Local Transportation

 

Local buses serve the urban and suburban areas, but services can be difficult to figure out and there are few roadside signs indicating destinations. Panamanians are usually friendly, and this includes bus drivers; they’ll often be able to tell you where you have to wait for a particular bus, if you ask in Spanish (few bus drivers speak English). But in general, unless you’ve come to Panama specifically for its urban-bus experience, leave that for another lifetime and take taxis – they’re cheap and will save you a lot of time and hassle.

 

Taxis

 

Taxis are cheap and, most of the time, plentiful. Panamanian taxis don’t have meters, but there are set fares between sectors of Panama City, though these are not posted. Ask the staff at your accommodation what you should expect to pay to reach a given destination before heading out. Also, taxis can be difficult to hail late at night and just before and during holidays. At times like these, it’s best to call for a radio taxi. Listings for reliable radio taxis can be found in the yellow pages of phone directories throughout Panama, under the heading Taxis.

 

 

More expensive ‘sedan’ taxis operate from particular upscale hotels. These drivers charge at least twice what you’d pay a hailed cab.

 

Hitchhiking

 

Hitchhiking is not as widespread in Panama as elsewhere in Central America; most people travel by bus, and visitors would do best to follow suit. The exception is holiday weekends, when buses are full to overflowing and hitchhiking may be the only way out of a place. If you get a ride, offer to reimburse your driver upon arrival; ‘¿Cuánto le debo?’ (How much do I own you?) is the standard way of doing this.

 

 

Hitchhiking is never entirely safe in any country, but it’s not uncommon as you arrive in rural areas.