Planning for a Visit to Panama

[RICHARD KRENKE]

Other than our passports, is there anything else we need to do other than have hotel reservations and hop on a plane?

[JESSICA RAMESCH]

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.

Many expats travel to Panama without getting any specific vaccinations, as the city and other developed areas of the country have a history of being classified as low-risk for tropical ailments like yellow fever and malaria by the likes of the World Health Organization.
To read up on vaccinations and health advisories, check online sources that offer recommendations specific to the different areas of Panama, including the World Health Organization (website: http://www.who.int), the CDC (U.S. Center for Disease Control, website: wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/) or the Canadian Foreign Affairs Office (website: http://www.voyage.gc.ca.)
And remember, if you do plan to look into any vaccinations or pre-trip treatment courses, it’s best you see your health care provider at least four to six weeks before you travel.

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.

Mini 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

Advertising: To learn more about advertising in International Living magazine and other publications visit https://internationalliving.com/about-il/advertise-with-us/.

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

Best of luck with all your Panama plans.

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

[ZANE GEBERIN]

Zane Geberin – Coming from the US, does a person need any shots or immunizations to visit Panama? Is getting malaria a concern?
Thanks for your answer.

[JIM RABB]

We were thinking of taking about 2 or 3 weeks to come down there and check out some areas that might be of interest to us for a permanent move to Panama, but the problem is how to go about finding places to stay during our trip. Your Itineraries list several hotels, but the problem is not knowing if we would like any certain location well enough to make hotel reservations for more than one day or not.
What we would like to know is if there are accommodations along the way to the Chiriqui area that would be available for a night or longer, depending on if we wanted to check out a certain location more thoroughly?
I seem to remember something I read saying that the month of November was more of a holiday period for Panamanians and resorts were crowded. Is that true and is there any time, (month) that would be less crowded or busy than any other.

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Dear Zane,

Many expats travel to Panama without getting any specific vaccinations, as the city and other developed areas of the country have a history of being classified as low-risk for tropical ailments like yellow fever and malaria by the likes of the World Health Organization.
To read up on vaccinations and health advisories, check online sources that offer recommendations specific to the different areas of Panama, including the World Health Organization (website: http://www.who.int), the CDC (U.S. Center for Disease Control, website: wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/) or the Canadian Foreign Affairs Office (website: http://www.voyage.gc.ca.)
And remember, if you do plan to look into any vaccinations or pre-trip treatment courses, it’s best you see your health care provider at least four to six weeks before you travel.

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Dear Jim,

The following dates are holidays in November 2013 and represent busier times (higher occupancy) at hotels (during and/or before/after):

November 3-5, 10-11, 28 Fiestas Patrias (Independence/national holidays)

There are a bunch of new hotels, you wouldn’t believe just how many. Panama has more hotels in the pipeline than any other in the region. I usually just check review sites like Trip Advisor to see which hotels are getting the best ratings at the time. There’s everything from hostels and B&Bs to big hotels and resorts, so depends on what you’re looking for, and what area you want to stay in. owns/places to stay between Panama City and the Chiriqui province are many, so you may want to check out the area-specific data on your Panama Insider website (this website), which covers most of the country, to choose the locations that sound best to you, based on your personal criteria. I hope this helps. Pleae do not hesitate to post additional questions.

Regards,

[MICHAEL ANDERSON]

Hi Jessica,

My wife and I are planning a trip to Panama with the idea of moving down there. We are are not retired, and will have to work doing something.
We have seen Panama City already and would like to check out areas that would be a little cooler; could you give me some ideas of where to check out! We’ll be there for about 10-12 days, and will have a car and don’t have any problem driving anywhere.

Thanks Much! By the way, Great site!

Mike Anderson

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Dear Mike,
Thanks so much for your kind comments about the site. That’s a good question, and we have the information for you in your Where to Live section. Check out the menu on the left at https://internationalliving.com/country_clubs/panama/where-to-live/, you’ll see a whole section dedicated to valley and mountain locales…Panama’s cool weather locales offer mild climates and a whole lot more. Driving is a great way to see tiny Panama, and you will find the Pan-American (aka InterAmericana) easy to navigate.
Best,
Jessica

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