If you own a car, you must know the importance of having insurance. That’s why whenever I travel to Mexico by land, I always get a policy from Baja Bound Insurance. It’s one of those things you buy and hope to never use. You may be trying to save some money on your trip and ask yourself if it’s worth it. You may not end up needing it, but it’s a lifesaver when you do need it. Imagine being in a foreign country and having to pay for an accident? You don’t want to go through that.

Before going any further, I would like to clarify this insurance is for those crossing the Mexican-American border in their vehicles. Without much further ado, let’s take a look at this insurance company.

 

A Company Overview

Screenshot of Baja Bound Insurance home page.
Credits: https://www.bajabound.com/

Industry: Insurance

Type of company: Insurance broker

Products: Liability/Comprehensive car insurance for travel in Mexico

Founded: 1994

Headquarters: San Diego, California

Website: https://www.bajabound.com

How Does It Work?

Screenshot of a Baja Bound Insurance quote.
Credits: https://www.bajabound.com/

You don’t need to visit their office to

Screenshot comparing two insurance quotes on Baja Bound Insurance site.
Credits: https://www.bajabound.com/

We always drive our car to Mexico at least once a year. We do have insurance in the U.S., but it does not cover us abroad. Your case may be different though. To be honest, we didn’t use to get car insurance to travel to Mexico. I know it’s not a smart choice as you never know what can happen. You may end up paying for costly hospital bills or car repairs, not to mention you could spend some time in jail.

One day while searching for insurers online, I came across Baja Bound. They appeared on the first page of my Google search. I found their website very easy to use. It even includes lots of useful articles for your trip to Mexico, like customs information and even a travel guide.

After navigating a little through their website, I entered all the requested information and was able to get a quote within minutes. I remember that day very well because I had had a rough day at work and then had gotten back home to pack up and get ready to leave after midnight. As you can imagine, I was really tired but I wanted to get insurance for our trip abroad this time. So there you had me, looking for insurance a few hours before leaving.

Luckily, it didn’t take me that long to find what I was looking for. I quickly got my quote, paid my premium, and received my policy via email. I just printed it out and voila! I was insured in a matter of minutes.

I have always bought my policy through HDI Seguros. They have a few extras that Chubb does not offer. For instance, I can increase my excess liability limits with HDI, but I can’t do that with Chubb. That’s why I usually have to pay a little more with HDI as compared to Chubb. Both prices between HDI and Chubb could be around the same, but the extras you pick make the difference.

Prices have not gone up that much since I started. I have been paying practically the same amount. Just to give you an idea: For 4 days, I pay around $80-$90 (policy fee included). It’s not that cheap, but I haven’t deemed it necessary to look for another insurer yet.

I haven’t had to file a claim yet, so I cannot tell you much regarding the claims process. So far though, I’m happy with the service they have provided. I give them a 9/10.

img

 

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

As with all legal documents, always read the fine print. It’s very important to know all your rights and obligations as an insured. For instance, in case you need to file a claim with them, you have to do it while you’re in Mexico. Otherwise, it will not be valid. You can complete your car repair either in Mexico or the U.S., but you have to make the claim while in Mexico.

It’s very important to always provide accurate information. When asked for your car value, make sure to do your research and not just provide a random amount. You can find more about this on Kelley Blue Book’s website.

The website clearly states that coverage only applies to conventional roads. That excludes racing, off-roading, beaches, and impassable roads.

 

Pros

Four credit cards including Visa and Mastercard.
  • It’s easy to get a quote with them.
  • Their site is simple and easy to navigate.
  • You can get liability only or full coverage insurance.
  • English/Spanish support.
  • Their payment methods include Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and PayPal.
  • You can get your insurance policy in minutes.
  • Policy terms can be as short as 1 day or as long as 1 year.
  • Vehicles allowed to be insured include sedans, trucks, SUVs, vans, buses, motorcycles, motor homes, buggies, and even boats.

Cons

  • Their flexibility is limited to 1-day increments. For example, if you got your policy at 10 a.m. on any given day, it will have to end exactly at 10 a.m. It does not matter if it’s 1, 2 or 7 days afterward. In simple terms, you have to do full days.
  • You only have 2 options to choose from.
  • Full-coverage policies can be pricey even for just a few days. To be fair, they fall within the market average. They’re all a little expensive in general.

 

Conclusion

Baja Bound is a really good option if you need to img

Book your trip now!

Book your flight

The first thing you have to do is find cheap flights. But where do you find those? There are many search engines, but the one I highly recommend is Skyscanner. Here you can compare fares from all over the world and pick the one that suits you best.

