Guide to Tijuana Airport Bridge Crossing from San Diego

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We just spent our Spring Break in Puerto Vallarta and had the best time. This was our first time using the Tijuana airport bridge crossing (CBX), so I want to share our experience and what we learned. Even though everyone kept telling us how easy it was, we still had no idea what to expect. But I am here to confirm that it is so, so easy.

Whether you’re looking to take the family to Cabo San Lucas for some sunshine and margaritas, or you’re off to see some Mayan ruins while staying in Cancun or in Tulum, the CBX crossing makes it easy and convenient to travel to Mexico.

What Do I Need For The Tijuana Airport Bridge Crossing?

• Boarding pass
• CBX pass
• FMM form
• Passport or passport card

You can only access the CBX bridge within 24 hours of your flight, so you must have your boarding passes printed or on your phone and ready to scan. To access the bridge, you will scan your CBX pass and each boarding pass for your entire party.

You can purchase your CBX pass online. The price can vary depending on time of year, but it’s about $40 per person for a roundtrip pass. I recommend purchasing this ahead of time and printing it out.

In addition to the CBX pass, you also need to fill out an FMM form for each person in your group. This is the customs form you will need to get through customs. You must enter passport information on the form, along with which city you will be visiting and the dates of your stay. We only stayed for 5 days, so we didn’t have any extra fees to pay. But people staying more than 7 days need to pay for migratory rights.

What To Expect At The Tijuana Airport Bridge Crossing

We’ve flown out of the San Diego airport many times, and during spring break, it can be a real cluster. That wasn’t the case at the CBX for us at all. My mom dropped us off and she was able to pull right up to the curb without dealing with any traffic and without having to wait for another car to move. It was much easier than the normal airport traffic. And we were there on a Monday morning during a week where most schools were on spring break.

We pre-paid for the Tijuana airport bridge crossing pass (CBX) ahead of time, so I had that printed and ready to go. I recommend doing the same. I did hear that you could only use a debit card if you purchase your pass at a kiosk once you’re there.

We arrived at the CBX two hours before our flight. The customs line was the longest portion of our morning, and it took us about 30 minutes to get through. After that, we headed to security which had no line at all. We made it to our gate about an hour before our flight.

The Tijuana Airport

I was very impressed with the Tijuana airport. Again, I’m not sure what I expected, but I wasn’t too sure what all would be there. Just like all other airports I’ve been in, there are lots of food options, including a Starbucks, and even a VIP lounge. I thought that the airport was very clean and very easy to navigate. It’s a smaller airport, but had plenty of seating near the gates.

Tips For Flying With Mexican Airlines

After using the Tijuana airport bridge crossing, we flew Volaris and had a good experience doing so. I’ve heard a lot of stories about cancelled flights and people having their seats given away, but luckily we didn’t experience any of that. We did follow these tips though.

1. Pay extra to choose your seats
2. Check in as soon as you can
3. Make sure you pay extra for carry-on or checked bags if your tickets don’t include it

The number one piece of advice about using the Tijuana airport and airlines we received was to pay more to choose our seats. Mexican airlines are known for over-selling their flights. I’ve heard that the first people who get moved are those who don’t have assigned seats.

Depending on your tickets, you can check in 3-5 days before your flight. Make sure you check in as soon as you can to secure your spot–especially if you don’t already have seats selected.

I was able to pay $10 more per ticket to have carry-on luggage included and to check in 5 days before our flight. It was well worth it since carry-on luggage cost between $38-$57 depending on when I looked.

Everything on the airplane costs extra–including movies on their wifi. Snacks, water, drink service all cost extra as well, so just plan accordingly.

Happen to be going to Puerto Vallarta too? I came up with this list of the best family activities to do in Puerto Vallarta. I’ve also compiled these additional tips for flying with kids.

More Spring Break Ideas

This year, we’ll be taking the kids further south and staying in some of the family-friendly all-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica. I can’t wait!

Looking for more spring break ideas for the family? Check out these other fun spring break destinations I’ve found for you. And if you’re close enough to use the Tijuana airport bridge crossing, don’t be afraid to try it!