Friday, October 2, 2009

Directions: San Diego Airport to Tijuana

How to Get from the San Diego International Airport to Tijuana:


Welcome to the San Diego International Airport. Just outside the airport terminal you will find signs where the MTS #992 bus will stop and pick you up and take you downtown. These buses have luggage racks for your convenience. They run every 15 minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight. The cost is $2.25 or $1.10 for seniors 60 and over. You must have exact change.


Get off the bus downtown at the corner of Broadway and Kettner Blvd. Cross the street to the American Plaza Transit Center. Buy a trolley ticket at the ticket machine. The cost is $2.50 or $1.25 for seniors 60 and over. The trolleys run on an honor system, but hold on to your ticket for the length of the trip in case you are asked to prove that you paid. You need to board a Blue Line trolley in the direction of San Ysidro. If the front of the trolley says El Cajon, that is not the one you want. It should say San Ysidro. San Ysidro is the last trolley stop on the Blue Line south. It’s about a 45-minute ride.


When you get off the trolley, you will be at the border on the U.S. side. You can walk across the border although it’s a bit of a hike, especially if you have a significant amount of luggage (travel light!). When you have crossed the pedestrian bridge over I-5, gone through the noisy turnstiles, passed by the small Mexican customs office, where no one will stop you, you’ll come out onto a street with many stalls selling touristy type items and you will see many yellow taxis. Ignore the many solicitations you will receive.


Walk a block or two further on to find a red and white or orange and white taxi. “Necesito un taxi libre” or “Necesito un taxi colectivo” is what you will reply to anyone offering assistance. It’s always a good idea to have an agreement with the taxi driver on the price before you get in the taxi. Dollars are accepted pretty much anywhere in Tijuana.

Alternatively, when you exit the trolley at the San Ysidro station you can take a Mexicoach shuttle bus, which you should be able to locate nearby, to the Tijuana Tourist Terminal in downtown Tijuana (between 6th and 7th on Avenida RevoluciĆ³n). The cost for this bus is $5.00. They depart every 30 minutes. The Hotel Palacio Azteca is still a good distance from this terminal (about a 25-minute walk) so you’ll probably want to take a taxi. Again, look for the red and white or orange and white “colectivo” or “libre” taxis.


OH YES ... the hotel is

the Palacio Azteca.

Address: Blvd. Cauhutemoc Sur #213

Here is a map...the Palacio Azteca is #5