Questions about car trip to Rosarito, Mexico?

Question

I am about to go on a 5 day vacation to Rosarito, Mexico. Do I need my passport? Is a California driver's license all I need? Are there buses at the border that will take me to Rosarito since I don't want to drive my car down there? I will have a ride back. Thanks for any answers to my questions.

Answer 1

You do not need a passport.  You do need a picture  I.D. and a certified birth certificate.  As to the buses, don't know...probably. it is such a short distance, might as well just drive.  might be better than leaving your car parked at the border.

Answer 2

Your license is all you will need.  It should take you about 45 minutes to 1 hour from the border.  I am sure that there are buses to get you there but have no idea how you would arrange one.  I have been taking my car down since I was 16 and I am 58 now.  I have never had a problem.  Up to you!

You might just want to get a cab from the border.  You can probably get a reasonable deal.

PS: here are the most recent border rules. this applies to Mexico as well.

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Do I need a passport to go on a cruise or to travel by vehicle across the land border to Canada or Mexico?

No, but it is recommended that U.S. citizens carry and present government-issued identification when requested.  Although not currently required to present a document, U.S. citizens arriving by land and sea must still establish to the satisfaction of the inspecting officer that they are U.S. citizens.

As early as January 2008, the Departments of Homeland Security and State will begin to implement WHTI at land and sea ports of entry.  A Notice of Proposed Rule Making outlining a phased implementation is expected to be published in the Federal Register within the next two weeks.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbp...

Answer 3

You´ll need a passport, there´s a new rule for all americans. It apply since january 2007, but if u wanna go to Rosarito no problem, the rule in Mex. could wait more I think until next year.

Answer 4

I think if you are driving all you will need is a birth certificate and government issued photo id (like your CA driver's license).  Starting in January though - 2008 - you will probably need a valid US passport to get back into the USA.  So if you don't already have a passport, you might want to think about applying for one right now because they are really back logged and it is taking a long time for passport applications to be processed.  My hubby and I were just getting a passport for our newborn and the post office clerk recommended that we send in our own passport renewal forms at least 6 months in advance of our next trip out of the country.  6 months!

Anyway, to answer your second question, I'm sure you can find buses or tours that will take you to Rosarito but if it were me, I'd want the convenience and flexibility of having my own car rather than depending on a friend for a ride.  I drive in Baja all of the time and it isn't nearly as sketchy or dangerous as some of these online posts want you to believe.  Especially if you are driving during daylight hours, the main highway is well paved and in good shape - and Rosarito is a nice civilized town.  You are no more likely to get your car stolen there than you would be in Los Angeles or San Francisco.  If you do decide to drive, though, make sure to get the Mexican insurance - it's worth it.