When it comes to taxis, Panama City offers them in abundance and they are, to say it bluntly, cheap.

Arriving at the Tocumen International Airport, a taxi ride to your hotel in Panama City will cost you between $25 and $28. In many other countries you can count yourself lucky if you pay less than $40 for the same service. But that’s not even the end of it.

If you are having a sunny day in Panama City, you can flag down any taxi passing by with a hand gesture, and it will take you to your destination for $1 (very short trip), $1.50 (regular distance), or $2+ (longer trip).

Panama taxis have no meter and prices are determined by zones and sectors. To get the best price without a potential “gringo surcharge”, either consult the taxi zone tables below or use this taxi fare calculator.









As an alternative, simply act as if you know where you’re going and just hand over two $1 bills when getting out of the taxi. Hold out your hand as if you are expecting some change – which you are!

Do you want to go to several destinations without having to find a new taxi for each trip? Most taxis offer an hourly rate of $10 or less for driving you around the city and waiting for you, no matter where you want to go.

Some hotels have their own expensive taxis waiting outside the hotel; they will try to lure you in with claims that street taxis are dangerous and can’t be trusted. Those are mostly scare tactics, but if you want an extra degree of safety without paying the outrageous hotel taxi rates, you can ask hotel staff to call a specific taxi company from the yellow pages in your presence (to prevent them from calling their own overpriced taxis).

The only downside I’ve encountered is that many taxis love very LOUD music. And it’s more often than not some horrendous música típica interspersed with computer-generated laughter. Stay calm if you find yourself in such a situation, breathe deeply, pat yourself on the back, and either try to enjoy the experience, or simply say “no música, por favor”… and they’ll probably turn it off without blinking an eye.

Some taxi drivers will try to sell you their own custom city tours and airport transfer services, and even give you their card at the end of the ride so that you can call them whenever and wherever you might find yourself in need of transportation. If you spend more than a few days in Panama City it’s always a good idea to have a few taxis at your call.



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