General Reports

[Zenduka1]

Sorry that happened. That's awful. I hope you give it another shot. Many of us love Tijuana and you should see why.

In separate observation, I never understood why some guys drive their cars down there. I know many do with no problem. But why. Ubers are like 1/3 the price as in the US and there's no dealing with drunk driving, traffic, theft, etc. And the border crossing is longer with a car. I don't see the upside of driving. Even if you go to Rosarito its super cheap with Mexican Uber.

I get what you saying and I do as you wrote. However there are times I wished I had a car. With no car and specially if you are a frequenter you will become a zona norte rat who never leaves that neighborhood year in, year out. There were times I wanted to take or go meet girls to / at far and away places like Ensinada, Rosarito, Monterray even playas and couldn't. Even inviting girls to good restaurants is difficult and unattractive without a car. There is a whole pile of liberation that comes with a car.

[Nothing24]

Any issues with parking at Pepe's car lot? I see all the posts about driving down there, but I have not had an issue. I plan on going during the day time, so no night driving for me.

Seems like the lot itself is fine to park at. My issue with parking there is that you would have to drive around in the zona, which I avoid doing at all costs since there is a big time police presence there looking to take advantage of Americans at any chance they can get.

Also to the guy complaining about the quality of chicas a couple weeks ago, you can't really gauge the scene on how things usually are in December or even January. It's very hit or miss due to a lot of girls being out of town to be back wherever they're from for the holidays. For the most part Tijuana usually has a lot of hot chicks working at fairly reasonable rates still. Just know that it's going to be very hit or miss during the holiday season.

[Phordphan]

Sheesh. Everybody is terrified of driving. I drive in Tijuana all the time. All over the place, from Tecate to Playas to Ensenada. Unless you limit yourself to a small area, Tijuana is hard to get around in without a car.

I have SENTRI, otherwise I would never take a car due to the insane lines.

When we go out to clubs, or dinner where there will be drinking, I do take Uber / cab. I also do not drive in the Zona Norte at night.

[Explorer8939]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna131998

PedWest to reopen Thursday.

[BrotherMouzone]

Sorry that happened. That's awful. I hope you give it another shot. Many of us love Tijuana and you should see why.

In separate observation, I never understood why some guys drive their cars down there. I know many do with no problem. But why. Ubers are like 1/3 the price as in the US and there's no dealing with drunk driving, traffic, theft, etc. And the border crossing is longer with a car. I don't see the upside of driving. Even if you go to Rosarito its super cheap with Mexican Uber.

Some of the idiocy I read on these boards from time to time just blows my mind. Why you would drive a rental car INTO ANOTHER COUNTRY without following proper procedures and insuring you have all appropriate paperword is beyond me, you're just setting yourself up to get taken advantage of like this guy. More generally, you read all the complaints on these boards about getting into sticky situations with policia, Mexican locals, etc. But 90% of the time when you read the details you can see the people complaining weren't being street smart in the first place and kinda put themselves in a vulnerable situation to begin with. So no sympanthy from me in most cases, LOL.

As far as driving into Mexico yes, I 100% agree. You can get anywhere you want to go with Uber, Didi, or taxi de ruta. Uber / Didi costs have noticeably increased over the past year or so for whatever reason but yeah, still a hell of a lot cheaper than what they charge in the US and cheaper than what Mexican cab drivers will charge you. I suppose some are more comfortable / find it more convenient to transport themselves from place to place. I get that which is why I, unlike 95% of other toursits, always rent a car whenever I'm in Las Vegas, but the various monetary and safety risks make it not at all worth it in Mexico.

It's even straightforward to get to Rosarito for 22.50 pesos ($1. 30) each way via taxi de ruta if you know where to go.

[ShortVisits]

Any issues with parking at Pepe's car lot? I see all the posts about driving down there, but I have not had an issue. I plan on going during the day time, so no night driving for me.

[Hargow20]

From what I researched you can drive a rented car into Mexico if you have the proper permission & insurance. Personally I avoid driving in Mexico. It is much faster & cheaper to walk across the border. The lines are almost always shorter. You can either walk or I can pay a $1 to catch a taxi van. I always park in National city & catch the trolley. It is cheaper & there is no traffic deal with at the border. The other advantage is that I do not have to pay for parking or worry about my car getting broken into. The other big factor is that there is almost no chance of being hassled by the police unless you are drunk etc.