Book your accommodation

The next thing you have to do is secure your lodging. Whether you prefer a hostel, a guesthouse, a B&B, or a hotel, you can find them all on Booking. You can find lodging of all kinds ranging from cheap to expensive and somewhere in between. Many people have scored good deals using it.

Another popular option is Hostelworld. This website focuses on hostels as opposed to hotels.

Book a tour

In some places, you might want to hire a tour. Not all places are equally accessible to visit by oneself. It helps enormously when you visit with a local guide who can show you around and answer any questions you might have…all in your native language. My to-go place is Viator as they offer tours of all kinds and have a presence all over the world.

Rent a car

Public transportation is usually cheaper than renting a car, but it’s sometimes more complicated and time-consuming. That’s a reality. In some cases, it’s more convenient to rent a car. My recommendation is Rentalcars.com. Here you can compare rates and choose the one that fits you best.

Book your bus tickets

You can save money by booking bus tickets online. My favorite site to do this is Busbud.

Get travel insurance

Never travel without a travel insurance policy, especially these days! Travel insurance can save your life. My recommendations are World Nomads and Insured Nomads. Both companies cover COVID-19 related incidents, which is crucial these days.

More resources

Just click on the “Plan your trip” tab at the top of this page, and you will find more resources like getting Mexican insurance for your foreign car, buying travel accessories, and learning Spanish. And, of course, don’t forget to check back often to read more tips on Mexico travel.

close

Download my FREE ebook to learn more about Mexico travel! All you have to do is join our email list below.

You can unsubscribe at any time. We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Read our full Privacy Policy.

10 Replies to “Baja Bound Insurance – A Review for Mexican Car Insurance”

  1. I’ve worked remotely in the eastern and central US, driving to get around, and working as close as Houston and visiting San Antonio. I did fly to Cancun for vacation a few years back, but I never even considered what would happen if I ever crossed the border in my car, or with my insurance. But now I know! I’m definitely going to make sure I’m prepared should that time ever come. Thanks for the article!

    1. Hi, Isaiah,

      For people living in the U.S. like us, travel by land could be an option to consider. That is provided you have enough time. Sometimes it’s preferable to drive your own car, especially if you’re going to visit small towns or other places where transportation can be an issue. Not to mention tours can be expensive and this could be a way of saving some money.
      I’m glad you found this useful. Thanks for commenting.

  2. Hi Enrique,
    This is helpful article. I saw in TV international news that thousands of cars going to Mexico border everday, and you are right that insurance car is very important, for car owners, and the best thing for this is that you found a company that no hustle for applying insurance car and possible to get in an hour. It is absolutely correct that safety first must prior in general for traveler abroad specifically.
    Hope this will reach to many drivers.

    Even though I don’t have yet a car, I can apply this in the future, your experience gives new insights. Well done.

    Nice work Enrique.

    Ed

    1. Hi, Ed,

      Yes, traffic between the U.S. and Mexico is high, especially in areas like San Diego-Tijuana and El Paso-Cd Juarez.
      Like you mentioned, it’s very important to have insurance in case anything happens. You might not end needing it, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
      I’m glad you like this. Feel free to share with your family/friends.
      Thanks for commenting.

  3. I enjoyed reading your article it was very easy to understand. Sounds like good advice for anyone who needs insurance travelling by car to Mexico and Baja Bound seem a really good choice. Thanks.

    1. Hi, Adrian,

      Glad you found this useful. It’s always good to know things like this. So far, I don’t have any complaints about them.
      Thanks for commenting.

  4. Enrique,
    Although I have driven my cars in both Mexico and Canada, I have never given a thought on if my insurance will cover me when in another country. Your post is very informative and will be a great asset to those about to drive across the southern border.
    Planning your amount of time in Mexico will be needed to get the right coverage. Do they cover older cars that have a declared value.
    John

    1. Hi, John,

      Usually insurance requirements for the U.S. and Canada are quite similar, not so in Mexico. One of the things I like about Baja Bound is they have lots of information about it on their website.
      I’m glad you found this useful. It’s always good to know these things in case you might need to drive your car across the border in the future.
      And yeah, it’s absolutely necessary to plan everything right in order to get the right coverage. Answering your question, from what I found on their website, only cars under 20 years old are eligible for full coverage. Older cars are only eligible for liability coverage with no collision/theft.
      Thanks for commenting!

  5. This is something that people don’t really think about but it is great advice. The insurance sounds pretty convenient and easy to obtain.

Leave a Reply to Adrian Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.