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#1
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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. |
#2
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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 * |
#3
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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. |
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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 * |
#5
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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 |
#6
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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 * |
#7
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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 |
#8
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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 * |
#9
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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. |
#10
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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. |
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