So you wanna drive to Baja? Let us be the first to tell you, you are making an excellent life decision. The journey is far, but soon enough, you could be camping on a beach, eating fresh Baja tacos, with a margarita in hand. The effort is well worth the reward. Baja California is full of culture, incredible food and drink, beautiful beaches, and magical marine wildlife. Best of all, it is an incredibly affordable place to road trip from the United States. As veterans of the Baja trek, allow us to be your guide as we cover the most frequently asked questions for a road trip to Baja California, Mexico.
How long does it take to drive Baja California?
To drive from the border in Calexico, CA to the tip of Cabo San Lucas takes 20 hours or 938 miles. To drive from the border in San Diego, CA to the tip of Cabo San Lucas takes 22 hours or 1,062 miles. It is by no means a short drive but we promise it is absolutely worth it!
Can I drive my car to Baja California?
You can absolutely drive your car to Baja, Mexico! Baja, Mexico borders the United States in California. You can cross the border in San Diego, Tecate, Calexico, and Yuma. We chose to cross in Calexico on the recommendation of others. When we returned to the United States, we crossed at Algodones/Yuma. Both border crossings were smooth, though the crossing in Algodones was a lengthy wait. You can visit this website to view current border crossing wait times.
What documents do I need to drive to Baja California?
There are a few considerations to make if you plan to drive your vehicle from the United States to Baja, Mexico. You will need four major things which we will cover below.
Passport
First, you will need a passport in order to cross the border. If you are an American citizen, an enhanced driver’s license will also work. Keep your passport handy throughout the trip as you may be asked for it at military checkpoints.
Driver’s License
In addition to your passport, you will also need a driver’s license. Your driver’s license from your country is transferable, you do not need a special driver’s license to drive in Mexico.
Mexican Auto Insurance
Next, you will need Mexican auto insurance. This is easy to obtain online and takes just a few minutes. We went with Lewis and Lewis and were happy with the process and the cost. Thankfully we never had to make a claim so we can’t attest to needing to use the coverage. Many people also use Baja Bound and have reported good experiences as well. It’s worth it to go through the process and get a quote through both insurers. One thing we liked with Lewis and Lewis is that we had the option to insure our campervan for the entire cost of the build in the event that our van was totaled.
FMM
Finally, you will need to get your FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple) or tourist card. This is the equivalent to a Visa. You can fill this out and purchase online in advance or at the border. While it may seem advantageous to complete in advance, we recommend just getting it at the border. We have heard stories of people not bringing their receipt and being forced to pay again. You will need to go into the office either way to have it stamped so we found it easiest to just do it all in person.
The main point is, you want to be sure to not forget this at the border. You can be forced to turn around at any military checkpoint without it! The crazy thing is, you can complete your border crossing without ever being asked to do this. If you are crossing Calexico east, which we recommend, you will want to stay all the way in the left lane to cross the border. You will park in the vehicle inspection area near the X-ray building. From there, walk back north to the customs office. The agent spoke English well and the process was easy. At our time of crossing, a Visa card was the only accepted method of payment.
Do I need a TIP to drive my vehicle to Baja California?
You do not need a TIP to drive your vehicle to Baja. A TIP is a temporary import permit and allows you to bring your vehicle into Mexico for six months. This can be an extremely confusing thing in Mexico. As long as you plan to only drive throughout Baja, you are considered in the free zone, which Mexico has designated to increase tourism. You are exempt from needing a TIP in this zone. Know that if you plan to ferry your vehicle across to mainland Mexico from Baja however, you will need a TIP there. They can be purchased at the ferry terminal.
Do you need to speak Spanish to drive to Baja?
While it’s helpful and respectful to know some conversational Spanish, in short, you do not need to speak Spanish to drive to Baja. Baja is pretty touristy and we were surprised at the number of locals who spoke fluent or at least broken English. Even if you encounter someone who does not speak English, the people of Baja are incredibly friendly, helpful, and willing to work through the language barrier. Google Translate is pretty helpful in most situations, we recommend downloading the offline version for use in Mexico.
Can you take a dog or cat to Mexico?
Yes! As of 2019, no documentation is required to bring your dog or cat to Mexico. You will want to have rabies vaccination records with you but we were never asked for them. We took our dog Joni and she absolutely loved her trip. There are several stray dogs in Mexico which is a good thing to consider if your dog is reactive.
Is Baja safe to road trip?
