Experience Mexico

Travel alert

Passport Information

The Department of Homeland Security today has stated that beginning January 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens will need to present either a passport or government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, when entering the U.S. Children under 16 years of age would be required to present certified copies of their birth certificates.

At a date still to be determined, DHS would begin implementing full requirements of the land and sea phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which mandates that all persons entering the U.S. be required to show a passport or authorized travel documents. Government officials said they expect full implementation to be in the summer of 2008, though Congress has required that it be implemented only by June 2009. Both the Senate and House recently passed legislation requiring that the new rules be implemented no earlier than the June 2009 date.

New requirements for having passports to enter the U.S. on airplanes began in January. The increased number of applications for passports inundated the State Department and caused the processing time to balloon from three weeks a year ago to up to three months presently. The State Department recently announced that through September 30 it will temporarily allow American air passengers to re-enter the U.S. if they have a government-issued photo ID and proof that they have applied for a passport.

Bridges

Travel Tips

  • Rent a trolley or arrange with a local tour operator for a van or bus to take you over the bridge to various nightclubs and/or restaurants and back to El Paso.
  • Take a taxi cab to the Santa Fe Street bridge and walk over the bridge to Juarez Avenue, the main tourist strip. Arrange for a pick up on the El Paso side of the bridge at a specific time.
  • Ask if your hotel will drive you to the bridge and arrange a time for the return trip back.
  • Park in one of the lots at the end of South Santa Fe Street and walk across the bridge.
  • Take the downtown Sun Metro North/South trolley from in front of the Convention Center, around downtown and to nearby the bridge. Walk across the bridge. On your return trip, board the trolley at the corner of 6th and El Paso Street, a block from the bridge. Hours are: Weekdays from 6:15 am-8:15 pm; Saturdays from 7:40 am-8:15 pm; Sundays from 11:45 am-7:55 pm. Trolleys run every 15 minutes.
  • Once you’ve crossed over the bridge, walk along Juarez Avenue as far as 16 de Septiembre and back.
  • If you want to go to Viva Mexico or Ajuua’s or someplace other than Juarez Avenue, take a Juarez taxi cab. Specify where you want to go and ask the price in advance.
  • Drive your own vehicle into Juarez. It is strongly recommended that you purchase special Mexican auto insurance that is available from several companies in the El Paso area since most U.S. policies do not provide adequate coverage. Maps and road signs are hard to find and driving etiquette is different, so taking your own car is not our first recommendation.