Drive rental car from US to Mexico??
 

We need to visit Ensenada in Baja California, and it looks like the
easiest way to do it would be to fly to San Diego and drive the 80 odd
miles.
Is there a problem taking a rental car over the border? Any specialist
rental companies?

TIA
T.

Drive rental car from US to Mexico??
 

On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:00:48 +0200, Tom P
wrote:

We need to visit Ensenada in Baja California, and it looks like the
easiest way to do it would be to fly to San Diego and drive the 80 odd
miles.
Is there a problem taking a rental car over the border? Any specialist
rental companies?

I suggest you contact the rental companies and ask them for an
unequivocal answer. And you will have to buy Mexican auto
insurance from a Mexican company (but sold by American agents,
including AAA affiliates). In theory, if you remain in Mexico for
over 72 hours you will also need a visitor's card even though you
will be in the frontier zone.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

Drive rental car from US to Mexico??
 

Hatunen wrote:
On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:00:48 +0200, Tom P
wrote:

We need to visit Ensenada in Baja California, and it looks like the
easiest way to do it would be to fly to San Diego and drive the 80 odd
miles.
Is there a problem taking a rental car over the border? Any specialist
rental companies?

I suggest you contact the rental companies and ask them for an
unequivocal answer. And you will have to buy Mexican auto
insurance from a Mexican company (but sold by American agents,
including AAA affiliates). In theory, if you remain in Mexico for
over 72 hours you will also need a visitor's card even though you
will be in the frontier zone.

Thanks.
I just found this link:
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/?p=1398
T.

Drive rental car from US to Mexico??
 

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:37:56 +0200, Tom P
wrote:

Hatunen wrote:

I suggest you contact the rental companies and ask them for an
unequivocal answer. And you will have to buy Mexican auto
insurance from a Mexican company (but sold by American agents,
including AAA affiliates). In theory, if you remain in Mexico for
over 72 hours you will also need a visitor's card even though you
will be in the frontier zone.

Thanks.
I just found this link:
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/?p=1398
T.

Cool. But do check on the Tourist Card (not mentioned on that web
site): http://www.mexonline.com/visamex.htm

The 72-hour requirement is stated a bit ambiguously, but the card
is required, even in the border zone. On the other hand, you are
quite unlikely to be detected without one if don't encounter any
internal check points.




--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

Drive rental car from US to Mexico??
 

"Hatunen" wrote in message
...

Cool. But do check on the Tourist Card (not mentioned on that web
site): http://www.mexonline.com/visamex.htm

The 72-hour requirement is stated a bit ambiguously, but the card
is required, even in the border zone. On the other hand, you are
quite unlikely to be detected without one if don't encounter any
internal check points.

I don't know where you're getting your information, but there is NO
requirement for a tourist card in the border zone, which includes Ensenada.

http://studenttravel.about.com/od/me...exico_visa.htm
http://www.mexicoexpo.com/pages/h_touris.html
http://gomexico.about.com/od/entryre...urist_card.htm

OTOH only a blithering idiot drives in Mexico without Mexican liability
insurance. If someone is injured in an accident you can be held until you
can prove that the injured person will be properly compensated.

TB

Drive rental car from US to Mexico??
 

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:44:14 -0700, "Technobarbarian"
wrote:


"Hatunen" wrote in message
.. .

Cool. But do check on the Tourist Card (not mentioned on that web
site): http://www.mexonline.com/visamex.htm

The 72-hour requirement is stated a bit ambiguously, but the card
is required, even in the border zone. On the other hand, you are
quite unlikely to be detected without one if don't encounter any
internal check points.

I don't know where you're getting your information, but there is NO
requirement for a tourist card in the border zone, which includes Ensenada.

http://studenttravel.about.com/od/me...exico_visa.htm

From that web site:

Who Needs Mexico Tourist Cards?
Travelers staying in Mexico for more than 72 hours or traveling
beyond the "border zone" need Mexico tourist cards

In other words, border zone or not, after 72 hours you need a
tourist card.

http://www.mexicoexpo.com/pages/h_touris.html

From that web site:

MEXICO TOURIST CARD & VISITOR FEE

Effective July 1999 the Mexican government imposed a 170 Mexican
Peso Tourist Fee (approximately $18.00 U.S. dollars) per visitor
traveling into Mexico for pleasure or on business. This fee must
accompany a Tourist Card, is valid for 6 months, and is necessary
if you plan to:

* Remain anywhere in Mexico for more than 72 hours.
* Stay less than 72 hours but travel beyond the 16 mile checkpoint.

In other words, border zone or not, after 72 hours you need a
visitor card.

http://gomexico.about.com/od/entryre...urist_card.htm

From that web site:

Question: What is a tourist card and how do I get one?

