Panama city rentals

[ARTHUR FINGERMAN]

I am 77 and healthy. When Obamacare comes in January I want to use Panama medical if ill. I would like to have a look see
for a few weeks at the end of the year. Can you recommend a rental agent with the email address and phone number.

Thank you
Arthur Fingerman

email- pop art the poet @aol.com

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Dear Arthur,

Thank you for posting your first Panama Insider forum inquiry. International Living takes pride in being your best resource for information about life as an expat…in Panama and other locations around the world. I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you where to find the information you seek and how to prepare for your visit:

Rolodex

Real estate: International Living does not sell or broker real estate or rentals.

For real estate queries, contact Pathfinder International Real Estate, exclusive real estate marketer to International Living:

Pathfinder International Real Estate
Tura Murdock
tmurdock@pathfinderinternational.net
info@pathfinderinternational.net
Website: http://www.pathfinderinternational.net

Rentals: Panama has a growing number of rental management companies. One of the first on the scene was Panama Sol:

Panama Sol
Email: panama@panamasolrealty.com

Legal assistance: Whether you plan to live, invest or retire in Panama, you’ll need a Panamanian lawyer to assist you with legal matters. If you don’t already have one, send your legal questions to:

The Law Offices of Rainelda Mata-Kelly
Suite 406-407, Tower B, Torres de las Americas
Punta Pacifica, Panama City, Panama
Local tel: +(507) 216-9299
From the U.S. or Canada tel: (011 507) 380-0606.
E-mail: rmk@mata-kelly.com
Website: http://www.mata-kelly.com

Travel:

Planning a visit? Here is some important information about Panama travel and resources:

Arriving/Departing: Most travelers fly into Tocumen International Airport, Panama City, Panama (PTY), Panama’s only international airport and the region’s biggest hub. Panama’s international airline, Copa, is Latin America’s largest.

For domestic flights, Marcos A. Gelabert Airport in Panama City (also referred to as Albrook, after the neighborhood in which it’s located) offers flights from domestic airline Air Panama.

The Enrique Malek airport in David, Chiriqui offers flights to and from Costa Rica; all other flights to and from David are domestic.

There are also small domestic airports or airstrips elsewhere in Panama, including the San Blas/Kunayala region, Contadora Island, and Bocas del Toro.

Customs and Immigration: U.S. and Canadian citizens must have a passport to visit Panama. No visa is required.

Citizens from visa waiver countries, including Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, El Salvador, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and Uruguay, may visit Panama for up to 90 days without a visa*.

*This list is subject to change. Please always check with your nearest Panamanian consulate or your home country’s foreign affairs office prior to travel to ensure you have the latest information.

Country Information:

• Time Zone: EST (No Daylight Savings adjustments. Google “time in Panama” for the exact current time).

• Power: 110/220 volts AC, 60Hz, US Standard two-pin plugs. As the U.S. is 120v, you may want to purchase a converter/transformer to safeguard your 120V appliances. Power surges do occur; you may want to use power strips with surge protection to safeguard your laptop and other electronics.

• Currency: Panama uses the U.S. dollar (referred to as the Balboa). All bills are U.S. bills; you’ll find a mix of coins from different U.S. states as well as Panamanian coins (exact same size/specs as U.S. coins). Major credit cards are widely accepted in Panama City (I mean, not in thatch-roofed fondas or open-air markets, but you know, shops with actual doors and stuff). Outside the city, you may need to use cash for most expenditures; there are even hotels/motels that don’t accept credit cards (ask before you go).

• Foreign exchange: this is not a country where you’ll find exchange posts around every corner. You can withdraw dollars from ATMs in Panama City, ask whether your hotel offers exchange services, or plan on getting to a bank during local operating hours.

• Climate: Panama is tropical with average temperatures of 88º F and two seasons: dry and rainy. The dry “summer” season is usually December-April. Expect rain on the Caribbean coast (places like Bocas del Toro), year-round. In highland regions such as Boquete, misty rain is common and temperatures can drop to 60º F at night. No matter where you go, you may need a light sweater or jacket due to cool ocean breezes or over-zealous use of air conditioning. For more information, consult Google News, The Weather Channel, or any other trusted news or weather source.

