Merci in La Paz, Baja California Sur

After driving south through Baja, we decided to take a ferry from La Paz to Mazatlán, mainland Mexico, instead of driving north through Baja again. We don’t speak much Spanish and complex transactions like paying taxes and crossing through customs seemed a bit intimidating. Overall, the process was simple and streamlined. We searched for information online, and found it to be little help. Even the ferry websites were not up to date. We wrote this article to provide a step-by-step guide for taking the ferry in hopes that we could relieve some anxiety for other travelers. We also wanted to convince more travelers to visit mainland Mexico.

Seven steps for taking the ferry to the mainland

• Make a reservation
• Visit the Banjercito
• Obtain a Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (TIP)
• Go through Customs
• Weigh vehicle
• Obtain boarding pass
• Board the Ferry

MAKE A RESERVATION

There are two companies that operate ferry services from La Paz. One is Baja Ferries and the other is TMC. Baja Ferries is the higher end ferry in which you can rent a cabin to rest, and TMC is a more economical which transports mostly cargo and here you have to sleep in your vehicle. Baja Ferries requires a dog to be in a crate for the trip and located in a separate area.  We chose to use TMC ferry because our dog Merci could travel with us in the Equinox instead of having to be separated from us in a crate. 

It is possible to make a reservation on the phone but since our Spanish isn’t the greatest, we visited the downtown office in La Paz. A quick search for TMC in Google Maps will also get you to the right place. The attendant who helped us spoke English, and gave us the ferry schedule for the next few weeks. Once we picked our day, she took down our names and license plate number. She handed us a pamphlet with pricing and quoted us $4,500 pesos ($241 USD) for the vehicle and a driver, and $1,197 ($64 USD) pesos for an additional passenger, not including tax. We told her that we had a dog traveling with us, and she said it just stays in the vehicle and there was no additional cost or paperwork needed. She also told us that we would have to pay for our tickets at Pichilingue, the ferry port. Our ship was scheduled to leave at 5:00pm, so we were instructed to arrive at Pichilingue port at 3:00pm to allow time to get through customs. 

VISIT THE BANJERCITO

A Banjercito is a federal bank where individuals obtain a temporary import permit for traveling with their vehicles while in Mexico. When we were in La Paz, we Google searched Banjercito and visited one that was downtown. The guard told us the only place to obtain a vehicle import permit was in Pichilingue, at the ferry port. Google Maps does not have an entry for a Banjercito at Pichilingue, but we promise, it’s there. Here is a link to Google Maps to help you find the Banjercito. 

There is only one entrance to Pichilingue port. Once you enter, there is a guard shack to the left with a barrier arm. Proceed on through, press the button and you will receive a parking ticket. The parking is approximately $32 pesos ($1.71 USD) for anything over 10 minutes. Once parked, proceed to the building across the road. The Banjercito will be to your right on the corner of the building, look for the glass window. Be prepared to have Google Translate ready, as not all attendants speak English. Luckily, the gentleman who helped us spoke English and was patient with us while we organized our documents.

TEMPORARY VEHICLE IMPORT PERMIT

A Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (TIP) is required for driving in Mexico, with the exception of the Baja Peninsula and Sonora. We opted to wait to obtain our TIP until we reached La Paz because we knew we would be able to obtain it before getting on the ferry. We were really nervous about having all of our documents in order, so we actually went to the Banjercito to take care of our TIP the day before our ferry left. 

To obtain the TIP you will need the original and at least one copy of the following documents:

• Passport
• Vehicle Registration
• Mexico Tourist Card (FMM) or visa for travel**
• If you have a loan on your vehicle you will need a letter of permission from the lienholder granting permission to enter Mexico 

**It is important to note that your Mexico Tourist Card (FMM) must be stamped upon entry to Mexico. You will not be able to obtain a TIP without it. A FMM can be obtained online, but still must be stamped at the Aduanas (customs) before crossing the border. 

Before we left the United States, Gator and I made multiple copies of all of our documents and kept them in a zippered file folder. The one copy that we did not have was of my FMM (as the Equinox is registered in my name). Never fear, if you don’t have copies of your original documents the parking lot attendant in the booth by the barrier arm can make a copy for $2 pesos ($0.11 USD) per page.