Answer: A tourist card, or FMT, is a tourist permit required for
travelers to Mexico who will be staying longer than 72 hours, or
traveling outside the United States-Mexico border zone.

In other words, border zone or not, after 72 hours you need a
visitor card.

[...]

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

Drive rental car from US to Mexico??
 

"Hatunen" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:44:14 -0700, "Technobarbarian"
wrote:


"Hatunen" wrote in message
. ..

Cool. But do check on the Tourist Card (not mentioned on that web
site): http://www.mexonline.com/visamex.htm

The 72-hour requirement is stated a bit ambiguously, but the card
is required, even in the border zone. On the other hand, you are
quite unlikely to be detected without one if don't encounter any
internal check points.

I don't know where you're getting your information, but there is NO
requirement for a tourist card in the border zone, which includes
Ensenada.

http://studenttravel.about.com/od/me...exico_visa.htm

So, ok, I did a bit more digging. Online I can find support for your
version and support for my version. As a technical matter you might be
right. As a practical matter no one gets an FMT for the border zone. Here's
the thing: The tourist card has to be stamped at an entry point. When you
drive in this has to be done before you can get the FMT validated at a bank.
The OP isn't going to see an entry point. The entry points are on the south
side of the border zone and at airports. Take here locally in Southern AZ
for example. If I wanted to get a tourist card to stay in Nogales Sonora I
would have to drive down to the 21km checkpoint on the south side of the
border zone to get it stamped and then return to Nogales. There's no record
that you entered Mexido until you go through an entry point. Up until that
point the Mexican government has no way of knowing how long you've been in
the country.

While I was digging I also found sites that claim it's important to
return your tourist card. I've had quite a few of them. The only time I've
ever returned one was when I left Mexico through an airport.

TB

Drive rental car from US to Mexico??
 

On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:57:54 -0700, "Technobarbarian"
wrote:


"Hatunen" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:44:14 -0700, "Technobarbarian"
wrote:


"Hatunen" wrote in message
...

Cool. But do check on the Tourist Card (not mentioned on that web
site): http://www.mexonline.com/visamex.htm

The 72-hour requirement is stated a bit ambiguously, but the card
is required, even in the border zone. On the other hand, you are
quite unlikely to be detected without one if don't encounter any
internal check points.

I don't know where you're getting your information, but there is NO
requirement for a tourist card in the border zone, which includes
Ensenada.

http://studenttravel.about.com/od/me...exico_visa.htm

So, ok, I did a bit more digging. Online I can find support for your
version and support for my version. As a technical matter you might be
right. As a practical matter no one gets an FMT for the border zone. Here's
the thing: The tourist card has to be stamped at an entry point.

Huh? Nobody stamped our FMTs when we entered Mexico on our recent
trip down to Guaymas. They couldn't have, because we didn't have
them yet. We go our FMTs at the south end of the border zone. You
cna drive across the border, park, and get your FMTs there at the
border, tough.

When you
drive in this has to be done before you can get the FMT validated at a bank.
The OP isn't going to see an entry point. The entry points are on the south
side of the border zone and at airports.

Oh. Ambiguity alert. The "entry point" is at the actual border.
The things at the south edge of the frontier zone are
checkpoints.

Take here locally in Southern AZ
for example. If I wanted to get a tourist card to stay in Nogales Sonora I
would have to drive down to the 21km checkpoint on the south side of the
border zone to get it stamped and then return to Nogales.

No you wouldn't. I'm almost certain you can get FMTs at the
downtown Nogales crossing.

There's no record
that you entered Mexido until you go through an entry point. Up until that
point the Mexican government has no way of knowing how long you've been in
the country.

That part's true, which is why I advised originally that it was
unlikely anyone would notice you'd been there more than 72 hours.

While I was digging I also found sites that claim it's important to
return your tourist card. I've had quite a few of them. The only time I've
ever returned one was when I left Mexico through an airport.

You could be in deep doo-doo if for some reason the Mexicans
discover you hadn't turned in the card, though. How they would
find out baffles me, though, unless you said something stupid.

Thirty some years ago there was a flap here because a UofA
professor had failed to turn in his car permit at Nogales when
returning to the USA. He called the Mexican consul here in Tucson
and asked what to do about it. The consul suggested he simply go
down and turn it in. The damn fool drove across the line into
Sonora, did a U-turn and drove back to the crossing. He handed in
the permit and apologized and explained that no one had asked for
it before. So the Mexicans impounded his car!