For help planning your visit contact your travel agent or make use of reduced travel websites such as Kayak.com. Low airfares are often available on Copa/United, visit: http://www.copaair.com for more information. Other airlines like Spirit also offer budget flights.

For help choosing a hotel and other information try review sites such as TripAdvisor.com. The Riande Airport Hotel (tel: +507-290 3333; website: http://www.hotelesriande.com) is the closest to Panama’s Tocumen International Airport, but far from city conveniences.

Local contacts:

• Local Travel Agent: Casey Halloran, Co-Owner, Costa Rican Vacations & Panama Luxury Vacations, In Costa Rica: 1-800-606-1860 ext 401, In Panama: 1-866-393-4192, Web: http://www.vacationtopanama.com.

• For road trips, tours, and transportation in Panama (including airport pickups) contact local operators like Inside Panama, email: transport@insidepma.com, tel: +507-6675-6601; Turista Internacional, email: incentives2@turistaintl.com, website: http://www.turistaintl.com; Sealandsky Journeys, email: ditase@yahoo.com, tel: +507-6630-0847; or Marco Colucci, tel: +507-6672-1201, email: macoluche@hotmail.com.

• Rental Cars: There are many rental companies in Panama including

o National: http://www.nationalpanama.com/english/index.htm
o Hertz http://www.rentacarpanama.com/general/default.aspx
o Budget Rent A Car http://www.budgetpanama.com/
o And more: http://www.panamatours.com/Services/serv_carentals.htm

Taxis are available nearly everywhere and are very inexpensive. Fares within the greater metropolitan area are usually $3 to $5. Visits to outlying areas like the Panama Canal Miraflores visitor center can cost double.

Taxis do not use meters; they carry charts showing the price increase by district. Add $0.35 per additional person to the fare. Taxis charge extra for pickup at hotels, airports, and other tourist destinations. Any taxi can take you to the airport. Only special white “tourism taxis” are allowed to pick up passengers from the airport. Tocumen Airport fare is a flat fee of about $25.

It is not customary to tip (unless the driver has gone above and beyond, carrying lot of luggage, acting as a tour guide, returning a lost item, etc.). It’s always a good idea to ask the taxi driver what the fare will be before getting in.

KINDLY NOTE:

As Panama editor I travel the country in order to write about it. As I am a full-time writer, I do not offer any consulting, concierge, real estate, or travel-related services.

More about International Living:

Subscriptions and Memberships: For questions on IL Publications, including subscriptions, products and services please contact International Living Customer Service via the website: https://internationalliving.com/about-il/customer-service/

Buy subscriptions, detailed reports, and other products online with a click of a button at the International Living bookstore, http://www.ilbookstore.com.

Thanks again for your inquiry.

Best of luck with all your Panama plans.

Regards,

Jessica Ramesch
Panama Correspondent
International Living Publications

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International Living holds highly informative seminars in Panama every year. Exhibitors and speakers range from legal and real estate specialists, to expats who have already made the move, to tax and insurance experts. The 2013 Fast Track Panama event is slated for April 4-6, 2013. For information about obtaining the recordings and presentations package from that event please contact IL customer service or the IL bookstore, info for both included in this email.

To contact IL Events, visit https://internationalliving.com/events/contact-us/.
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IMPORTANT PANAMA HOLIDAYS 2013*

January 1 New Year’s Day
January 9 Martyr’s Day (no alcoholic beverages sold for 24 hours)
February 8-12, Feb 13 Carnival & Ash Wednesday
March 28-31 Holy Week (no alcoholic beverages sold for 24 hours Good Friday)
May 1 Labor Day (Moved to April 29 to create a long weekend)
August 15 Founding of Panama La Vieja (original city)
November 3-5, 10-11, 28 Fiestas Patrias (Independence/national holidays)
December 8 Mother’s Day
December 25 Christmas Day
* subject to change

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