (Tijuana has an international airport, but there are no international flights from the US or Canada.) Upon arrival, we recommend that you make your way to the border, walk through immigration and customs, and catch an intercity bus from Tijuana to Ensenada. While it is possible to rent a car at the San Diego Airport and drive to Ensenada, we strongly urge you not to do so. It is usually much faster to walk across the border, and driving through Tijuana is difficult if you do not know where you are going, especially on the way back into the USA. (However, if you do insist on driving a rental car, make sure you get Mexico insurance from your rental car company. If you have an accident, your insurance will not cover it.)
It is rather simple to get across the border and to travel between Tijuana and Ensenada. However, it can be a bit daunting for first timers, especially since Google Maps directions are fairly useless in the border area of Tijuana. The following instructions will help you get easily and safely from the San Diego Airport to Ensenada.
There are two border crossings Between San Diego and Tijuana, PedWest and San Ysidro. There is talk that PedWest may soon close in the San Diego to Tijuana direction, so you should plan on entering Mexico through the San Ysidro crossing. PedWest is the faster option on the return trip from Tijuana to San Diego, but it closes at 2:00 PM every day. You must be in the queue to cross the border by 1:30 PM if you wish to cross via PedWest, otherwise they will close the gate before you can get in line. Operating hours may change at any time at the whims of the Customs & Border Patrol, so it is therefore recommended to check before going there.
Download offline Google maps to your phone before your trip! Maps to download: San Diego downtown and airport, San Ysidro border area (both San Diego and Tijuana sides of border), and Ensenada.
Note that Google Maps directions are very wrong in the border area of Tijuana. In the detailed instructions below, Google maps (with links) are provided, and you should use those instead of searching for your own routes. In several cases, bicycle maps are provided, or directions are given in the opposite direction you want to go – this is the only way to get correct directions in those instances. Searching on your own will take you over non-existent pedestrian bridges or onto expressway on-ramps!
Overview
- Airport to border crossing
- Taxi/Uber/Lyft: simple but pricey ($60 to $100)
- Trolley: cheaper ($2.50), but it takes some effort to get to the trolley station from the airport
- Crossing the border
- Similar to going through immigration and customs at an airport. You will wait in line, get an entry permit at immigration, and have your bag X-rayed at customs.
- Border crossing to bus station
- A short walk (500 m).
- Bus from Tijuana to Ensenada
- Fairly simple, just buy a ticket, check your luggage, and get on the bus.
- Ensenada bus station to hotel
- You can walk, taxi, or Uber (Lyft is not available in Mexico). Uber is simplest and usually less than MXN 100 (about US$5.00).
- A taxi to the border will take 25 to 45 minutes and cost about $60 to $100, depending on traffic. Ask the driver to take you to the San Ysidro Transit Center.
- For Uber or Lyft, set your destination to San Ysidro Transit Center.
- You will need to walk a bit to get to the entrance to the San Ysidro border crossing. See the map below. [MAP]
, and
follow the signs to Mexico.
Taking the trolley will take about 50 minutes once you get to the station and cost $2.50. There are three options to get to the trolley from the Airport.
- Take rental car shuttle to rental car center. Shuttles leave from each terminal once every five minutes or so. Walk from rental car center to Middletown Trolley Station. You can ask the driver to let you off at Palm Ave. which can save you some walking. This is the fastest option, but involves more walking. [MAP]
- Take the San Diego Flyer, a free shuttle bus, to Old Town Station. This is easier, but the schedule is random and currently not even posted (it only says every 20 to 30 minutes). This is the slowest option, but it involves little walking.
- Take a taxi to Kettner and Broadway. On the NE corner is America Plaza Trolley station. A taxi will be about US$25.00. This is cheaper than taking a taxi all the way to the border, but much faster than the other two options.
Once you make it to Old Town, Middletown, or America Plaza Station:
- You will need to get a Pronto card from a vending machine at the station, or you can install the Pronto App (Android, Apple). If you use the app, you can preload value using a can preload value using a credit card, and then use that value to get a QR code on your phone which you will need to get read by one of the scanners on the platform. If you get the card, you can add value at the vending machine, but you must tap it on the scanners to purchase a valid fare. The fare is $2.50 each way, so you may as well load $5.00 if you plan to return via the trolley as well. Make sure you tap your card or scan a QR code on your phone with one of the fare validators before boarding the trolley! Transit police often get on trolleys and ask you to show valid fare, so have your card or phone handy.
- Once you validate the fare, it is valid for two hours.
- Take the Blue Line trolley southbound to end of line at San Ysidro (the destination on the trolley sign may say “San Ysidro”, “Int’l Border” or “Tijuana”). You are now at the border.
