I'm going to be in Orange County for work for the next 2 weeks. Over the weekend, I'm visiting a friend in San Diego/La Jolla. We were talking about making a venture to Tijuana for one evening. Any thoughts or advice? Is it safe? Fun? Worth it? What's the best way to get there and back?

No, we are not 18. Both early 30's, just looking for different things to do.

I searched through several forums and didn't see much on here so hopefully I'm not duplicating another thread.

p.s. Irvine / Costa Mesa restaurant suggestions welcome too!

Meh..

TJ is dirty, kind of hard to get to and back. Safe enough as long as you don't get wasted. I'd recommend a night in SAN instead. Lots of great night spots, pretty girls, and you don't have to worry about getting back across the border when you are done.

No reason to go there unless you want to score some cheap pharmaceuticals. The wait at the border can be brutal and you'll need your passport. The danger factor is over-rated though. I'd give it a skip. Try "the Gaslamp' - fun bars, good food, and the best happy hr deals I've seen anywhere. Love the Lincoln Room !

+1 to last two posts.

Since it's not bullfight season, really the only reason to go down to TJ is cheap tourist trinkets, low cost booze, inexpensive pharmaceuticals (make sure you have a Dr.'s prescription to bring them back), low cost dental work, auto re-upholstery, and/or semi-legal prostitution in la Zona Rosa. As mentioned, crossing the border is a real hassle, you likely *can't* take a rental car down there (and you need Mexican insurance).

Safe? During daytime. If you stay to main streets and well populated tourist areas. Night....less so. And don't eat any street food, no matter how good it smells.

Absolutely go to Tijuana.

While not as exotic as travelling to Mexico City, it certainly will be an interesting evening. Lots of souvenir and trinket shops. The main drag in Tijuana is Avenida Revolución, easily walkable from the U.S. border

Do not drive across the border as it can be excruciatingly slow coming back into the U.S. Better to park at the border. Exit Interstate 5 at the last exit (San Ysidro). There is plenty of parking at the border, and walk across. There is also a high-end outlet mall at the San Ysidro exit (on the US side).

You'll find walking back to the U.S. in the evening to be pretty fast. Most Mexicans cross into the U.S. in the daytime, so all you're left with are the gringos crossing back.

There are some excellent restaurants in Tijuana. Here's a New York Times feature on one of my favorite restaurants Misión 19.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/di...pagewanted=all

Anthony Bourdain recently did a write-up on his favorite Tijuana restaruants...

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/...rants-and-bar/

Go, and have fun.

You'll be disappointed then to hear that the Lincoln Room closed last year.

Why such as short run ? They were always packed the 10 or so times I was in there !

Wirelessly posted (Nokia Lumia 800: Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows Phone OS 7.5; Trident/5.0; IEMobile/9.0; NOKIA; Lumia 800; Vodafone))

The U.S. Passport Card is also valid for this crossing, if you have one.

Prescription drugs that are not controlled substances can be brought in without a written prescription - the rule is something like "a reasonable quantity for personal use"

What you can do instead......

Down near the border there is an outlet mall you can find some stuff really cheap.

Near there you have some roads that run right along the border and you can see the contrast between California and Mexico.

You can cross with just a valid DL too, but the line is twice as long usually.

Thanks everyone for all of your responses and info, especially Consultette for the OC recommendations too. My stomach is grateful.

Tijuana, Baja California, is in Mexico, so we've moved the thread to the proper forum. Consultette's Orange County recommendations have been left in the California forum.

JDiver
Senior Moderator

There is actually plenty to do, but some research using the usual Google and Internet sites will reveal whether or not those things are what you want to do.

Those who go to get drunk or consort with various kinds of "escorts" or prostitutes or visit the bad areas of town will be more likely to experience safety issues - just like anywhere else.

Those who want to buy pharmaceuticals should look for a major pharmacy chain and a "Farmacia de 1a Clase" - they have a pharmacists on duty and more rigorous licensing requirements, are less likely to offer pirated or counterfeit drugs. (E.g. a friend who must pay $1,600 a month for a medication in the US gets it from a reputable pharmacy in Mexico for $52.70 for 50 capsules - the identical medication, manufactured by AstraZeneca in Sweden.)

Go for it,if it's for the day go early and try to leave before sundown,not that it's unsafe but you don't want to be stuck at that border crossing,two hours is sometimes the normal cross time.

You could just walk in and get a cab to downtown TJ to shop and eat great food.

As for booze there is a limit,worth it,depends what you drink. As for a doctors note,come on,if you bring pack a few things driving back that is ok in some way,walking back,don't try it.

Agree ^

Tijuana is a unique experience. Why would anyone pass it up?