OPIllini96

Couple of things I forgot to mention: 1) Currently, PedWest is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. for travelers heading into the U.S., and from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. for travelers going into Tijuana. It’s less congested than PedEast if you need to reduce your wait time. Speaking of which… 2) there’s a really good chance that you’ll encounter a lengthy line at either PedEast or PedWest heading back into San Ysidro, especially at PedEast in the mornings. Many Mexican citizens work and shop in the San Diego area and the line at PedEast can last anywhere between 1 to 5 hours, especially on holidays and weekends. However, you can avoid lengthy waits to cross if you have a Global Entry or Sentri card. GE/Sentri cardholders have a designated express line into the customs area and saves a significant amount of time. Otherwise, you’re likely going to need to leave as early as possible from TJ to avoid possibly missing your return flights home. I would say the best times to cross into the U.S. are between 9 pm and 4 am - the wait time is virtually nonexistent during that period. Just keep this in mind when you’re planning your trip home.

@owlyoung: that’s really good advice @justinyoo provided. I would add that in terms of how you dress, don’t dress up like a typical tourist w/fancy clothes and/or jewelry. A polo, tee shirt, or Hawaiian-style short sleeve shirt is perfectly fine, but I wouldn’t dress up in a suit and/or tie - no need for it. Nor would I wear any fancy or expensive shoes. Gym shoes or comfy loafers are ideal. The point is that you don’t want to draw attention to yourself in the ZN by dressing like a rich or flashy guy. In other words, if you dress like the locals would, you shouldn’t have any problem.

Love this Ron! You are a TJ legend my friend!

Good review as always @RonJax2. However, I’m still concerned about the sudden increase of the possibility of being forced to pay bribes to the local policia in the ZN red-light area. That’s not supposed to be happening as often as it has been lately. Here’s hoping this doesn’t turn into a long-term issue because I think it would eventually discourage mongers from visiting the ZN.

I am planning to go back in February for Super Bowl weekend, so we’ll see what happens then. For me, it’s a wait and see approach. Would I anticipate paying the FMM fee for entry into Mexico (which is something I have yet to do BTW)? Probably. But honestly I don’t see anything changing right away.