Budget Travel - SAN-Ensenada transportation info, please.

I'm thinking about heading down to Mexico in April for at least a week. I'd fly into SAN and need a way of getting to Ensenada. (Car rental is out of the question.) I ran searches and came up with charter bus and day-tour sites. What are my least complicated and most economical options? Thanks for any info/help.

I'm thinking about heading down to Mexico in April for at least a week. I'd fly into SAN and need a way of getting to Ensenada. (Car rental is out of the question.) I ran searches and came up with charter bus and day-tour sites. What are my least complicated and most economical options? Thanks for any info/help.

FourWheels,

Not sure you'd be interested, but Carnival and Royal Caribbean both do 4 night cruises out of LA that stop in Ensenada for a day. Prices in April are as low as $289 a person for an inside cabin. That's $144.50 a day for a couple and includes transportation, entertainment, lodging and lots of food. Add a few bucks for tips and alcohol, and you've got a decent and pretty economical vacation.

The easiest cheap way is to take Aiporter Bus (http://www.sdcommute.com/Rider_Information/routes/992.asp#) from the SAN to the downtown San Diego Trolley station (http://www.sdcommute.com/Rider_Information/trolley/trolleymap.asp). Walk a few steps and take Mexicoach (http://www.mexicoach.com/) to Avenida Revolucion, where their bus depot is located. From there you can take the bus to Rosarito Beach, which is as far as I've gone (sorry, guess I didn't make it as far as Ensenada).

The good news is that according to the website, service to Ensenada starts January 15.

Now if you're a little more adventurous, and want to save even more money, you can walk across the border, and walk to one of the Mexican bus stations (or take a cab, but not the expensive yellow contraptions, rather the white ones that charge local non-tourist prices), or if you're even more adventurous, you can take collectivo station wagons, but they may not take you where you want to go directly.

Oh, and speaking Spanish is a definete plus on these local journeys, which is why I suggested Mexicoach first :eek:

EmailKid

Couple of ways to do this...

Emailkid is by and large right, but here's another alternative.

Get to the border with Mexico. The bus station is close to the border, say a 5 min walk. When you see the taxi hustlers, make a right, continue down that road to the pedestrian promenade. You'll cross the river and the bus station will be a little further on the left.

You could take a taxi to the bus station which is what I would do.

OR

You can take the US Greyhound. They USED to run downtown San Diego -> Tijuana bus station but that MAY have ended. It may be a pricer option but it'll put you at the bus station.

The buses to Ensenada are fairly frequent, but I really don't know how often. This girl I used to go out with was from there and she did it a slew of times.

Spanish will almost be necessary to negotate. Unfortunately I don't have any other pointers to help you out re: prices and such.

I really don't know what will be cheaper but the Mexicoach, when that's up and running, should be the easiest. They may not have frequent schedules though, maybe only 1-3x a day, as opposed to the TJ Bus.

you may want to consult the Lonely Planet Mexico guide, they should have basic pricing and bus routing info from Tijuana to Ensenada and the location of the Ensenada bus depot.

Thanks for all the detailed info. It's exactly what I was looking for. :)

Would love to cruise again (just did it a few weeks ago, for the first time), but not financially easy for a solo traveler.

I'm thinking about heading down to Mexico in April for at least a week. I'd fly into SAN and need a way of getting to Ensenada. (Car rental is out of the question.) I ran searches and came up with charter bus and day-tour sites. What are my least complicated and most economical options? Thanks for any info/help.
I have driven once, taken a cab once and taken the shuttle once. My preference is driving. The toll highway is well kept and safe. The taxi we took to Rosarito cost about $25 for the two of us, but the cab drivers will often take the "free road" which is pothole ridden and prevalent with scores and scores of stop signs, making a longer ride that it could be. Lastly, the shuttle bus is clean and safe, but the schedule required is waiting for almost an hour or so for the next bus as we just missed the previous one. Here is a link for one of the better hotels in the area (Rosarito, that is) which gives you good directions and pictures of what the journey is like. You should be able to get a pretty good deal (especially for mid-week nights) with an ocean view, as well. Enjoy! Driving Directions to the Rosarito Beach Hotel (http://www.rosaritobeachhotel.com/directions_to_rosarito.php)

Thanks, Justme123456. Great website, directions.

I found a little cottage on the beach at Punta Banda- $550 for 8 nights during Easter week. Hotels are expensive and already booked. My trip plans are up in the air though- I may trade Mexico in April for Berlin in March. Haven't decided what to do yet.