A first-timers' guide to visit Mexico on a motorcycle. A roundtrip to Ensenada
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- This video is geared towards California (and maybe South-western Arizona) riders who’ve never been to Mexico and would like to ride their motorcycle south of the border for the first time. There are thousands of videos out there with similar and very different information and I am not criticizing anyone's suggestions, however, this is my personal experience and I am making it available to whoever is interested.
In this video, I will guide you through your very first trip to Baja California, the first state of Mexico south of San Diego, CA. I'll go over everything from preparing your documents, to heading to the border, to where I usually stop to exchange Pesos, to where to where I stop for a lookout and pit stop and how to cross back into the US in the most efficient and painless way.
The video is broken down in five categories and feel free to skip over anything that doesn’t pertain to you and your travels.
Chapters:
Document Prep
FMM 1:28
Enter Mexico 2:58
Stamp FMM 3:59
Cross Border 6:03
Head to Ensenada 7:20
Lookout exit 8:39
First meal in Mexico 9:37
Head to Tecate 10:16
Mustafa’s 10:21
Tecate border crossing 10:38
General rules 13:46
Hope you get something out of this video and I hope I earn a like and your subscription.
Links:
Apply for your FMM online
www.inm.gob.mx...
Baja Bound Mexican Insurance
www.bajabound....
Global Entry/SENTRI Trusted Traveler Program
ttp.dhs.gov/
Apply for a passport card
travel.state.g...
My Links,
*My Channel: / @goatmototours
*Facebook: / henrysalari
*Instagram: / whomeezy
**Website: goatmototours.com
**Paypal donation: www.paypal.com...
** Venmo donations: @goatmoto
** Zelle donations: henry@goatmototours.com
Greetings from Canada!
Thanks for such useful infos in a very well explained video.
I am planning to go there in May 2023, going through Tecate (back and forth) from Las Vegas to Cabo San Lucas.
You’re welcome. Good luck with the trip. I was just down there two weeks ago and the weather was perfect. Just be mindful of constructions south of Ensenada. I’m riding up to Victoria, BC this Sunday for 10 days. Let’s see how wet and cold we get 🥶
I’ll put together a separate video for riding all the way down La Paz. In the meantime I highly recommend cutting over to the sea of Cortes to San Felipe from Ensenada via MX3 and taking the MX5 down to Chapala. It’s a lot more scenic and absolutely great roads. It’ll take you back to MX1 and you can continue south towards Guerrero Negro. You’ll get there around lunch time so go into town and find Señor Taco, it’s a small hole in the wall taco place but oh so good!
Reach out to Paul and Bonnie at Ignacio Springs in San Ignacio. They rent yurts to sleep in and are both Canadian expats. Paul has a cool story about how he got the place.
In Santa Rosalia there’s a cool town square to take photos of and a very good coffee shop right next to the town square called Coffeestar. Slick name! You’ll be very close to Loreto and it’s a nice town to spend an evening in. Great restaurants in front of the mission.
The road from Loreto to La Paz is kinda boring so just white knuckle it through there and be sure to lock your stuff in the city. It’s a bit sketchy around the port area.
Have fun and eat lots of fish tacos
@@goatmototours thanks a lot for these tips! I live near Ottawa, still cold here (-1C this morning) West coast will be way warmer!
@@goatmototoursHey bro great video, But we brazialians also can use this permit to travel there?
By car or motocycle
Thanks for the video!
Obrigado pelo video!🇧🇷
@@maiconpenha7168thank you, yes everyone needs this to get into Mexico by car or by motorcycle or even by air.
So much great information!! Thank you for this 👍
Glad you were able to take away some helpful info. Message me with any further questions you may have at henry@goatmototours.com
I am taking a group to Ensenada for the Ensenada Beer Fest in March. All includsive, all-expenses paid, wine, music, food and chauffeured van rides. Let me know if you're interested: goatmototours.com/ensenada-beer-fest-2023/
Excellent video!
Thank you. Hope you can join us soon.
I am taking a group to Ensenada for the Ensenada Beer Fest in March. All includsive, all-expenses paid, wine, music, food and chauffeured van rides. Let me know if you're interested: goatmototours.com/ensenada-beer-fest-2023/
very helpfull,thaks.
You’re welcome. Reach out with any questions you may have.
@@goatmototours TNX , just bought a Tenere700 and I am pumped to go to MX.
