RE: Mexicali crossing
While there are no formal Immigration check
points, generally on the entire peninsula,
to drive anywhere in Mex without an fmt
leaves you open to the possibility of
an Mex Ins Adjuster 'INVALIDATING' your
Mex Ins Policy, let me see a show of
hands for people who want to have that
happen, and you may meet several folks in
San Felipe without proper Immigration papers,
that doesn't change the fact, I know the border zones
people routinely ignore this, and the
no need for an fmt if staying 7 days misinfo,
to be safe, get an fmt, they give free
7 day ones, or the 180 pay card,
while the other poster says no fmt required,
then directs you to Lewis and Lewis,
for his information, Lewis and Lewis 'ON THEIR
SITE' says get a fmt if in Mex for more than 72 hrs,
believe me, having your Mex Ins invalidated for
lack of an fmt, would ruin your trip/life,
I cross at the Downtown Calexico crossing,
there is Mex Imm office there, I'm unfamiliar
with the East Crossing Garita 2, having
only exited there, depending on the size
of your RV the East Crossing is best
RE: American Insurance with Mexico Coverage
The Texan, is that Interstate US Insurance
with extended Mex coverage, solely for an
RV? Does a US Ins Co. exist that offers
extended Mex collision coverage for a car?
thanks for your time
RE: Baja California Mexico
That got me thinking of the 16 or so RV
Parks from Ensenada to Cabo I've stayed
at, the many dozens of people I've met
at those Campgrounds, I can say not one has
had any negative incident in Baja except
for the casual petty theft of some item
left outside at night
RE: Baja California Mexico
I've driven the length of the peninsula a few times,
the stories of the last few yrs., fortunately 'MOST'
have little or nothing to do with Tourists,
having said that, there have been incidents that
have involved Tourists, some major, don't let
anyone tell you it is without risk, to me traveling Mex
remains the same in relation to becoming a crime victim,
my biggest anxiety issue is the actual
driving, I assume this is your first venture
south in Baja, I began driving in Baja 35 yrs ago and
I had a lot more carefree attitude,
now I'm very cautious, I've often found fellow
RV'ers in Campgrounds in baja headed south
and have teamed up for a few days,
it is a drive usually filled with adventure,
and to me the fun lies in the unexpected,
the caracters one meets, etc.
RE: FMT Tourist Permit
It appears that something is in the works,
hopefully the implementation will be
a long way off, I was always under the
impression that an fm3 holder has the fm3
validated/ and registers at the Mex Immigration office where
he 'resides' in Mex, that doesn't seem to
mesh well with an RV 'er who travels,
I believe the required income for a single
person for an fm3 is somewhere in the
$1200 plus dollar a month range
RE: RV Retirement in Mexico
George and Tioga provide a lot of entertainment to
readers of his blog, who will never visit the areas
he does, nor experience the lifestyle he has chosen,
beyond that, he is a tremendous USA Goodwill Ambassador,
reading his stories, one can see the local Mex
population he meets truly enjoy his company,
there are enough fat, arroagant, alcoholic US tourists
clogging up such places as Cabo and other
Pacific Mex Rievera resorts that George is a breath
of fresh air
Possible New Regs on FMT/Tourist Cards?
This is not mine,I
picked it off another board, does sound
logical though, may require some to get an fm3
Migacion told me today that the new cards are going to be computerized, and that turning them back in formally and receiving a receipt may be a near future requirement. Also officially mentioned was the fact that the FMM tourist cards are designed to prevent entry or residency in Mexico more than 180 days per year. No more going to the border, turning around and going right back in. Saw the new tourist card and read the regs with my own eyes. Looks like being in mexico for more than 180 days a year is going to require getting an FM-3 or FM-2.
The date or dates of initiation of the fmm card and its various requirments is unclear. Maybe they'll stage it in.
On he mainland the army, marines, and federal cops have started to ask me for formal id which means my driver license and my FM-3. One of the cops doing the supervising said that the policy was to arrest anyone caught without proper ID and entry permission. I don't believe that he was joking.
RE: San Ysidro Xing
RV's at the Border will almost be guaranteed to
be waved over for a very brief/nothing to
worry about inspection by
Mex Customs at the TJ/San Ysidro crossing,
and that is the exact place where Mex Immigration
is located, where you get and pay for the fmt.
Commercial busses pull over and get inspected
there, so I'm going to 'ASSUME' there is parking
for somethimg as long as you're driving,
but you would be in a real pickle if told
bt Mex Customs to drive and find parking
and walk back to Mex Immigration.
That would be uncomfortable at best.
Another option, which would require a little
more time, is to park on the US side, last
Freeway Exit, walk into Mex, get fmt
and return to the US thru the pedestrian
crossing, then drive across into Mex.
Easy to follow signs to the Rosarito/Ensenada Toll(Cuota)
road after crossing into TJ, agree that fmt should be aquired
at the border not Ensenada
RE: FMT Baja
Mex Immigration at the downtown Mexicalli crossing
requested me to return the free 7 day fmt to them, you
return it to the Mex Imm office where you
picked it up. I wouldn't be so concerned of returning
it, except that they stamped my passport when I entered,
I want to aviod problems on future trips,
and have a psssport with exit stamps.
I'm one of those that keep paperwork in
order, some may think this overkill. Many Gringo tourists
do not bother with fmts for No baja,
I choose not to give them any leverage against me,
others can go about it with their own ways,
returning an fmt at TJ Immigration would be a headache,
and a free 7 day card is good for travel
anywhere in Mex, you can board a plane in TJ
and fly to Cancun, as long as you don't stay more
than 6 nts, 7 days
RE: FMT Baja
You can get several answers on fmt's, here's my take
and I go to Baja a few times a year.
