Getting to the Ranch - Rancho La Puerta
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Rancho La Puerta > For Guests > Getting to the Ranch

Getting to The Ranch

Helpful information to ease your journey

 

We provide scheduled, complimentary ground transportation for your Saturday or Wednesday arrival and departure to and from San Diego International Airport. We also provide transportation to and from the Tecate border. Arrival and Departure plans must be submitted at least 2 weeks before your arrival. Any additions or changes beyond this date are subject to availability.

Schedule Your Arrival/Departure Transportation Here

Keep in mind we are located in Mexico, and a valid passport is mandatory for international travel.

Airport Arrivals

IMPORTANT
All Saturday transportation will depart from Terminal 2. 
Ranch staff will meet you in Terminal 2, directly across from baggage claim 1. Buses will depart at scheduled times.

On Saturdays, our charter buses depart at:

  • 8:00 a.m.
  • 10:00 a.m.
  • 12:15 p.m.
  • 2:45 p.m.

Travel time to the Ranch is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

All Saturday transportation will depart from Terminal 2. 
Ranch staff will meet you inside Terminal 2, directly across from baggage claim 1.
If you arrive at Terminal 1, please claim your luggage and take the airport shuttle to our Terminal 2 meeting point.

Buses will depart at scheduled times.

Please note:

  • The airport has two terminals. Transportation departs from Terminal 2. Ranch staff will meet you in Terminal 2, directly across from baggage claim 1.  Our representative will be waiting for you there.
  • Our staff cannot seek you out in the terminal, and we do not pick up luggage from baggage claim carousels.
  • Please note that the shuttle cannot remain parked in this area for an extended period of time. If you arrive on time and do not see the shuttle, rest assured; it will return shortly. The shuttle will depart promptly at the specified departure times.
  • If you need to speak to the airport representative on Saturday, call +52 665 104 1518.

VERY IMPORTANT:

  • All guests must arrive with a current, valid passport and obtain a FMM permit at the border office.
  • If you are staying more than 7 days, you will need to pay in cash for your FMM permit, approximately $60 USD, depending on the exchange rate.

Midweek Ranch transportation is available during certain weeks. Please inquire at the time of reservation if it is available for your week.

All Wednesday transportation will depart from Terminal 2. 
Ranch staff will meet you on the courtesy island outside Terminal 2, directly across from baggage claim 1.
If you arrive at Terminal 1, please claim your luggage and take the airport shuttle to the Terminal 2 meeting point.

Transportation departing The Ranch on Wednesdays leaves promptly at 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

If you are arriving midweek or late on Saturday, you may arrange a ride through one of these three companies:

188 Travels Service, Vanessa, (619) 933-0185 or (619) 558-6538  https://www.188travels.com/

  • Vanessa will call us to let us know the exact hour you will be arriving at the Tecate Border. Then, we can send one of our drivers to meet you there, help you with the visa process, and bring you all the way to the Ranch.

ASCOT Limo Service, Nick Vazquez, 619) 370-3376 https://ascotlimousines.com/

  • Nick will call us to let us know the exact hour you will be arriving at the Tecate Border. Then, we can send one of our drivers to meet you there, help you with the visa process, and bring you all the way to the Ranch.

Orange Cab Service, (619) 341-3289, Bernardo (Dispacher)

  • The dispatcher from the cab company will call us to let us know the Taxi number and the exact hour you will be arriving at the Tecate Border so we can send one of our drivers to meet you there, help you with the FMM process, and bring you to the Ranch.

There is a liquor store on your right-hand side, Baja Duty-Free, 405 Tecate Rd, Tecate, CA 91980. This is where we will meet before you cross the border into Mexico.

  • VERY IMPORTANT:
    • All guests must arrive with a current, valid passport and obtain a FMM permit at the border office.
    • If you are staying more than 7 days, you will need to pay in cash for your FMM permit, approximately $60 USD, depending on the exchange rate.

We also recommend bringing your water bottle and filling it before heading to The Ranch!

If you plan to drive to the Tecate border midweek, please refer to this page’s Driving to The Ranch tab for instructions.

A Ranch Driver can meet you at the drop-off location. Your pick-up must be scheduled in advance of your arrival by calling the front desk at 858-925-1214:

Departures

IMPORTANT
Arrangements for return transportation to the airport must be made two weeks in advance.

Please connect with the front desk staff or the concierge while at The Ranch to obtain the appropriate color-coded luggage tags which will help determine which terminal your luggage will be delivered to.

Buses depart Rancho La Puerta for the airport at:

  • 7:30 a.m.
  • 10:00 a.m.
  • 12:15 p.m.
  • 2:30 p.m.