I myaelf had recently returned from Rocky Point and at Gringo
Pass had waited for a Mexican official to come out and take my
permit (we needed them back then). No one came so I drove home.
On seeing that story in the newspaper I was kind of worried until
I realized that at that time the Mexicans had no way of tracking
this sort of thing.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

Drive rental car from US to Mexico??
 

Hatunen wrote:
On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:37:56 +0200, Tom P
wrote:

Hatunen wrote:

I suggest you contact the rental companies and ask them for an
unequivocal answer. And you will have to buy Mexican auto
insurance from a Mexican company (but sold by American agents,
including AAA affiliates). In theory, if you remain in Mexico for
over 72 hours you will also need a visitor's card even though you
will be in the frontier zone.

Thanks.
I just found this link:
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/?p=1398
T.

Cool. But do check on the Tourist Card (not mentioned on that web
site): http://www.mexonline.com/visamex.htm

The 72-hour requirement is stated a bit ambiguously, but the card
is required, even in the border zone. On the other hand, you are
quite unlikely to be detected without one if don't encounter any
internal check points.




When I fly to Mexico, I declare how long I'm staying, and I get a
tourist card. Are you saying that if I drive into Mexico, I don't go
through immigration?

T.

Drive rental car from US to Mexico??
 

Hatunen wrote:
On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:57:54 -0700, "Technobarbarian"
wrote:

"Hatunen" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:44:14 -0700, "Technobarbarian"
wrote:

"Hatunen" wrote in message
...

Cool. But do check on the Tourist Card (not mentioned on that web
site): http://www.mexonline.com/visamex.htm

The 72-hour requirement is stated a bit ambiguously, but the card
is required, even in the border zone. On the other hand, you are
quite unlikely to be detected without one if don't encounter any
internal check points.
I don't know where you're getting your information, but there is NO
requirement for a tourist card in the border zone, which includes
Ensenada.

http://studenttravel.about.com/od/me...exico_visa.htm
So, ok, I did a bit more digging. Online I can find support for your
version and support for my version. As a technical matter you might be
right. As a practical matter no one gets an FMT for the border zone. Here's
the thing: The tourist card has to be stamped at an entry point.

Huh? Nobody stamped our FMTs when we entered Mexico on our recent
trip down to Guaymas. They couldn't have, because we didn't have
them yet. We go our FMTs at the south end of the border zone. You
cna drive across the border, park, and get your FMTs there at the
border, tough.

When you
drive in this has to be done before you can get the FMT validated at a bank.
The OP isn't going to see an entry point. The entry points are on the south
side of the border zone and at airports.

Oh. Ambiguity alert. The "entry point" is at the actual border.
The things at the south edge of the frontier zone are
checkpoints.

Take here locally in Southern AZ
for example. If I wanted to get a tourist card to stay in Nogales Sonora I
would have to drive down to the 21km checkpoint on the south side of the
border zone to get it stamped and then return to Nogales.

No you wouldn't. I'm almost certain you can get FMTs at the
downtown Nogales crossing.

There's no record
that you entered Mexido until you go through an entry point. Up until that
point the Mexican government has no way of knowing how long you've been in
the country.

That part's true, which is why I advised originally that it was
unlikely anyone would notice you'd been there more than 72 hours.

While I was digging I also found sites that claim it's important to
return your tourist card. I've had quite a few of them. The only time I've
ever returned one was when I left Mexico through an airport.

You could be in deep doo-doo if for some reason the Mexicans
discover you hadn't turned in the card, though. How they would
find out baffles me, though, unless you said something stupid.

Thirty some years ago there was a flap here because a UofA
professor had failed to turn in his car permit at Nogales when
returning to the USA. He called the Mexican consul here in Tucson
and asked what to do about it. The consul suggested he simply go
down and turn it in. The damn fool drove across the line into
Sonora, did a U-turn and drove back to the crossing. He handed in
the permit and apologized and explained that no one had asked for
it before. So the Mexicans impounded his car!

I myaelf had recently returned from Rocky Point and at Gringo
Pass had waited for a Mexican official to come out and take my
permit (we needed them back then). No one came so I drove home.
On seeing that story in the newspaper I was kind of worried until
I realized that at that time the Mexicans had no way of tracking
this sort of thing.

Hi

the Usenet timelag means I replied to you before this thread showed up.
It sounds like the Mex immigration procedures are not much different
from the US immigration, as far as arrivals from outside N America are
concerned, meaning you get a tourist card on arrval, and if you're
having a bad hair day or whatever, you might just miss returning it when
you exit. (used to be the airlines did all this leaving the US, and
sometimes screwed up.)
To return to subject, if you drive into Mex from San Diego, and if you
intend staying longer than 3 days, and intend to drive more than 100Km,
do you have to go and look for immigration at the border or does it just
happen?
T.