- Exit the trolley to the left and walk towards the front of the train to the end of the tracks. Follow the signs to Mexico. [MAP]
- You will pass through a gate to enter Mexico, and then you will go through immgration, Enter the lane marked Extrajeños where you will get an entry permit.
- You must keep this permit with your passport. You likely won't need it on your person when you are in Ensenada, but you should make sure you have it when departing for the site visit as there is a checkpoint on the way there. You will also need it when crossing the border back into the US. Mexican immigration officials will check for it before you can depart the country.
- After you get through immigration, you will need to get your bag X-rayed, then you can leave the customs building.
- If they find you trying to import anything, they will make you pay 16% VAT (and maybe a 25% tariff if that is still going on)! It is best to not bring anything they might think you are importing, but if for some reason you do, bring the receipt and be prepared to pay the taxes and duties.
- Once outside, make your way to the bus station.
Below is a photo of the Bus Station, so you can recognize it when you arrive. There are several bus companies there, make sure you go to ABC Bus, as shown in the photo.
- Once you get past the X-Ray machine, you will go outside and walk for about 200m to the exit gate. There is only one way to go, so just follow the walkway.
- Once through the gate (or what used to be a gate!), go past the taco trucks to the street, take a right, and cross over the bridge.
- Walk to Terminal de Autobuses (Bus Terminal) [MAP]. Note that the directions on the linked map are for bicycling, but they are correct for pedestrians. Directions for pedestrians will take you over a bridge that has not existed for years! Instead, you will end up walking through the auto traffic to the border crossing.
- Buses leave on the hour, every hour between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM.
- Buy a ticket to Ensenada.
- Tickets cost 267 Pesos (about US$17). Costs frequently change so be prepared to pay more. Credit cards are accepted. You also may pay in US$ if you need to.
- Ticket sales people usually speak a bit of English. If not, show them this text: Ensenada, sencillo por favor.
- Give them your passport so they can add your name to the ticket.
- The bus ticket will have your reserved seat number (“Asiento” on the ticket). Ensenada is the only destination for ABC buses from this bus station so there is no danger of taking the wrong bus.
- You must check any large bags (anything larger than a laptop bag will probably not fit
overhead) before you get on the bus. Make sure you keep the claim ticket handy -- you
will need it to get your bag back!
- Tip the guy a couple pesos if you want, both when checking and claiming bags.
- There are restrooms at the bus station, but you need to go through a coin-operated turnstile, which is awkward with luggage. There will be a restroom on the bus as well which is cleaned before every trip, so you are better off waiting to use that one.
- Take the bus to Ensenada. There are two stations in Ensenada. Get off at the first
station (Calle Sexta and Gastélum, the Arrival Station in the map below) when you get
into town [MAP]. (Primera is also shown on the map for reference – your
hotel is likely on or near
this street.) Don’t forget your luggage!
- Don’t necessarily get off at the first stop the bus makes, it may make additional stops on the way. Many people will get off at this station so you will know.
- Walking to your hotel will take 15 to 20 minutes. Sidewalks are not always so great so it might not be ideal to walk with luggage. Lyft is not available in Mexico, but Uber works and is the recommended way to get to your hotel since many taxi drivers do not speak English very well. However, there are usually taxis parked near the bus station if you do not want to use Uber. It won’t be too expensive either way. If you take a taxi, make sure you have the hotel name and address so you can show the driver.
Overview
Similarly, your return trip an be divided into five legs, outlined below. Note that if you participate in the site visit, you will arrive back in Ensenada Friday afternoon. That is a very busy time to cross the border, it may take more than four hours if you cross that afternoon. It is strongly recommended that you either stay an extra night in Ensenada, or stay the night in San Diego before flying out so you do not miss your flight!
- Hotel/site visit to bus station
- Take an Uber or taxi from hotel. If you are returning from the site visit and want to take a bus Friday afternoon, you will be dropped off directly at the bus station.
- Bus from Ensenada to Tijuana
- Again, fairly simple. Buy a ticket, check your luggage, and get on the bus.
- Bus Station to border crossing
- Go to PedWest if it is open (i.e. you arrive before 1:30 PM), otherwise go to San Ysidro.
- Crossing the border
- Same as before, but much slower You will wait in line, go through immigration, and have your bag X-rayed at customs. Make sure you have your Mexican entry ermit handy, immigration officials may check it before you can leave the country.
- If the wait at San Ysidro is very long (ask a local waiting in the queue, they will know!), you can take a bus across the border which can save you a couple hours and save a lot of time standing in line.
- Border crossing to San Diego airport or hotel
- Taxi/Uber/Lyft: simple but pricey ($60 to $100)
- Trolley: cheaper ($2.50), but it takes some effort to get to the airport from the trolley station.
