All routes are serviced by local buses for about M$8. Taxis costs around M$60 or less and they usually don’t have any meters, which means that sometimes you are at the mercy of the taxi drivers. To avoid this, make sure you agree upon a price before even getting into the taxi.
If your destination is the Central Camionera, any Central, Centro, or Buena Vista bus will take you there. The taxi option is faster, but they charge M$100. If you prefer taxi, then the taxi to take is the gold and white “Mesa de Otay” route.
For airport destinations, one should take the “Aeropuerto” that cost $5, and is a blue and white bus. The taxi aeropuerto has been operating since 1963 but they now have a newer vehicle fleet as the government of Mexico mandated that rule. This taxi can also bring you to Tijuana Airport, San Diego Airport, and any city in California and Mexico.
Let’s backtrack first and discuss the difference between the special Taxi called Taxi Especiales and Route Taxi called Los Taxi de Ruta. Taxi Especiales are taxis that will bring you to your destination and you will be required to pay accordingly. On the other hand, Los Taxi de Ruta will accept other passengers for a cheaper amount of fare and will have a fixed itinerary. It is sort of like a bus but in a smaller scale and with a more flexible route.
Make sure that when you are on the Mexican side of the border after the pedestrian walkway, and before riding the taxi, ask first the rate before riding them. This will save yourself from getting charged exorbitantly. An example is the trip to downtown should only cost $5. There have been cases when taxis charge more than double this rate.
In general, Tijuana has different transportation options like any metropolitan city except for subways. If you would grade the transport system, it gets a passing grade of only 5 out of 10. This is because schedules are not kept, resulting in delays in departures and arrivals on time. On the other hand, you could always choose to walk around for a better feel of the Tijuana spirit.
In case you traveling to Baja, the toll road from Tijuana to Ensenada is called the IAVE freeway express. IAVE members get special lane treatment from traffic and congested lanes.
In closing, bus transport is the least costly option to take, and you can see the beautiful countryside. The Metro trains are also inexpensive and have the added safety measure of reserving the first two trains for women and children. The rental car option is very popular if you can get used to the driving habits of Mexicans since it has one of the biggest road system in Latin America.