I'm totally uncertain as to the 'Mulitiple
Entry' uses that most people claim,
I've never seen it in print from any Mex
source that an fmt can be used for mulitiple
entrys, now common logic says that if the fmt
is still valid, it has not expired, then
I see no reason it can't be used for more than
1 entry. This yr., twice I have got the free 7 day
fmt, Mex IMM stamped my US Passport upon entry,
this got me thinking I should stop and get an exit
passport stamp,which can be a real bear, otherwise there is a glaring
entry stamp with no exit. To confuse things, most, if not
all flights into Mex, they don't stamp
your passport, go figure, recently I read
a post off mexconnect about a guy entering
in Mex at a Texas crossing, that had a yr. old
passport entry stamp, they wanted $250 dollars for not
turning in the previous fmt. I think that is the only
record they have, is if your passport contains an entry stamp
RE: Survey of Safe and Unsafe States in Mexico
I'm a 25 yr.Baja Traveller, saw this on another board.
This is a translation of an article from the Ensenada
newspaper from last week. It is not mine,
it deals with incidents on the Toll Road
from TJ to Ensenada Baja, some events, like kiddnappings,
do not generally, if ever effect Gringo tourists,
thaught it interesting, and we have all heard
the 'it could happen in the US comparisom'
which I find totally irrevelent to happenings in Mex
In El Vigia under a headline, "Scenic Road, expensive and dangerous," there was a report of the number of crimes carried out on the toll road between Tijuana and Ensenada. Up until Nov 13 of this year (starting from 2007 (I think that's what they meant) there have been 56 acts of aggression. There have been three homicides (including the death of the 2 year-old girl who was hit by a thrown rock last Saturday), one rape and five kidnappings. The other crimes were robberies, with violence, or `simple' ones.
The article lists the places where the incidents occurred; At kilometer 37 (from north to south) there has been a homicide, kidnapping, and carjacking, at kilometer 31 a kidnapping, at kilometer 34 kidnapping, at kilometer 58 a homicide, at toll booth 34 12 illicit acts have been reported, at toll booth 35 6 acts, on Bulevar 2000 and Popotla there have been 4 robberies, and at la Mision for assaults. The areas of greatest risk are around the rest stops near the toll booths in Rosarito.
The article states that this is the first time that figure like these have been reported by anyone, including state authorities.
Basic TT Towing Question?
Planning to tow a 27' TT one way
of 300 mi., borrowing a 1/2 ton 2000
Surburban, which has a tow rating
of 7500, TT may be 4500 empty,
I've never towed anything more than
a jet ski, is there anything that
I need to know or pay attention
to, or am I getting in over my
head for a novice?
thanks for your time and info
EKS
RE: dollars changed to pesos
Maybe not '70's, but I'm definately old
school, I prefer not to use any plastic
in Mex of any kind, I know archaic,
anyone still use the, dare I say
Travellers Checks?
Does sort of bring up happier times,
standing in 2 or 3 Bank lines
to change $
RE: Speaking of Turning in Permits- FMTs
I'm refering to an fmt/tourist card, not any vehicle permit,
'no vehicle permit' is required for either
state in Baja, they have no record of which
if any vehicle you cross into Baja with,
I'm speaking of Mex Imm stamping your passport
upon entry, then not bothering to officially
exit Mex, this 'may' become a problem
when rentering Mex at a later date
to confuse matters, they routinely
don't stamp passports when flying in
Speaking of Turning in Permits- FMTs
Twice recently I have used the free 7 day fmt for
Baja travel, just this yr. I have started using a US passport
for entry into Mex, to a bit of a surprize,
Mex Immigration stamped my passport upon
issuance of the 7 day fmt. For the longest time
I've read that most Mex travellers do not
bother turning in their fmt, at or near
it's expiration date. The entry stamp
got me thinking it would be prudent to
return the fmt and get the exit stamp,
this can be frustrating, but such frustration
should be expected in Mex.
Just read of someone entering Mex at a Texas
crossing, having an Mex entry passport stamp
which was a yr. old, not having the exit stamp
behind it, Mex Immigration told him the fine
was $5 dollars a day past the 180 day fmt limit,
a smaller amount was accepted, moral to me anyway,
is keep the passport entry/exit stamps
in order
RE: Peso is falling
I'm in San Felipe Baja at the moment, border exchange 2 days
ago was 13.00 even to the Dollar,
I haven't seen much movement in the
peso in months, have heard Costcos nesr the border,
such as Chula Vista give the best rate
RE: Mexico Violence is actually Down!
Just read an incident of a US citizen,
a permenent resident of La Salina Baja,
an area between Rosarito/Ensenada
that was shot and killed in an apparent
robbery attempt yesterday 9-12,
I know this can happen anywhere,
my view of Mex is the risk of
violence against tourists
is as it has been for yrs.,
the Narco violence does not target
gringo tourists, the chance of being
robbed/assulted by thugs has always existed,
and I suppose has increased somewhat
do to the economy on both sides
of the border
Camping Fee Increase at Calif State Parks
If this has been posted before, excuse the repetition
As of today, most/all Calif State Parks have increased
the daily campground fees, and not by just a little.
The State Park close to where I live in So Cal,
called Doheney State Beach, as of today, a 'premium'
camp space, that is no hook ups, coin op shower,
is $60 dollars a nite. other spaces are $40 a nite
Calif financial woes have forced the increases
as opposed to closures, but $60?
RE: Passport or ID
Ran across a current discussion on this topic
on mexconnect, a Mex Travel Site,
apparently US Customs and Border Protection
are being 'very lienent' on full enforcement of
on requiremente for the passport/passcard
to re enter the US,
One poster claims that a Texas Borderpatrolman
said 'save your money don't spend it
on a passport', you can get by without
one.
I not saying this is what I think
but it appears that enforcement is not
what it was advertised