The TIP cost was $1,104 pesos ($59.16 USD) which can be paid in cash or by card. There is also an additional deposit which ranges from $3,732 – $7,474 pesos ($200-400 USD) depending on the year of your vehicle. This will be returned to you when you exit Mexico with your vehicle. You will receive a receipt for payment and a TIP document which includes a sticker for your windshield. Once you receive your documents, it is important to check for typos. Make sure that the VIN of your vehicle, license plate number, and your passport number matches the documentation. They do check this when proceeding through customs. If you do find typos, go back to the Banjercito so that they can make corrections.

GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS

You must go through customs before getting your vehicle weighed and buying your ferry ticket. If you have already purchased your TIP, enter the main gate and directly to your right will be the lines to get through customs. If you purchased your TIP the same day, drive through the barrier arm, pay the guard, and continue straight. Proceed to the right two lanes marked “Nothing to Declare” that have green arrows above them. An agent will ask you for your passport and TIP to check that the VIN matches your paperwork. For us, they just shined a flashlight in the back window, asked us to open the back of the van, and opened one crate to look around. The whole process took about two minutes.

WEIGHING YOUR VEHICLE

The ferry companies charge you by the weight of your vehicle, so this is an important part of the process. Once you leave customs, proceed forward and slightly to the left. Attendants are there to help direct traffic. First, you are asked to pay a tax to enter the port terminal (APT) which was $186 pesos ($10 USD). Then they verify your destination and ask you to drive onto the scales. They proceeded to weigh and measure the length of the vehicle. An attendant will hand you a ticket to take to the ferry company. Drive off the scales and there are a few parking spots directly to the right. Park here while you obtain your boarding pass.

OBTAIN BOARDING PASS

As you were driving between customs and the weighing scales, you passed the TMC office on your right. This is where you will pay for your ticket to board the ferry. You may have a different experience than us, but no one in the office spoke English. Thankfully for us, this was a very simple process. We handed them the ticket from the weighing station. The attendant asked for the names and ages of the passengers, processed our paperwork, and quoted us a price. Cash and credit cards are accepted. There was a line, so this took about 15 minutes. After payment you receive a receipt, boarding pass, and two meal vouchers. Dinner and breakfast are included in the price. Strangely enough your ferry’s name is written on the meal vouchers, not the receipt. There are multiple ferries in the port, so be sure the name of the ferry matches the meal voucher.

Here is our cost breakdown of a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox as of January 22, 2020.

• Vehicle weight plus driver
  • $ 3,534 pesos ($189 USD)
• Additional passenger
  • $1,031 pesos ($55 USD)
• 16% IVA tax
  • $730 pesos ($39 USD)
• Total cost
  • $5,297 pesos ($284 USD)

Here is our cost breakdown of a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox as of January 22, 2020.

• Vehicle weight plus driver –  $ 3,534 pesos ($189 USD)
• Additional passenger –  $1,031 pesos ($55 USD)
• 16% IVA tax –  $730 pesos ($39 USD)
• Total cost –  $5,297 pesos ($284 USD)

Boarding the ferry

BOARD THE FERRY

We proceeded to drive to the ferry and we were stopped by a guard. Only the driver of the vehicle can continue to the ferry, other passengers have to go through a security check. Gator drove on with Merci in the vehicle and I entered the building with the guard. He tracked down a military officer who then took me to an x-ray machine to scan my bag. Then I boarded a bus which took me back to Gator who was parked by the ferry. This was a fairly quick process.

We sat in the parking lot by the ferry watching the staff help load the cargo. They were extremely efficient at giving hand signals to help the drivers back up onto the ship. We were among the last to board the ferry at about 5:10pm. The ship left the port around 6:00pm.

The overall journey lasted about 15 hours, and the ferry docked at 9:00am in Mazatlán the following morning. Be ready to go when the boat gets to the dock. As soon as the door is open they start unloading vehicles. Since we were among the last to board, we were some of the first to exit the ship. There are no checkpoints once you exit the ship because you already went through customs in La Paz. Enjoy Mazatlán!

TIPS FOR THE TMC FERRY

• Hot showers are available
• If you are prone to sea sickness, bring Dramamine
• There are salons that play movies aboard the ferry which have air conditioning and are great for napping
• Bring a few pesos to dinner and breakfast to tip the staff
• The ship floors are made of metal, so your dog can use the bathroom and it is easy to clean up
• You do not need a crate for your dog to ride the ferry

Please Note: The advice in this article is accurate as of January 22, 2020. The prices are variable depending on vehicle size, weight, year and could be subject to change. This article should only be used as a reference.