- For the return trip, it is better to depart from the main station at Riveroll and Calle Once ([MAP], see above). They have a larger waiting area. Buses leave from here every hour at half past the hour, between 5:30 AM and 7:30 PM.
- If you are leaving from your hotel, take an Uber (recommended) or a taxi. You may also walk if you want but it is not a pleasant walk with luggage.
- If you are returning from the site visit and not staying the night in Ensenada, you will be dropped off directly at the bus station.
- Note that the border crossing time can be very long (over four hours!), especially on weekends.
- If you get dropped off at the bus station on the observatory ride from SPM, you will arrive at the station between 1:30 and 2:00 PM. You will most likely be taking the 2:30 PM bus and arriving in Tijuana between 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM.
- It is strongly recommended that you do not try to fly out of San Diego after crossing the border if you go directly to the border after riding back to Ensenada from the observatory. There is a good chance there will be heavy pedestrian border traffic and you will miss your flight. Either stay the night in San Diego or stay the night in Ensenada and catch an early bus back the next morning and cross via PedWest.
- There is also currently a major highway project in Tijuana which makes the travel time from Ensenada as long as 2.5 hours. The PedWest border crossing is the fastest way to get across (usually less than an hour), but they close at 2:00 PM, meaning you need to be in the queue by 1:30 PM. Take the 9:30 AM bus (or earlier!) if you want to arrive in time to cross the border at PedWest. If you want to fly out of San Diego the same day you should consider the 6:30 AM or 7:30 AM bus instead.
- Buy a ticket to Tijuana Linea, which is the bus
station you will have departed from if you took the bus down from Tijuana.
- There are three buses to Tijuana: Linea, Centro, and Aeropuerto! Make sure you get a ticket for the Linea bus! And make sure you get on the Linea bus!
- If the ticket agent does not speak English well, show them this text:
Tijuana Linea, sencillo por favor.
- The bus station at Tijuana Linea will be the last stop.
Go to PedWest if it is open (i.e. you arrive before 1:30 PM), otherwise go to San Ysidro.
- Walk from the bus station to the end of the queue for the border crossing [MAP]. Note that the map at the link is for bicycles and in the wrong direction, but it is the best way to go. Google’s pedestrian directions take you over a non-existent bridge or along expressway on ramps that do not have sidewalks.
- Get off the bus, collect your luggage, and walk to the PedWest border crossing entrance [MAP]. If it is closed, you will need to go to the San Ysidro border crossing (see above).
- Again, do not follow the suggestion of Google Maps to cut through the shopping center. It is mostly abandoned and there are often locked gates that prevent you from making it through.
- This process will be similar to entering Mexico, but it will take much longer. The main difference is you may need to show your Mexican entry permit to Mexican immigration officials before you can depart.The other difference is you will need to show your passport when going through the gate at the border before you enter US territory. If you have US passport, they will not inspect it (that happens at immigration), they just want to ensure you have one. For other nationalities, they will check to ensure it is valid. They will also want to see your ESTA if you are required to have one. You can show a screenshot of your ESTA on your mobile device, but it is better to have one printed. Please ask the LOC for assistance on printing.
- If you need to cross at San Ysidro and the queue is very long, there is a cross-border bus [MAP]. The cost is US$10.00. After you buy a ticket, you will need to go to a window and give them your passport so they can add you to the list they will give to the US Immigration Office. Note that the trip may take 1.5 to 2 hours, but it is better than 4 hours and you can sit down for most of the time. Sit on the right side of the bus, if possible, the afternoon sun can be annoying. You will get off the bus just before immigration and wait for the agents to let you in.
- A taxi or Uber or Lyft will cost the same as taking one from the Airport to the border ($60 to $100, depending on traffic).
- If you cross at San Ysidro, you will exit customs and immigration right next to the trolley station. If you cross at PedWest, you will need to walk about 1 km [MAP]. See map below.
- Make sure you validate your fare (add it to your card if needed) by tapping your Pronto card on the fare validator or scanning the QR code from the Pronto App on your phone screen!
- You can take the trolley back to the airport by reversing the steps
described
at the beginning of this document.
- Note that you cannot catch the rental car shuttle at Palm St., you will need to walk all the way to the rental car center if you use that option.
- Note that only trolleys with the destination UTC will go to Middletown and Old Town stations. Trolleys going to America Plaza will stop well before those stations. Depending on the schedule, you can either wait for a UTC trolley, or take the America Plaza trolley to 12th & Imperial Station and transfer there to the Green Line which will take you to Middletown or Old Town.
- You may be spending the night in Downtown San Diego and flying out in the morning. The trolley will go through downtown so you can take it there. You may want to transfer to the green line at 12th & Imperial, you should check Google Transit for your best options. (Free transfers are allowed for two hours after validating your fare.)
