Panamá City Flights

getting to Panama by road from Colombia is impossible.. Although there's a natural land bridge between the two countries, the Panamerican highway stops right near the border and there's a road gap of about 80 kilometres. The official reason someone gaves us is that panama wants to protect itself from the diseases that could enter the territory is there was a road. We found it very little credible, since diseases do not travel by road.

The only two safe ways into Panama are either by boat or more ocmfortable by plane. We flew - we chose aerorepublica (which is partner ofcapa airlines), which has daily direct flights to Panama city from cartagena... so that we did not have to backtrack through bogota again. it wasn't a cheap flight - colombian airlines are rarely cheap - but they have modern planes and are reliable.

My airline sold me the Panama Tourist Visa here in the US at the airport before flying into Panama.
The Airline announce they were selling the Panama Tourist visa for $5 show your passport and boarding pass and lineup at the gate of your flight.

Its a form you fill out and keep with your passport for Customs to stamp it upon entry with your passpport. its a litter larger than my boarding pass.

Thinking about grabbing a bite prior to boarding ?

Hmmm... there's only a sit down type restaurant inside the gate. It also has a side stall which sells sandwiches for take out, at 8 USD a piece.

That's a total rip off IMO, just imagine how much food you'd get with 8 bucks elsewhere in Panama. The staff was really slow and we had to wait 20 min just to get our food.

On both sides of the gate lobby you'll find hot dog stands as well. Takes 15 min for them to make a hot dog. Soft drinks were 1.50 USD a pop.

Arrival by plane, you will need to fill out an immigration form and a custom form . At the immigration booth your form will be taken, and passport will have a stamp.

We didn't see any taxi sign at the airport arrival lobby, anyway we got some ground staff to locate a taxi for us. a new toyota 4x4 type with ac and good interior. A local security guard will register any departing airport taxi with passengers, it's good to know there's some safety control there.

Don't let any other person help you with your luggage into the taxi other than the driver, they will ask for tips... unless you don't mind that is.

Trip into Panama city was about 25-30 min. Great road condition, unlike Costa Rica.The ride was $ 27 USD, didn't bother to bargain it down so what the heck. Driver paid the toll.

The domestic airport for Panama City is located much closer to the center of the city, and a taxi ride is the easiest way of getting there inexpensively. I warn that Panamanian airlines do not have the highest safety rating, even incurring U.S. State Department travel warnings. Those who are not comfortable in smaller planes like turboprops should consider other forms of transportation throughout Panama.

That being said, I found my journey from Panama City to Bocas Del Toro easy, fast and affordable. For only about $50, I was able to fly one way between the two locations in a matter of about 45 minutes, whereas it would have taken hours to days to get there by bus and boat. If you are on a time crunch and don't mind shelling out a little extra, I reccomend it.

Panama City has two airports. Tocumen International is about 35 km east of town and serves as the international hub. There is a ‘Transportes Turisticos’ desk near the entrance where you can find out about ground transportation options to get into the city, if you need them. Aeropuerto Albrook - officially Aeropuerto Marcos Gelabert - is just northwest of the city center by about two kilometers. This is the city’s main domestic hub. Small planes will take you to the San Blas Komarca, Bocas del Toro, David, Contadora Island and a host of other destinations. Albrook is the site of the old airport for the Canal Zone.

We chose this quieter gate to have our " 8 dollar sandwiches ".

WIFI zone ? Yes it is.