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We are taking our two oldest grandchildren - ages 16 & 13 to San Diego in mid March and looking for things to do. They would like to go to Mexico, any recommendation on tours to take of Tijuana? Also, any other recommendations for teenagers?
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When we went to LW, several years ago, they had a bus tour. We took it and enjoyed it very much. Don't know if they still do, and if they do if it is same tour.
Nancy -
Teenage girls, or boys?Originally posted by riverdees05Comment
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The 16 year old is a boy and the 13 year old is a girl.Comment
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They would need passports to enter Mexico. Also, there have been incidents of border violence, although I do not know if Tijuana is one of the hot spots. Just some things to consider.Comment
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I called Lawrence Welk Resort and they no longer have tours of Tijuana because of the potential danager.Comment
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Children under 18 do not need passports to enter Mexico or return to the U.S. Birth certificates are fine.
As to the "potential violence," they are reacting to the American media's presentation. There is a drug war going on in Mexico; that is absolutely true. It is also absolutely true there have been many killings as a result. However, they have not bothered to report a number of other aspects to that situation:
1. When the murder rate was the highest it has ever been in Tijuana, it was still a lower murder rate than the murder rate of New Orleans, LA--but the press doesn't say "avoid New Orleans because of the violence."
2. The violence is drug on drug violence, and it isn't occurring in the tourist parts of the city--just as the violence of Compton, CA isn't occuring in Santa Barbara or Hollywood.
We live 30 minutes south of the border and drive through Tijuana several times a week. Our many friends drive through Tijuana several times a week--some work in San Diego and drive through Tijuana 10 times a week. NO one has ever experienced a problem. I realize violence does occur; it occurs in every city, and Tijuana has the additional problem of an on-going drug war--but the American media makes it seem as though you should don your flak jacket at the border, and I've felt no need to purchase one yet, let alone wear it."You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity." Adrian RogersComment
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If you choose not to Mexico you could go to Old Town San Diego and look and shop around for that Old Mexico feel. It's not the same of course, but fun.
As for other things it depends on what they like, when I was teen Sea World was my favorite place to visit when vacationing in San Diego. The Zoo and the Wild Animal Park are great for all ages, especially if the like animals, and if they like to shop Horton Plaza is fun, and Seaport Village is good for touristy bayside shopping.Comment
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I am very familiar with Tijuana. We have many relatives that live in Tijuana. I would not recommend going as there isn't much there for a tourist, especially teenagers. Tijuana is not what it was several years ago. You would very likely be the only visitors there. Avenida Revolucion, where the tourists used to go, is virtually dead now.
The hot spot for violence is Cd. Juarez across from El Paso, TX. However there is a lot of violence in Tijuana and it is not all drug related. Several of our relatives have been victims. A short while ago, our nephew was the victim of armed robbery at a Pemex gas station when he stopped to get gas. They took his watch, cell phone, jewelry, wallet and forced him to withdraw money from the ATM. People at the gas station just ignored it.. This happened in the middle of the day in a better area of the city. These incidents are quite common but they are never reported to the police.
I do recommend visiting Old Town in San Diego. Make sure that you eat at the Old Mexican Cafe in Old Town. They have hand made corn tortillas that the ladies make at the front of the restaurant and they are very good.JohnComment
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Since when do you need a Passport to enter Mexico? I have been to Tijuana hundreds of times and never used anything but my Drivers License and the fact that I am a very average looking white guy to get back into the country. Last time I did this was 2008, but since that was 7 years after 9/11/01, why would they change the rules now?Originally posted by calgalComment
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You do not need a passport to visit Tijuana BUT you need a valid passport to return to the US. This went into effect a couple years ago or so and applies to Canada as well which didn't use to require it.Originally posted by RedDogSDJohnComment
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We did not go to Tijuana when staying at the LWRV in March. I think all the passport requirements were an outcome of 911 and increased security at our borders.Comment
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Next time you're there, Riverdees, come down and see us in Rosarito; we'll go someplace fun."You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity." Adrian RogersComment
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Originally posted by JWC View Post
Ok, so I wanted to see what you were talking about...and here it is. This explains why it did not affect me in 2007.
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. In order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.
In the proposed implementation plan, which is subject to a period of initial public comment, the Initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines. The proposed timeline will be as follows:
December 31, 2006 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
December 31, 2007 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.
This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement.Comment
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You will need notarized letters from their parents to take them to Mexico - if parents are divorced you will need letters from both. And if a parent is deceased, you will need a notarized (raised seal) copy of the death certificate.Originally posted by riverdees05
This is from personal experience of traveling to Mexico with underage kids without their parents - friends of my kids - and traveling with my kids without my husband.Comment
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