The Cross Border Xpress (CBX) airport skywalk bridge, connecting San Diego directly to Tijuana’s Rodriguez airport, opened at the beginning of December 2015. Ticketed passengers can now walk from San Diego across a bridge to get directly to the Tijuana airport. This makes it easier to fly directly to destinations such as La Paz, Loreto, Los Cabos, and other cities in mainland Mexico.
GETTING THERE
You can drive or take a bus or shuttle to get to the CBX on the San Diego side. The CBX website has more information on specific shuttle and bus services that are available. Short-term and long-term parking are available. Long-term parking is $17 US a day in a fully fenced lot with security lights and 24/7 patrolling.
CBX is located at 2745 Otay Pacific Drive. To get to CBX from the 805 or 5, take the 905 East. Exit at Brittania Blvd (Exit 6). Turn right onto Brittania Blvd. Turn left onto Siempre Viva Rd. Arrive at the CBX facilities – 2745 Otay Pacific Drive.
TICKETS AND REQUIRED PAPERWORK
Tickets are available for purchase in advance on the CBX website www.crossborderxpress.com or can be purchased on site. Tickets are $16 one-way ($30 roundtrip). You can pay with cash or credit card on site.
You’ll need your passport, a printed boarding pass and your CBX ticket in order to use the skywalk bridge. Airline boarding passes must be valid for flights departing Tijuana within 24 hours or having arrived within four hours of your border crossing time. You can print your boarding pass at the kiosks inside the CBX terminal on the San Diego side for departing flights. For arriving flights, there are printing kiosks in the Tijuana terminal near the CBX bridge.
SOUTHBOUND CROSSING
When you arrive at CBX you can go up to the counter where you can purchase a ticket for CBX. You will need to show your passport and boarding pass. Since you are technically crossing into Mexico by land, you are permitted to use a passport card for travel. There are also kiosks that can be used for CBX ticket purchase or for printing your boarding pass if needed. You will walk about a half kilometer across the skywalk bridge to cross into Mexico. There’s a fair amount of walking with no moving sidewalks or luggage carts, so bring suitcases with wheels and be prepared to trek with your luggage.
After you cross the skywalk bridge, still within the CBX area, they will have a station where you can handle getting your FMM ($390 pesos as of January 1, 2016). Just past this, the CBX area will let you out into the Tijuana airport. When you get to the airport, walk past all of the vendors and then to the left. You do not need to wait in the immigration lines again. From here you will find your airline to check in for your flight and then through airport security to get to your gate.
Most of the CBX employees speak English so ask if you are not sure where to go or what to do. CBX recommends that you arrive at least three hours before your flight (four hours for flights to destinations outside of Mexico).
NORTHBOUND CROSSING
Passengers arriving in Tijuana airport and heading north across the border to the US can find the CBX skywalk in the baggage claim area of the airport terminal. Be careful to follow the signs for CBX, do not just follow the crowds. If you accidentally exit the terminal instead of following the signs for CBX, you will not be allowed to re-enter the airport to return to the U.S. via CBX. There is a SENTRI/Global Entry line when going through CBX customs to re-enter the U.S.
Shuttles and shared-car services are located on the San Diego side of the CBX terminal for transportation. Car rental locations at CBX are coming soon.
For more information, see www.crossborderxpress.com
