Cross Border Crossing: U.S. Border to Tijuana Airport made easy!

Click here for options on how to get to CBX

If you live in San Diego or thereabouts, flying from the Tijuana airport to Latin American cities can save up to 50% of the flight costs. In days past if we were flying from Tijuana, Raphael and I would drive to the Mexican border and park for a daily fee. After a shuttle to the border, we’d walk into Mexico taking a taxi to the airport. With the CBX crossing, the Tijuana airport is now just a five minute walk through a tunnel connecting the two countries.

Our Uber driver dropped us off early in the morning right outside the entrance to CBX. Once you enter the building, you are unable to proceed unless you have a valid airlines reservation for that day. The airline counters are the first thing you encounter (pun intended). We were able to get our boarding passes and pay for our check-in luggage right there.

You can buy the CBX tickets online here or you can purchase them at the airport. They are $16 one way or $30 round trip.

Next is Customs: If you are going to be in Mexico for more than a week, you need to pay a visa–28 dollars a person. Since I was born in Mexico City, technically I didn’t have to pay, but I had forgotten my Mexican birth certificate, so I paid.

Lots of turns, twists and escalators, but we finally made it to arrivals and were able to drop off our baggage. We were flying Aero Mexico to Mexico City. We were warned that there weren’t any restaurants at our gate, but we were told there was a Starbucks. Dying for a cup of coffee, I was relieved to see only two people in line at the Starbucks, but the barista motioned to a queue behind me. More than two blocks long, it was a tribute to me and to the queuers how addicted we were to that morning caffeine. 45 minutes later, I clutched my Tall Cafe Latte and walked to our gate which was already boarding. The reason this gate was such a culinary desert is that it’s relatively new and many restaurants were under construction.

Cautionary escalator tale: Crossing back into the U.S., emotionally weary from the journey,  I almost had a tragic escalator mishap. My suitcase was precariously perched half on and half off the escalator step. It fell backwards and I fell with it, my body half splayed on the suitcase and half leaning on my husband who caught me. All topsy turvy, I almost toppled forward at the top of the escalator when a tall brawny security guard swooped in and lifted me off the escalator. I guess the lesson is to set your luggage squarely on the escalator step.

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