In our two months road tripping in Baja, we never once felt unsafe. Overall, Baja California is considered a relatively safe destination for tourists. However, as with any destination, there are certain areas that are more prone to crime and violence, and it is important to be aware of these and take appropriate precautions. The border towns in particular like Mexicali and Tijuana tend to have the most crime. The northwest coast is also an area to be on guard, we opted to stick to the northeast for this reason. Generally speaking Baja California Sur is safer than Norte as it is more touristy.
What are the road conditions like in Baja?
The road conditions in Baja were surprisingly good. One thing to note is that the lanes are narrow and shoulders do not exist. This can make it a bit scary to drive on the highway. Our big piece of advice is don’t drive at night. Not for reasons related to crime, just a general safety tip. Be sure to carry a spare tire in the event of a flat, there are large stretches of highway between towns and no AAA to come save you.
Should you carry spare fuel in Baja?
This depends on how large your gas tank is. There is one stretch of road between Puertocitos and Villa Jesus Maria that is a gas desert but it is only 122 miles. There is always a possibility of one of the gas stations being out of gas however so it’s not a bad idea to carry a little extra. We carried a spare five gallons with us but never had to use it.
How do you get water in Baja?
One of the big concerns about driving to Baja is finding safe drinking water sources. In our experience, this was actually easier than it is to find water fill stations in the United States! Citizens of Baja go to Agua Purificada Stations to get their drinking water as the water that is plumbed is not safe for drinking. These water sources are available in all major cities making it incredibly easy to fill your water tank. Sometimes you will need to fill jugs and carry them to your vehicle to fill but other times they will have a hose available. iOverlander is helpful to scope out the situation before visiting the Agua Purificada. Simply turn on the water sources layer to identify where locations are and read the reviews.
Is it safe to camp in Baja?
Absolutely! We never felt unsafe camping and had some of the best camp spots we’ve ever had in our almost three years on the road. You will find a mixture of paid camping and boondocking. Paid camping is generally pretty cheap unless it is in a campground with amenities. Most beachfront camping was $5 USD or less. Campgrounds with amenities ranged from $15-$35 USD. You can find camp spots on iOverlander and Sekr. Read all our tips to find the best campsites.
What is the best time of year to visit Baja?
The best time of year to visit Baja for a road trip is the winter when the temperatures are mild. We visited from January to March and found the weather to be perfect.
What are military checkpoints like in Baja?
There are about six military checkpoints that you could encounter throughout Baja, Mexico. They are in place to try to prevent transit of illegal goods like drugs and weapons throughout the country. The checkpoints can seem incredibly intimidating, there will be soldiers in full fatigues with guns. In our experience in Baja though, all of our military checkpoints were smooth. Honestly, the checkpoints are not there to harass tourists, they’re there to find illegal goods. As long as you have nothing to hide, you should be fine. The further south you go, the less likely you are to encounter military personnel that speak English. It’s good to know a few helpful phrases in Spanish but it is not necessary to speak Spanish to get through military checkpoints. Honestly, in our experience, the less Spanish you speak, the less questions are asked.
Unfortunately there are reports of corrupt activity at some checkpoints. One thing we found helpful was to read other people’s accounts of checkpoints on iOverlander. This is more common in mainland Mexico but if you come across a military checkpoint that has never been reported on iOverlander, you might want to be more on guard. There have been reports of civilians posing as police at fake checkpoints to exploit tourists. It’s always best to be on guard at every checkpoint, regardless. Never allow a soldier to search your vehicle unattended. Keep all valuables like purse, wallet, and phone on your person. Make sure your electronics are hidden away. If you do experience corruption, some military checkpoints have a phone number listed to report concerns.
Phrases to know at military checkpoints:
“Hablas espanol?” Do you speak spanish?
“A donde va?” Where are you going?
“Va a…” I’m going to… *Note: when we were heading south, we always answered that we were headed to Cabo. When we were headed north, we answered that we were heading to Yuma, AZ. This always made it simple to answer the question.
“De donde viene?” Where are you coming from?
“De donde…” I’m coming from… answer with whatever city you drove from that day.
Tiene drogas? Do you have drugs? The answer is always no.
We hope this post has covered all your burning questions about taking a road trip through Baja, Mexico. It is a magical place and well worth the effort to get there. Be careful though, you might find yourself wanting to go back every year! Stay tuned for more posts including suggested routes, best camp spots and more! Subscribe to our mailing list so you don’t miss a pot. Now get out there and Create Your Own Roadshow!