I am pretty sure you need a letter from your rental car company allowing you to cross Intl Borders with their car. I doubt anyone would allow it if asked. The topic came up when I was leasing my car for 3 years. No way Ford Encinitas would have signed off on it. The cops probably scoped out your plates figured it was a rental and proceeded to ass fuck you.

You got off easy IMO. Good thing the rental car company didn't find out.

[AmericanPi]

I was in San Diego for business a couple of weeks ago and drove down to Tijuana for some fun. I've been like 3 or 4 times in the past with no issues. It's been like 8 - 10 years since I've visited and things have changed drastically. The quality of girls is much lower than back in the day, probably because of the internet and social media. Also, as I was leaving and headed back to the boarder I got stopped by the cops and accused to stealing my rental car. They had me get out of the car and had me take everything out of my pocket. They told me that they were going to impound my car and it would be a $10,000 fee to get it out. I'm sure that they were bluffing about the price but I am sure that they weren't lying about the rental car situation. They asked how did I want to handle the situation and of course I told them to take whatever was in my wallet, which was about $160. They took it without hesitation and told me to be on my way.

The girl I banged was only a 6. I wasn't really impressed with my experience. I won't be back.

Sorry that happened. That's awful. I hope you give it another shot. Many of us love Tijuana and you should see why.

In separate observation, I never understood why some guys drive their cars down there. I know many do with no problem. But why. Ubers are like 1/3 the price as in the US and there's no dealing with drunk driving, traffic, theft, etc. And the border crossing is longer with a car. I don't see the upside of driving. Even if you go to Rosarito its super cheap with Mexican Uber.

[TjBrazil]

[Racial Epithet(s) Deleted by Admin]

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[Artisttyp]

I was in San Diego for business a couple of weeks ago and drove down to Tijuana for some fun. I've been like 3 or 4 times in the past with no issues. It's been like 8 - 10 years since I've visited and things have changed drastically. The quality of girls is much lower than back in the day, probably because of the internet and social media. Also, as I was leaving and headed back to the boarder I got stopped by the cops and accused to stealing my rental car. They had me get out of the car and had me take everything out of my pocket. They told me that they were going to impound my car and it would be a $10,000 fee to get it out. I'm sure that they were bluffing about the price but I am sure that they weren't lying about the rental car situation. They asked how did I want to handle the situation and of course I told them to take whatever was in my wallet, which was about $160. They took it without hesitation and told me to be on my way.

The girl I banged was only a 6. I wasn't really impressed with my experience. I won't be back.

I am pretty sure you need a letter from your rental car company allowing you to cross Intl Borders with their car. I doubt anyone would allow it if asked. The topic came up when I was leasing my car for 3 years. No way Ford Encinitas would have signed off on it. The cops probably scoped out your plates figured it was a rental and proceeded to ass fuck you.

You got off easy IMO. Good thing the rental car company didn't find out.

[The E]

I was in San Diego for business a couple of weeks ago and drove down to Tijuana for some fun. I've been like 3 or 4 times in the past with no issues. It's been like 8 - 10 years since I've visited and things have changed drastically. The quality of girls is much lower than back in the day, probably because of the internet and social media. Also, as I was leaving and headed back to the boarder I got stopped by the cops and accused to stealing my rental car. They had me get out of the car and had me take everything out of my pocket. They told me that they were going to impound my car and it would be a $10,000 fee to get it out. I'm sure that they were bluffing about the price but I am sure that they weren't lying about the rental car situation. They asked how did I want to handle the situation and of course I told them to take whatever was in my wallet, which was about $160. They took it without hesitation and told me to be on my way.

The girl I banged was only a 6. I wasn't really impressed with my experience. I won't be back.

