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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Panama City, Florida
Panama City
Base in Panama City 2 nights for St. Andrews State Park and the bayfront; sleep on the beach side only if sand is the whole point.
Panama City is the working bayfront town, not the beach strip: the sand and the resort towers sit across the Hathaway Bridge in Panama City Beach. Come here for St. Andrews State Park, the marinas and lower room rates, and cross the bridge when you want the Gulf. Two nights covers it; the area runs on Central Time, an hour behind most of Florida.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Panama City
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (heat and storms), peak spring-break weeks in March
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–140 excl. bed · Mid $150–240 excl. bed · High $250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Panama City Police (non-emergency) 850-872-3100
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Fried seafood plate | $16–28 |
| Beer: draught at a bar / six-pack at a store | $6–9 / $9–14 |
| 5 km taxi or rideshare3.1 mi taxi or rideshare | $12–20 |
| St. Andrews State Park entry | $2 pedestrian, $8 vehicle (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ECP · Northwest Florida Beaches International
- About 30–40 min north-west by car via SR 388 and SR 79; check current airline schedules.
- VPS · Destin–Fort Walton Beach
- About 1 h 15 min west on US 98; useful if ECP fares are high.
Typical fares
- ECP airport → downtown, rideshare
- about $35–55, 30–40 min (check)
- Downtown → Panama City Beach
- about $20–30 rideshare, 20–30 min (check)
- St. Andrews State Park vehicle entry
- $8 per vehicle (check)
Get around
A car is the practical choice: sights are spread along US 98 (15th Street) and SR 79, and buses are limited. Bay Town Trolley serves parts of the city and beach in season — check routes and hours. Taxis and rideshare exist but wait times stretch at night.
See and do
Known for
- St. Andrews State Park
- Bayfront marinas and seafood
- Hathaway Bridge to Panama City Beach
- Hurricane Michael recovery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Panama City Beach | Drive US 98 west over the Hathaway Bridge | 20–30 min |
| Destin | Drive US 98 west | 1 h 15 min |
| Fort Walton Beach | Drive US 98 west | 1 h |
| Freeport | Drive SR 20 and SR 331 north | 45 min |
| DeFuniak Springs | Drive US 331 north to I-10, then west | 1 h |
| Santa Rosa Beach | Drive US 98 west | 1 h |
Sleep
- Downtown and bayfront
- Restaurants, marina and the arts centre; 10–15 min drive to the beach.
- St. Andrews
- Quiet residential side near the state park entrance; best for early park starts.
- West along US 98 (near the bridge)
- Chain hotels with free parking; quickest hop to Panama City Beach.
- Panama City Beach (across the bridge)
- Condos and resorts on Front Beach Road; 20–30 min from downtown in traffic.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the beach access? | Where is the beach access? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is there a rip-current warning? | Is there a rip-current warning? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Panama City and Panama City Beach are different places about 20–30 min apart: check the address before booking.
- The area is in the Central Time Zone, one hour behind Orlando and Miami.
- Hurricane season runs Jun–Nov; watch forecasts and know your evacuation route.
- Summer heat and afternoon thunderstorms: plan outdoor time before noon.
- Spring-break weeks bring heavy traffic and higher minimum stays on the beach side.
Normal US beach-town precautions: lock the car, keep to lit areas at night, and respect rip-current flags at the beach. The bigger risks are summer heat, storms and hurricane-season closures.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Panama City, Florida yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- St. Andrews State Park
- Bayfront marinas and seafood
- Hathaway Bridge to Panama City Beach
- Hurricane Michael recovery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Florida: www.visitflorida.com/
- Florida State Parks — St. Andrews State Park: www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/st-andrews-state-park
- Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport: www.iflybeaches.com/
- Wikivoyage: Panama City (Florida), revision 5240358 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5240358
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Panama City, FloridaPanama City
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Panama City Police (non-emergency)850-872-3100
No embassies here; consulates sit in Miami, Atlanta and New Orleans. Check your country's nearest office.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/panama-city-florida). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.