Getting from your plane to your transportation at the large San Jose del Cabo Airport is a pretty easy excursion IF you stay on track. After getting off of the flight, everyone gets in line to clear customs. If you haven't filled out the tourist card that the airlines gave you at check-in yet, you can fill it out while waiting in line. Once at the customs counter, the nice man in the hat with the badge will review your proof of citizenship, review your tourist card for your signature, and then stamp your tourist card. He'll keep a copy, then give a copy back to you. KEEP THIS COPY somewhere where you will find it when you get ready to fly home. If you loose this tourist card, you might still be able to fly home, but it could cost you time and money to get your paperwork re-organized and you might end up going home on a different airplane than you had planned.

The walk from the customs agent to the baggage area can be the walk from Hell, or an easy scoot. Your choice. If you stop to talk with the nice young men or women selling timeshares or giving away discounts on sunset cruises (same thing), be prepared to be the last one out of the terminal. Carlos Fiesta has a suggestion here: stay focused on your next move, which is getting out of the airport. Eye contact of any sort with these friendly folks can cost you dearly. Don't feel sorry for these guys. There's a nice elderly couple from Iowa right behind you who will talk to them. Besides, you can talk to them later on in town, after you check in to your hotel. Right now, keep moving.

Next step is to collect your luggage from the conveyor belt. This usually doesn't take too long, unless more than one flight has arrived at the same time.

Once you have your luggage, it's off to the immigration line. Here, you press a button much like the buttons you push back at home to get a 'walk' sign at the crosswalk. Only these buttons have a slight difference. You either get a green 'Passe' light which gives you the right to pass 'go' (without collecting $200), or you get the red 'Alto' light, which means the nice people with the badges get to ruffle through the underwear in your suitcase looking for fruit and guns. Assuming you have neither, your out of the maze and officially on vacation.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION

The rental cars, taxis, and ground transportation are just through the glass doors after you pick up your luggage. To get from Los Cabos Airport to Cabo San Lucas in a private taxi cab or van, the cost is about $80 (total 4 people). Extra per person over 4 people. Another option is the Airport Shuttle Vans, which run up to $15 per person. Be prepared for a few stops on the way to your hotel. If you want to cruise the coast in style, private limos will take you to Cabo for $100+ (price includes one beer per person). The limos will hold 6 people and two chickens.

For more information on renting a vehicle while in town drop by our CAR RENTAL section!

P.S. Don't forget to change your watch, you're on Cabo time. Better yet, take it off and bury it in your suitcase. You really shouldn't need it for a while.

GENERAL AVIATION

Private pilots interested in flying into Los Cabos International Airport and other Baja destinations can check out BAJA BUSH PILOTS web site for more information on flying south of the border. Also, think about flying into Cabo San Lucas Airport, 20 miles closer to Cabo.