Allow 3 hours of travel time due to the varying time it can take to cross the border back to the U.S., plus additional time for check-in at the airport. Return flights should not be scheduled before 11:30 a.m.

Please note: The actual driving time from the Ranch back to the airport is only about 1.5 hours, but we recommend an additional 1.5 hours for possible delays.

Driving Directions to the Tecate border

Driving to the Tecate border crossing is easy and peaceful. Highway CA-94 is one of the most scenic country drives in California. Remember the highway has a few splits and turns that drivers occasionally miss.

On Saturday, meet the shuttle driver promptly in front of the Baja Duty Free* store on the U.S. side of the border.
At: 404 Tecate Rd, Tecate, CA 91980, USA

Your pick-up must be scheduled in advance of your arrival by calling the front desk at 858-925-1214:

  • 8:30 a.m.
  • 9:30 a.m.
  • 11:30 a.m.
  • 1:45 p.m.
  • 3:15 p.m.
  • 4:00 p.m.
  • 5:00 p.m.
  • 6:00 p.m.
  • 7:00 p.m.
  • 8:00 p.m.
  • 9:00 p.m.

Please note that shuttles depart promptly at the times listed above.

Map Link to Recommended Driving Route

  • Take Interstate 5 south to the Highway 94 turnoff.
  • Go EAST 13.3 miles.
  • Turn RIGHT onto CAMPO RD / CA-94. Continue to follow CA-94 for 23.6 miles.
  • Bear RIGHT to go onto CA-188 / TECATE RD for 2 miles, to the Tecate border.
  • From north of La Jolla, via I-5 South to I-805
.
  • Merge onto I-805 South via the exit on the LEFT. Go 14.7 miles.
  • Merge onto CA-94 East. Go 11.2 miles.
  • Turn RIGHT onto CAMPO RD / CA-94. Continue to follow CA-94 for 23.6 miles.
  • Bear RIGHT to go onto CA-188 / TECATE RD for 2 miles to the Tecate border.
  • Near the summit after the climb on I-8 out of the desert into San Diego County’s mountains, take the CA-94 exit toward Boulevard/Manzanita.
  • Turn LEFT onto CA-94/Ribbonwood Road. Continue to follow CA-94 0.6 miles.
  • Turn RIGHT onto CA-94/Old Highway 80. Continue to follow CA-94 25.6 miles.
  • Turn LEFT onto CA-188/Tecate Road. Go 2 miles to the border gate.

You may opt to leave your car on the U.S. side in Tecate, California, just north of the border crossing. We will send a Ranch van and driver to pick you up and escort you through the simple visa process, and on to the Ranch! Please keep in mind the Tecate border crossing is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The lot where you leave your car is one we use frequently and typically costs about $25 cash per day.

On Saturday, meet the shuttle driver promptly in front of the Baja Duty Free* store on the U.S. side of the border.
At: 404 Tecate Rd, Tecate, CA 91980, USA

Your pick-up must be scheduled in advance of your arrival by calling the front desk at 858-925-1214:

  • 8:30 a.m.
  • 9:30 a.m.
  • 11:30 a.m.
  • 1:45 p.m.
  • 3:15 p.m.
  • 4:00 p.m.
  • 5:00 p.m.
  • 6:00 p.m.
  • 7:00 p.m.
  • 8:00 p.m.
  • 9:00 p.m.

Please note that shuttles depart promptly at the times listed above.

 

(Due to tourist traffic between the Mexico and US border we strongly advise you to leave your car on the US side of the border. Parking is easy and secure, and we provide shuttles to The Ranch from the border. Be advised that if you chose to drive across, border wait times on Saturday are typically between three and five hours long.)

Driving from the border to Rancho La Puerta

    1. Proceed STRAIGHT three blocks, to the second stoplight. You’ll see the town’s tree-shaded plaza ahead on your left.
    2. Turn RIGHT on Juarez (Tecate’s main street) and go WEST 3 miles.
    3. Turn RIGHT into entrance to Rancho La Puerta. Note: Past the downtown district, the road appears to fork; on the right, up the hill, is a residential area. Stay left to continue on Juarez, which becomes a divided four-lane road. Watch for easy-to-miss stop signs at cross streets, and topes (speed bumps). If you cross a small bridge over a river, you’ve gone too far.

Tecate Border Hours
The border is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Returning To The US

If you drove your own car to the Ranch, please note that the return drive to the border crossing is not quite the same. Visit the Front Desk or Concierge near the end of your stay for driving directions and information about crossing at Tecate’s garita (border gate).

We recommend obtaining additional insurance coverage for driving in Mexico. Check with your current insurance provider as some US insurance companies cover a short distance across the international border (we are 4.4 miles across). Another option would be AAA. As a last resort, just before crossing the border, there is a small store to purchase Mexican Auto Insurance.