Passport card or SENTRI? Passing customs faster when coming back from Mexico - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

dniss · 02-24-2014, 07:43 PM

I've had a SENTRI card for about 6 years. It's about $140 with a transponder decal for one vehicle, good for 5 years. Yes, you need to go for an interview and a quick vehicle inspection. I figure if you go south more than 2 or 3 times a year it's worth it, as the wait at San Ysidro or Otay can be brutal, and a friend with family in Tecate says that line sucks when the soldiers let people take cuts in front of you for a quick $20. I also have a passport card and noticed that there's an expedited pedestrian line at Otay. When I asked if San Ysidro was similar they said no. Also, no SENTRI lane in Tecate. I haven't heard of the passport card being good for SENTRI lanes, and I know that use of SENTRI vehicle lanes requires all riders and the vehicle to have SENTRI cards and stickers. The longest I've ever waited in a SENTRI lane was 20 minutes, when regular lanes were taking 2.5-3hrs to get across. The new border crossing at San Ysidro boosted the number of SENTRI lanes. There was zero wait after Valentine's dinner at a killer restaurant in TJ. I head down several times each year for some good kitesurfing, fishing, eating out, etc. so it's worth it for me. TJ has burgeoning restaurant, art, and music stuff going on, wineries worth checking out in Guadalupe Valley between Tecate and Ensenada, so fun to be had if you're into that kind of stuff as well.

02-24-2014, 07:43 PM	#11
dniss Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 77	Crossing easy I've had a SENTRI card for about 6 years. It's about $140 with a transponder decal for one vehicle, good for 5 years. Yes, you need to go for an interview and a quick vehicle inspection. I figure if you go south more than 2 or 3 times a year it's worth it, as the wait at San Ysidro or Otay can be brutal, and a friend with family in Tecate says that line sucks when the soldiers let people take cuts in front of you for a quick $20. I also have a passport card and noticed that there's an expedited pedestrian line at Otay. When I asked if San Ysidro was similar they said no. Also, no SENTRI lane in Tecate. I haven't heard of the passport card being good for SENTRI lanes, and I know that use of SENTRI vehicle lanes requires all riders and the vehicle to have SENTRI cards and stickers. The longest I've ever waited in a SENTRI lane was 20 minutes, when regular lanes were taking 2.5-3hrs to get across. The new border crossing at San Ysidro boosted the number of SENTRI lanes. There was zero wait after Valentine's dinner at a killer restaurant in TJ. I head down several times each year for some good kitesurfing, fishing, eating out, etc. so it's worth it for me. TJ has burgeoning restaurant, art, and music stuff going on, wineries worth checking out in Guadalupe Valley between Tecate and Ensenada, so fun to be had if you're into that kind of stuff as well.