Page 75 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE Panama City 73
Expensive mobile-phone packages are also for sale in the Facilities Several car rental firms have offices here; there’s 1
arrivals hall but you can get a better deal in town (see p.47). also an ATM and a tourist desk.
Taxis Most passengers take a private or colectivo taxi into Taxis Taxis to most places in the city should not
the city. The official taxi service provider has a desk in the top $3–4, although the more luxurious cabs waiting
exit hall displaying the official rates, which you should outside the terminal will charge you double the fare of a
consult if in doubt. At the time of writing, private taxis for taxi flagged down on the road, which is easy to do
one or two passengers cost $30 for central Panama City; during the day.
$35 for Albrook and Cerro Ancón; and $38 for the Amador
Causeway. Colectivos cost $15/person for three or more BY BUS
passengers – exit by the main terminal door, and cross the All regional buses arrive at the upper level of Albrook bus
road to the colectivo taxi stand. terminal (officially Gran Terminal de Transportes de
Buses You can only travel to the city centre by bus if you Panamá, more commonly referred to as “El Terminal”), the
have been to Panama before and have a Metrobus card (see national bus terminal. It lies 3km northwest of the city
p.75), since the cards are currently not sold at the airport. If centre, near Albrook Airport.
you have a card, leave the arrivals hall, turn right, walk past Getting into town Local buses, including the new
Restaurante Selles and head across the car park for the bus Metrobuses (see p.74), leave from ground level at the
stop across the main road, outside the terminal. You can front of the terminal. Taxis also stop here and can take
catch Metrobuses (see p.74) to Albrook bus terminal you to your lodgings; this should cost no more than
(6am–midnight; every 20–40min; 45min–1hr, longer in $3–4 for one or two passengers for a central area such as
rush hour); make sure you take the “Corredor” services, Casco Viejo or El Cangrejo, but they may try to charge
which take the faster toll road. If you arrive after dark, take more if you arrive late at night or don’t seem to know
a taxi; hanging round the bus stop at night can be risky. what you’re doing. The terminal is also at the end of the
Getting to the airport Metrobuses displaying “Tocumen new metro line (see p.75), which can get you to Plaza
Corredor” leave from the front of Albrook bus terminal Cinco de Mayo – from where you can walk to Casco Viejo
(6am–midnight; every 20–40min; 45min–1hr, longer in – or El Cangrejo.
rush hour), picking up passengers at the new Cinco de Getting to the bus terminal To get to the bus terminal
Mayo–Marañon metro station and at stops along the Cinta from the city centre, take a bus bound for Albrook on Vía
Costera. Passengers alight at a bus stop 200m from the España, along the Cinta Costera/Av Balboa, or at the side of
terminal entrance. the Palacio Legislativo off Plaza Cinco de Mayo.
Alternatively, take the metro (see p.75) from El Cangrejo or
PanamÁ PaCÍFiCO intERnatiOnaL aiRPORt Plaza Cinco de Mayo.
Charter flights and a couple of low-cost Colombian airlines Onward travel by bus Several major destinations are
– Viva Colombia (Wvivacolombia.co) and Wingo (Wwingo served by more than one company, some of which offer
.com) – use the new Panamá Pacífico International Airport, express and (cheaper) stopping buses – ticket prices
formerly the US Howard Air Force base, in the Canal Zone, charged by all companies will be the same. To catch a bus
9km southwest of Balboa. Other Latin American airlines are out of town, first buy your ticket from the appropriate ticket
likely to start using this airport in the near future. office inside the terminal before passing through a turnstile
Taxis Taxis to central Panama City cost $22. to a numbered departure bay at the back. To do this you’ll
need a RapiPass, a rechargeable swipe card (tarjeta
aLBROOK aiRPORt magnética) used on Metrobuses, the metro and the bus
Domestic flights from the one domestic carrier, Air Panama terminal turnstiles (10¢). You can buy the RapiPass for $2
(T316 9000, Wairpanama.com), touch down at low-key (plus the credit you want to put on it) at a kiosk in the bus
Albrook Airport (officially Aeropuerto International Marcos terminal.
A. Gelabert; T238 2700), 3km northwest of the city Travelling to Costa Rica Ticabus (T314 6385,
centre. Air Panama serves around twenty destinations, Wticabus.com), with an office at the terminal, runs
including two in Colombia and San José in Costa Rica. While overnight and daytime buses (daily 11am & 11.55pm;
in theory Air Panama accepts online credit-card bookings, 15–16hr; $55 & $40, respectively) to San José, Costa Rica.
the website rarely works. Nor is credit-card payment over Advance booking is advisable. Alternatively, take a
the phone accepted, though you can make a phone Panachif (T314 6885, Wtransporte10pa.es.tl) bus to
reservation using a credit card for flights from Guna Yala Paso Canoas (see box, p.213) at the border (daily; 9
(see p.252). You need to buy a ticket in person at the airport regular buses & 3 express at 10pm, 11pm & midnight;
(daily 5am–6pm) or at their office on Av Balboa (Mon–Fri $17 regular, $21 express), via David, and transfer to Costa
8am–6pm, Sat 8am–1pm). Rican transport there.

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