Getting around Panama: trains, buses, driving and domestic flights

Panama is a small country with one main highway spine, so most journeys are either a short flight, a long bus ride, or a car. Distances look short on the map but the Pan-American highway and the road to the Caribbean coast are slow in rain and behind trucks.

Start from Albrook. Almost everything domestic leaves from the Albrook terminal and the adjoining Marcos A. Gelabert airport (PAC), on the west side of Panama City. Tocumen (PTY) is the international gateway and is 30–60 minutes from the centre depending on traffic; if you land at PTY and fly out of PAC the same day, allow at least three hours between them.

For Bocas del Toro and Boquete, decide between flying and the bus. The Air Panama flight from Albrook to Bocas or David takes about an hour and costs US$80–160 one way, with tight bag allowances on small aircraft. The bus to David takes 6–7 h for US$15–25, then a further 4 h to Almirante where the water taxis leave for Bocas. Flying saves a day; the bus saves money and runs overnight.

For San Blas, do not improvise. Guna Yala is a comarca with its own entry rules, and the road to Cartí is steep and winding. Book a package through a Guna-run or licensed operator: 4x4 pickup in Panama City around 05:00, 2.5–3 h to the Cartí dock, then 20–60 min by boat. Packages run US$120–250 for one or two nights with meals; bring cash for checkpoint fees.

Inside Panama City, use the metro for Albrook and the centre and apps for everything else. The metro has two lines, costs US$0.35–1.35 a trip, and needs a rechargeable card bought at station machines. Uber and InDrive are the safest option at night at US$3–10 in town and US$25–35 to the airport. Street taxis may refuse short or long trips, so agree the price before you get in.

Rent a car only for the interior. Driving is on the right with US-style road rules, and a car is genuinely useful around Boquete, El Valle de Antón and the Azuero peninsula. It is a liability in Panama City traffic and pointless in Bocas del Toro, where you move by water taxi (US$2–10 between islands, no lights at night, choppy afternoons).

Air-conditioning on long-distance buses is set very cold; a jacket or light fleece is not optional. Buses are generally comfortable and punctual on the main highways, less so on secondary roads in the rainy season (May–November), when landslides can delay the Boquete and Bocas routes.

Domestic flights use small aircraft with strict weight limits, often 10–15 kg checked plus a small cabin bag; confirm the allowance with the airline before you book. From Albrook, not Tocumen: travellers who book a flight and turn up at PTY miss it.

Carnival and the November national holidays close offices and fill buses and planes; book ahead. On the islands, tap water is not for drinking, so buy bottled water or carry a filter. Fuel stations are frequent on the Pan-American highway and sparse in the Darién, which you should not plan to visit at all.

If you drive, carry your licence and passport, watch for police checkpoints on the Interamericana, and avoid driving at night outside cities because of unlit vehicles and animals. Travel insurance that covers road accidents and boat transfers is worth arranging before you leave.