@@pvflyer67 hooooodoooggie.. that’s a built-for-Baja bike my man. Congratulations! You just missed the Ensenada beer fest a couple of weeks ago. I’m on my way to Canada right now but I’m taking a group to Mexico in October for 10 days. Loreto and back. Please Email me your info if you’re interested and I’ll keep you posted as soon as I have the logistics figured out: hsalari@goatmototours.com
@@goatmototours will do.
Interesting. I drove my car to Ensenada multiple times in the 1980s. In the mid 2000s I drove through the Arizona crossing going to Rocky Point. Things were different. I bought Mexican car insurance before crossing otherwise there was no Visa. We never were even asked for ID. A passport wasn't even required. At that time Ensenada, Rocky Point, and all the border towns were considered a Tourist Zone. I understood that if anyone traveled further South out of the Tourist Zone then there was another Immigration and Customs station where more documentation was required. I'm considering riding my motorcycle from Brownsville, TX to Belize. I'm hearing that I would need to pay an import duty on my motorcycle entering Mexico then get a refund when exiting. I don't know.
Amongst other things, one of the biggest challenges and struggles when taking groups of riders to Mexico is explaining the tourist permit requirements to people born before 1970. Some folks are reluctant to understand or accept that another sovereign nation, well within the right and justified to do so, mind you, has dared to impose "requirements" upon the almighty American traveler. These requirements are well documented, and why they are required is clearly stated. Because you flashed your DL to cross the border 40 years ago once, it doesn't mean that the country doesn't have the right to change its immigration laws. I used to go to the gate and pick up passengers from the airport. Today, it is a federal crime to enter the gate without a valid boarding pass. Things always change and evolve. Unfortunately, people's minds don't, and some are unable or unwilling to adapt and accept change.
With all that said, I’ve been to mainland Mexico many times on my bike so if you need assistance or help with the TIP (temporary import permit for vehicles) I can guide you through it. Let me know
Very informative. When are we going?
Sergio, I am taking a group down there for the Ensenada Beer Fest in two weeks. goatmototours.com/ensenada-beer-fest-22/
Are you required to show your stamped FMM upon entry to the States? You didn't mention it further after you had it stamped upon entry to Mexico.
When you return to the states, the only document you need to worry about is your passport/passport card. The stamped FMM goes into your pouch until you leave Mexico and then you can dispose of it. Hope that helped.
@@goatmototours so it's not a required document? Very informative video BTW. :)
I am taking a group to Ensenada for the Ensenada Beer Fest in March. All includsive, all-expenses paid, wine, music, food and chauffeured van rides. Let me know if you're interested: goatmototours.com/ensenada-beer-fest-2023/
@@goatmototours sounds like a good time. Unfortunately, I'm unavailable in March.
Hey, guy...great video. do you know if D5 is paved from Puertecitos to the intersection with D1?
Hey Guy… thanks. I rode from Lake Chapala back in October all the way to San Felipe and most of it was fresh blacktop and not a soul in sight. I think everything except the Darien Gap is paved all the way to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina 😂😂😂
Hi Henry, Have heard rumors some Mexican insurer's will not pay claims if the owner does not have a Mexican drivers license, have you heard of claims being denied or reduced because of that? Thank you
Hi there. There may very well be some shady third-tier insurers who have slipped in a disclaimer deep in their small prints about that but when I get insurance for Mexico I use one of the top three reputable companies, those being either Chubb, Mapfre or HDI. Neither one of those have a claim about Mexican drivers license, which I don't even believe exists for tourists. Tourists may require to get an international driver's license, as it is mandatory in most European countries, but as a US citizen driving/riding in Mexico, your US (California in my case) license is always accepted, or at least on the Baja side it always has been. We recently had a mishap in our group and one of our riders crashed his bike close to Loreto, BCS. We were at least three days away from the border but luckily we were able to get bike back together so he could ride back up to the US. When he contacted his Mexican insurance provider, Chubb, he was told that he needs to have an agent inspect the bike while still in Mexico. They have a pretty strict protocol that needs to be followed before crossing the border in order to have a completed insurance claim. And yes, they did ask the rider for his FMM, the tourist permit, during the claim process. Other than that, no issues with driver's license. Hope that helped.
@@goatmototours That greatly helps, thank-you!!
@@platoon1081 You're welcome. Glad I was able to help.
Thank you for your videos! Do you have specific tire for the Mexico rides you can recommend? Figured a combo on road/offroad version would work best, from your travels do you have a favorite? Thanks again!
