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Drive rental car from US to Mexico??



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 20th, 2008, 11:00 AM posted to rec.travel.latin-america
Tom P[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 54
Default 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  
Old April 20th, 2008, 11:36 PM posted to rec.travel.latin-america
Hatunen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,483
Default 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  
Old April 21st, 2008, 05:37 PM posted to rec.travel.latin-america
Tom P[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 225
Default 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.
  #4  
Old April 22nd, 2008, 06:52 PM posted to rec.travel.latin-america
Hatunen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,483
Default 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  
Old April 23rd, 2008, 04:44 AM posted to rec.travel.latin-america
Technobarbarian
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Posts: 100
Default 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  
Old April 23rd, 2008, 06:57 AM posted to rec.travel.latin-america
Hatunen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,483
Default 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  
Old April 23rd, 2008, 10:22 PM posted to rec.travel.latin-america
Tom P[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 225
Default 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.
  #8  
Old April 23rd, 2008, 11:12 PM posted to rec.travel.latin-america
Hatunen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,483
Default Drive rental car from US to Mexico??

On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:22:40 +0200, Tom P
wrote:

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?


Not at the border itself. We take European visitors down to
Nogales all the time; no one looks at a thing going into Mexico,
although there are usually some guys in uniforms that could
probably give you a hard time if they thought something fishy was
going on. But at Nogales we usually walk across the border.

Driving you do go through a sort of filtering system. There's a
red/green light. When the light is green you go through, no
problem. If it stays red they'll direct you over to an inspection
lane. We've never had to do that ourselves.

The real checks occur when you are leaving the Zona Frontera and
going deeper into Mexico. Staying in the Zona Frontera is
hassle-free.


--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
  #9  
Old April 24th, 2008, 05:37 AM posted to rec.travel.latin-america
Bad Bart
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default Drive rental car from US to Mexico??

Maybe this link will help.

http://www.cabaja.com/

Bart


"Tom P" wrote in message
...
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.


 




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