EmailKid

Kind of a moot point anyway as you are asked for your passport when you enter at San Ysidro / Tijuana crossing now.

AA is practically giving away tickets ($98 r/t on upcoming long weekend) so will have to decide if I'll stay at one of San Diego's budget motels (possibly the old Y downtown) or cross the border for an inexpensive hotel in Tijuana.

JDiver

Be sure to read the wiki post at the top of the page. One needs a boarding pass (can be had at the ticket counters before the bridge) to use the bridge.

That makes it seem like it's being treated as an air POE. If so a passport card may not suffice for cross-border purposes anyway.

GUWonder

Mexicans are now required to have a passport to enter Mexico at that crossing? The Mexican government was saying that when it gets busy they will even waive Americans in without checking passports.

EmailKid

Sorry, I was referring to Norteamericanos and specifically for pedestrian crossing. To be even more specific, gringos, as I doubt that they can differentiate between Latinos from US and Mexico.

Latinos just breeze on by and proceed to press the button to see if (I assume) they check what you are carrying. Used to be only Latinos had to press the button, but now everyone does.

Which is why I'm considering not spending the night, as the 2-3 hours to cross back is ridiculous. I'd just have to pay more for motel, Airbnb, Y or Priceline

Big4Flyer

I tried calling the number listed on their website which gave me a recording saying the number was not in service. I then emailed their support number asking for clarification about the passport vs passport card issue and they referred me to their requirements page, which was the page I was calling about in the first place. Seems like they're still trying to get some kinks worked out, maybe we'll get clarification later on.

EmailKid

I may be wrong on this, but to me it seems pretty clear:

No passport, no bridge.

GUWonder

I'm curious on whether or not that is how it goes for US LPR Mexican citizens with Mexican non-passport ID.

EmailKid

Same as those of us with Canadian passport. Use the passport you have. Or do you not have a Mexican passport? Makes it VERY difficult to travel anywhere else @:-)

GUWonder

Mexican citizens are admissible to Mexico even without a Mexican passport. And Mexican citizens with a US LPR card are admissible to the US even without a passport.

Both of my above sentences don't generally apply to Canadians, unless the Canadian happens to be a dual Canadian-Mexican citizen with US LPR status. Do you happen to be a dual Canadian-Mexican citizen with US LPR status? Then you can travel to/amongst at least three countries without a passport.

Big4Flyer

My confusion comes from the fact that the requirements for the bridge say "passport" rather than "passport book." According to the state.gov website a passport card and passport book are both considered passports, however they are different products with the passport card having different obvious restrictions.

I believe you are right though, in that they probably mean a passport book and just call it a passport as that is what it is what people refer to when they say "passport". I'm probably just getting caught up in the semantics of it because I really wish I could use it.

EmailKid

Semantics aside, it's not that cheap to cross, and then you have to get there @:-)

Since I'll be in SAN over this coming long weekend (Jan 16-18), I looked at flying to GDL, which I've always (OK, for long time) wanted to visit.

Prices are not that much different to fly there from TIJ than DFW, but while the Mexican route goes several times a day, to US it's only 3 weekly. So I'll just enjoy SoCal and look at Volaris for later in the spring.

Big4Flyer

Just found this from a news article about the CBX:

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...-bridge-opens/

The CBP is treating the facility like other pedestrian crossings on the U.S. border, and the agency's secured area includes eight inspection booths, four X-ray machines, and kiosks where crossers can swipe their radio-frequency identification documents such as the Sentri card. The agency, charged with enforcing laws at U.S. ports of entry, was consulted for the design of the facility, which includes secondary inspection areas and holding areas for anyone taken into custody.

"This is a land port of entry," said Joe Misenhelter, the assistant port director overseeing the Cross Border Xpress. "The only difference is that you have to be a ticketed airline passenger."

Sounds like maybe a passport card will work after all. I'm flying TIJ to MEX in early April with two young kids and this sounds like it could be the best solution for crossing the border.

UPDATE: Just found the following quote from the CEO of Otay Tijuana Ventures, the company who built and operates the CBX.

"“We are not an airport port of entry, we are not a land port of entry,” Valle told coalition members. “It is a hybrid facility.”

Source: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...ana-san-diego/

Unfortunately, the State department doesn't have any particular entry requirements for a "hybrid facility." I'm sure it will all get ironed out within the next couple months.

EmailKid

Well, that's useful

But I believe with the info you provided you probably can get through without a passport. OTOH, depending on baggage, it may be cheaper to Blue Line to to San Ysidro and then taxi it to TIJ. Of course with two kids in tow .....

GUWonder

CBP is treating it as a land border, and CBP will admit recognized US citizens there -- whether with a US passport, US passport card or any other US ID+proof of US citizenship.

The issue is whether or not the bridge facility owner/operator will allow use of the bridge to admissible persons without a passport. Even with the launch of this bridge facility, CBP hasn't changed its rules on how it admits Americans.

Big4Flyer

Just received a quick and courteous email from CBX in response to my question regarding whether a passport card is sufficient to cross using the bridge. She confirmed that a passport card is sufficient as they have no additional requirements beyond what is required by customs and immigration and the crossing is considered to be a land border crossing.