[StRobert]

Went down solo to the zone for the first time in several years. Took the Coaster / Blue line tram and walked across, stayed at the Velario hotel. Everything was smooth, except the taxi driver tried to get $20 out of me, which I had argue down to $15, what a pain. $75 for the room, which was good. Comfortable, good temperature control and lounge chair for sitting. Breakfast there was great, but dinner was horrible. Overall recommend. Was hyped to go to HK the first night, even though it was late and I was exhausted. I was surprised how crowded it was for a Tuesday night, I almost couldn't find a place to sit. Enjoyed the stage shows, which were as entertaining as I remember. I want to sit front row but would rather not get soapy shit all over my hands, maybe next time. Anyways, linked up with a cute youngish spinner-type and went arriba for the 100+40 standard price. Sexy, great attitude, fun and accommodating. 5/5 would recommend.

Next day I was too lazy to go out during the day, and went looking for an ATM at around 6:30. I guess I forgot how sketchy Tijuana can be at night, so crowded and dark. It started raining so I gave up and decided to just keep using dollars for everything. Worked out fine. Was inclined to go back to HK but decided to try Chicago's for the first time. Totally different vibe. Smaller, no special shows, just a few girls dancing. Started talking to a 20 ish, very cute girl who I definitely was into. She did not speak much English, but I was getting along with basic Spanish. I bought her a drink and a $15 teddy bear and was lined up, but she just bounced out to another table or somewhere. I didn't take it personally, just realized I was an idiot for spending that extra 15. Ended up with the next dancer, who was full grown and sexy, darker complexion, I guess more native-looking. Didn't try to bargain on the 100+20 price, and went up for another great experience. After that we hung out in a booth for an hour, chatting and drinking, which was also fun. Overall I had more fun at Chicago. I like the more relaxed vibe, and the lower price. If they charged $1 less per beer than HK, it'd be a no-brainer for me. Unfortunately, I don't live anywhere close to Tijuana, but for those that do, I say count your blessings and enjoy it all the more. Also, waited 2 hours in line to walk back across the border, which was a drag.

Lessons learned: Don't jump in the first taxi offered to you, use Uber or taxi libre. Don't buy any teddy bears. Find a faster way to cross the border, use Sentri or a van service.

To get back to US quickly, I come back very late, 9 pm-1 am. Last trolley to San Diego 1248 am. Park for free in the trolley parking lot (max 24 hours). In Tijuana, if you use a taxi, always negotiate the price with the driver outside the taxi before the trip, not inside the taxi. To Hong Kong the best is Hong Kong shuttle (tip $3).

[Zenduka1]

Thank you Hong Kong chicas for great service. Thank you hotel Cascadas! I've had so much sex and BJ in 2023 that I can barely walk and I'm completely exhausted. See you in 2024!

I want to praise HK but if I do they will raise the price. So screw them.

[StRobert]

Thank you Hong Kong chicas for great service. Thank you hotel Cascadas! I've had so much sex and BJ in 2023 that I can barely walk and I'm completely exhausted. See you in 2024!

[BrotherMouzone]

Everything was smooth, except the taxi driver tried to get $20 out of me, which I had argue down to $15, what a pain.

In all my years have never paid more than $7 for a taxi ride from the border to Zona Nore, which I thought was too much. Was usually paying only $5 before I stopped taking taxis a little before COVID started. I understand prices have gone up a bit since then by $15 is beyond ridiculous. I'd assume some drivers will still accept $6 or $7? In any case the HK shuttle is always free (though would tip $2 or $3) or you can take the taxi de ruta van nearby for 15 pesos ($1) to Revolucion and walk 5 minutes to Zona Norte from there.

Next day I was too lazy to go out during the day, and went looking for an ATM at around 6:30. I guess I forgot how sketchy Tijuana can be at night, so crowded and dark. It started raining so I gave up and decided to just keep using dollars for everything. Worked out fine.

There are two reliable ATMs located in grocery stores close to Zona Norte. The one I like is inside the Soriana grocery store on Revolucion not too far from the Arc (it's in front of the pharmacy section of that store). There's also one at the Calimax on Constitucion. About a 4-5 minute walk up Constitucion from Adelitas and the ATM is at the front of the store behind the checkout section. Both ATMs are safe and solid in my opinion, wouldn't use any of the others nearby.

Find a faster way to cross the border, use Sentri or a van service.

I just got Global Entry earlier this year, which allows me to go through the Sentri line. Awesome, really wish I'd gotten it years ago. Only took 5-10 minutes to cross border with the regular line looking like a 3-4 hour wait.