Thank you. It all depends on what type of riding you’re planning on doing. There was a time when highway MX1 wasn’t connected all the way and there was a 26-mile of unpaved section and riders would opt for knobbies just because of that. Then there’s the adventure rider who gets off the beaten path and does 80% dirt when in Baja. I do about 80% pavement and 20% moderate dirt, nothing technical or overly extreme so for that purpose I’ve used the Michelin Anakee Wild. It feels like a road tire on pavement with great grip and it eats dirt and sand like no one’s business but again, when it comes to tires, it’s kinda like politics or religion talk, opinions opinions opinions…
If you never going to see dirt while down there, then don’t bother with knobbies and get a set of touring tires. I use Continental Road Attack and they yield pretty high miles for my riding style. Hope that helped.
@@goatmototours Thank you Henry, that was exactly the information I was looking for. Really appreciate the content and quality of your videos by the way. They provide a great combination of pertinent information, enjoyable background music and amazing scenery! 👍
@@platoon1081 my pleasure. Glad I was able to help. I periodically lead group rides to Mexico so if you’d like to tag along, email me your info so I can put you on the list: henry@goatmototours.com
I am taking a group to Ensenada for the Ensenada Beer Fest in March. All includsive, all-expenses paid, wine, music, food and chauffeured van rides. Let me know if you're interested: goatmototours.com/ensenada-beer-fest-2023/
I've seen elsewhere I need to pay a $30 non-resident fee if staying over 7 days, a $45 vehicle import stamp and a $400 deposit for the vehicle which I get back when I leave Mexico. Can you shed some light on this?
That is 100% accurate. When you travel to mainland Mexico and/or stay longer than 7 days, you need to purchase a temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) and as you mentioned, in addition to the fees, you will need to leave a deposit of $400, sort of a promissory note that you will export the vehicle from Mexico upon completion of your journey. You can get the TIP from Banjercito, the government agency that issues them, you can do it online and you will receive your deposit back when you return back to the US. The key is to stop by a Banjercito branch, usually before the border crossing, have them inspect the vehicle and take the VIN out of the system. Failing to do so will result in complications the next time you enter Mexico. Hope that helped. I will put together a video to cover the TIP, but it’s a pretty straight forward process.
You can order your TIP from here: www.banjercito.com.mx/registroVehiculos/#
@@goatmototours Thanks for the confirmation..
Is there an advantage to a passport card over a passport ?
Besides the colossal weight saving 😂
If you don’t have Global Entry and crossing back into the US using a smaller border crossing like Tecate or Otay Mesa into California, you get to cut in front of the line and use the ready/express lanes, essentially making your border crossing last about 28 seconds.
@@goatmototours thanks for the reply! that seem advantageous for sure.
@@floydjaggy For sure! Border agents like those cards because it cuts their processing time in half.
Hello, loce the video. I was wondering do I need an endorsement to be approved fo an fmm
Thank you Rodrigo. There is no endorsement needed. You can simply fill out the form online, print it, take it to Aduana at the border crossing to get it stamped and you're done. The entire process at the border takes 30 seconds. My only suggestion: make sure you print both parts of the FMM, both sides, left and right! They will then separate it at the border but they do need both parts when you approach the window. Good luck and let me know if you need anything else. I have another video that discusses just the FMM right here ua-cam.com/video/GIndwk0Drys/v-deo.html
I am taking a group to Ensenada for the Ensenada Beer Fest in March. All includsive, all-expenses paid, wine, music, food and chauffeured van rides. Let me know if you're interested: goatmototours.com/ensenada-beer-fest-2023/
Why do you prefer the Tecate crossing rather than TJ? Thank-you
The road up the 3 is nice, fast and scenic, that's one reason. I always stop by my favorite vineyard in the Valle de Guadalupe and pickup a bottle of wine, some marinated olives and maybe a bottle of mezcal on the way home so that's reason #2. San Ysidro border crossing is one of the busiest in the nation with 10-12 lanes of cars crossing. Even the Sentri lanes take way too long and Tecate or Otay Mesa is the perfect alternative. Just look at my other videos and see how empty the lanes usually are and on motorcycles, being able to cut in the front, border crossings never last more than 2-3 minutes...so that reason #3. As we usually grab lunch on the US side and most of our favorite restaurants are around Chula Vista and the roads are really nice and twisty right after the border, I personally prefer Tecate and Otay Mesa. Ultimately, it a personal preference but a pro tip: officers are much nicer at Tecate.
I am taking a group to Ensenada for the Ensenada Beer Fest in March. All includsive, all-expenses paid, wine, music, food and chauffeured van rides. Let me know if you're interested: goatmototours.com/ensenada-beer-fest-2023/
Is that your voice for the commentary or did you use a program or app?
😂😂 I feel like this is a trick question and either way I’ll be incriminating myself