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Just a little bit of planning can go a long way when getting ready to drive from the US/Mexican border south to Cabo San Lucas. Road trips into Baja to Cabo can be fun and easy, and require relatively little planning. But reviewing these key suggestions can take the worry out of any drive to the Cape.
Each year thousands of vehicles (cars, trucks, SUVs, RVs, motorcycles, etc.) cross the border and head for Cabo San Lucas. Most of these adventurers cross the border at the San Ysidro (San Diego) / Tijuana border crossing. It's usually an easy way to get into Baja, and it's a straight shot down Highway One all the way to Cabo.
The most important item to bring along when driving across the border is some legitimate form of identification for each person in the vehicle (including the children), such as a driver's license or birth certificate. This will most likely not be necessary when crossing into the state of Baja California, or even during the initial drive into Baja, but may very well be asked for when crossing the state border into Baja California Sur, just north of Guerrero Negro. This documentation may also be asked for when driving north back into the United States by U.S. Immigration officials.
BEFORE DRIVING TO CABO SAN LUCAS
You are never alone when driving across the border to Cabo!
Visitors to Baja who are planning on staying in Baja longer that 72 hours or who are planning to drive well south of Ensenada/San Felipe need to be prepared to obtain a Tourist Card. This includes everyone headed to Cabo San Lucas. Obtaining a Tourist Card requires one of the following types of identification: (1) a valid passport, or (2) a certified copy of a birth certificate and a picture I.D. or (3) a notorized letter stating your citizenship and a photo I.D. This Tourist Card will cost you about $20 U.S. and can be obtained at Mexican Immigration offices in Baja, including offices at the border, in Ensenada, or at the Guerrero Negro Immigration stop. For more information visit the Toursit Card section of Baja Expo.
Probably the second most important thing to bring along on a driving trip to Cabo is proof of liability insurance. You can drive across the border into Baja Mexico without liability insurance, but things get very complicated if you are involved in any kind of accident. For about $10 a day (cheaper for longer trips) it's well worth getting insurance. Damage insurance for your vehicle is extra. There is no shortage of insurance companies located on the US side of the border just before crossing into Baja.
If there are any kids on your trip to Cabo that are not your children, bringing along a notorized letter from the parents of the child allowing you permission to bring the child into Mexico is a good idea. It is smart to have this same letter allow you the right to make medical decisions for the child in the event of a medical emergency. This letter is not a requirement when driving into the tourist areas close the border, but it is a good idea when heading further south into Baja.
The same type of letter is good to bring along for a parent who is bringing a child to Cabo when the second parent is not coming along on the trip. Again, this documentation will probably not be required by the Mexican authorities on a drive down trip, and probably not by the US immigration authorities on the way home either. But it's nice to have it along just in case they do.
Other items to consider before crossing the border into Mexico include plenty of money in your pocket, a good Baja map (the Auto Club map is great), a Baja guide book, and a credit card for emergencies. And don't forget to review the information in Baja Expo for the drive and in Cabo Expo for your destination before you head south!