Tentative Dates:
Friday 25 April - Sat 9 May '09
(NOTE: we can adjust the trip so as folks that can only take off a week can
peel off and head north for home, while the rest of us continue)
Mission:
Depart with Jeep Expeditions
south and travel the east coast of Baja to the tip and head
north on the west coast cutting across the NE part of Baja and returning to AZ.
Entry/Exit points:
Enter Mexico via Calexico
1. We need to get a permit to use our ham radios and the only place to get them is in Mexicali, BC
2. We can get to MEX 5 more easily via Calexico than from the San Luis or Algodones crossings.
Return to the U.S. via Tecate because:
1. We will be coming up the west coast of Baja and MEX 3 (north) is a direct route from Ensenada to Tecate.
2. The border wait times at Tecate are usually less than at San Ysidro, Calexico or Algodones; I don't know how the border wait times at San Luis compare.
Objectives:
Wheeling, camping, fun, sight
seeing and having good time. Input welcome.
Weather:
Should be excellent as this is past
the rainy season and its not blistering hot yet.
Two phased trip:
Week 1 spent going down coast line
and for those to cannot make but one week of trip, they turn around and express
north to home and be at work on Monday. Those that can do 2 weeks will continue
on up the other coastline.
Who:
Trip is aimed at the family.
Itinerary:
Nothing set in stone other that two
logical phases for those who must cut trip short due to time constraints.
Distances:
Expect to drive close to 2000 miles
total trip. Prepare yourself and your Jeep accordingly.
Tourist Visa (also known as
Immigration Permit):
You will need to obtain a Mexican Tourist Card if staying in Mexico more than 72 hours, or traveling further than the 'Border Zone' (25 kilometers across the border). Anyone traveling into the Interior of Mexico regardless of length of stay. You can get your Tourist Visa at the border crossing point, or from most cities close to the Mexico/US border. You can also pick up the blank Tourist Card form from a travel agency, airlines, or Mexican Consulate, but you will need to have the Tourist Card stamped by Mexican Immigration officials upon entering Mexico.
You can get blank tourist visas in
advance of your trip from Mexican consulates in the U.S. and Canada. You
can also get them from the Immigration (Emigracion) Office at border Points of
Entry. Present your proof of citizenship and a completed tourist visa
form to the immigration (emigracion) agent for an official stamp before
proceeding into Mexico.
Temporary Vehicle Importation
Permit:
Anyone traveling into Sonora or the
Interior must get a Vehicle Permit. When you drive your car into Mexico,
the authorities there consider it a temporary importation of that vehicle and
they want your promise that you will return the vehicle to the U.S, so you will
also sign a second document called a Promise To Return Vehicle.
To obtain the Temporary Vehicle
Importation Permit, you must have:
1) Valid drivers license.
2) Vehicle's original title or
original registration.
If the vehicle is leased or is not
owned by you, you must have a notarized letter from the leasing company and/or
registered owner giving you permission to take the vehicle into Mexico.
Be sure it includes the VIN number.
If there is a lien on the vehicle,
a letter from the lien-holder authorizing use of the vehicle in Mexico.
Major credit card in your name (on a U.S. or Canadian bank). Use the card to pay the vehicle permit fee, approximately $11-$20. Note: This card is also used to guarantee to the Mexican government that the vehicle will be returned to the U.S. If you do not wish to use a credit card, you must post a bond equal to the value of your vehicle, a costly and involved procedure.
Mexican Consulate:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html
Locations in the US:
http://www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm
Phoenix, AZ 1990 W. Camelback,
Suite 110, Phoenix, AZ. 85015 Tel: (602) 242-7398
Jeep Insurance:
Here are 4 where you can purchase and print policy online.
Passport:
If you don’t have one, you need
one. Especially in todays world. Under new government regulations, by Dec. 31,
’06, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada — plus Bermuda and
Panama — will be required to have a passport to enter or re-enter the United States.
After Dec. 31, ‘07, the requirement
will be extended to all land-based border crossings as well. Suggest you apply
now as it is after the heavy travel season and it becomes a fairly quick
process. Wait till spring and it slows to a crawl due to so many applying. www.travel.state.gov
For a list of post offices, town clerk's offices and other facilities where passports are processed, type in your zip code at www.iafdb.travel.state.gov There are more than 7,700 US locations.
Vacation Info:
Need help planning a vacation? A travel information website for visitors interested on Mexico Vacation Destinations.:
Mexico Cruise