The Panamanian airport is one of the most important air terminals in the region, with flights to Asia, Europe, and the rest of Latin America. It is also the main hub for Copa Airlines, connecting to Panama City in two ways: one by toll-free road via the Domingo Diaz Avenue and the other, which connects directly to the International Financial Center (city center), is the toll road Corredor Sur.
🛬 From Tocumen International Airport (PTY)
How to get to the center of Panama City from the airport for $1?
If no friend or family member is picking you up, there are several ways to get from Tocumen International Airport to the center of the Panamanian capital. Below we show you travel options for less than 1 US dollar.
Metrobus – Metro
The first thing to clarify is that buses/metrobuses in Panama do not accept cash because they operate with a prepaid card. These can be purchased before leaving the airport; you can ask terminal staff for directions on where to buy one from a vending machine. They cost $5 USD and include a $2 USD reload for travel.
You should head to the Route E489 Airport-Metro Pedregal stop located when exiting the airport through Zone 6, take the metrobus, and get off at the 3rd stop «Metro Corredor Sur-I«. There, you will take a Line 2 train of the Panama Metro at the «Corredor Sur Station» and then continue your trip to the «San Miguelito» stop, which connects to Line 1 and will take you to the city center.
Shuttle – Free Service
The Panama Tourism Authority offers round-trip transfer services to Metromall Shopping Center approximately every 30 minutes; in the afternoons and on weekends it is every hour. Find their office at the kiosks inside the airport for more information.
From there you can take the metro at «Cerro Viento Station» and then continue your trip to the «San Miguelito» stop, which connects to Line 1 and will take you to the city center. It should be noted that the cost of the Metro trip varies between 0.35 – 0.50 balboa cents, which means that for less than $1 you can reach your hotel. You can also take a taxi or Uber, later we will talk about costs which will depend on the area you are heading to.
Car rental in Panama
There is a wide variety of car rental franchises in Panama City to be picked up upon exiting the airport, which is why we partnered with the car rental site RentCars so you can find all rental options with discounts up to 30%. Among the car rental companies are Budget, National, Sixt, Ace, Alamo, Hertz, Express, Payless, Dollar, Arrendadora Económica, Avis, Thrifty, and Eurocar, which have an excellent fleet of vehicles in different price ranges. At RentCars they have cars starting at $20 USD per day excluding additional costs, it’s a matter of selecting the one that suits you best.
Taxi
Our tip is that PTY taxis use a taximeter. The ideal thing is that you know a little about the route to your final destination beforehand, whether it’s main highways or streets, so that you arrive as soon as possible and the bill doesn’t increase. Something important is that the taxi line at Tocumen airport has a fixed rate; it will depend on where you are heading but to the center of Panama City it costs $30 USD for 2 passengers and to Colon it costs $85 USD. They will take you to your destination 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Uber – Cabify
Download any of the 3 applications before traveling on your smartphone [iPhone|Android]; upon arrival, request the service without any problem, they have large cars in case you arrive with a lot of luggage. Remember to request the service after collecting your luggage to avoid setbacks.