Getting to Panama

Home » Getting to Panama

Traveling to Panama

Most people get to Panama by air, which makes sense, as flying is the simplest and most comfortable way to travel here. There are non-stop flights from North and South America, and some direct routes from Europe and the U.K. It’s also possible to drive (or bus) into Panama or get here by boat, although these options can involve much more time and potential discomfort.

Make reservations as far in advance as possible. More people travel during the dry season (mid-December to mid-April) and around Christmas and Carnival. November also has several national holidays, and Panamanians tend to crowd buses and travel routes during this time.

Visitors to Panama must show proof of onward travel (especially if crossing at the border).

By Plane

Panama is well connected with destinations in North and South America, the Caribbean, and parts of Western Europe. Travelers coming from Asia, Africa, Australia, or Eastern Europe will likely need to change planes/airlines at least once.

“Complete List of Airlines” with direct flights to Panama City

Most travelers will fly into Tocumen International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen), Panama’s main international airport. It is 25 kilometers (15 mi) east of downtown Panama City and is fairly modern and convenient. It has a small domestic terminal, as well as some tourist services, including ATP booths, ATMs and one bank. Its airport code is PTY.

There is also an international airport in David in western Panama, the gateway to the Chiriqui Province and the town of Boquete. Copa Airlines has expanded to offer daily direct flights from many North American cities directly to David (with a layover, immigration, and customs in Tocumen before the connecting flight). It also receives direct flights from Costa Rica, and is hoping to attract more international flights. The airport is officially known as Aeropuerto Internacional de David “Enrique Malek.” The airport code is DAV.

There are non-stop flights to Panama City from the following U.S. cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago–O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New Orleans, Orlando, Newark, New York City (JFK), Tampa, and Washington, D.C. Travelers coming from other U.S. cities will first be routed to one of these airports. Depending on where you’re coming from in the U.S., travel time is anywhere from three to five hours.

There are also direct flights from Canada to Panama from the following cities: Toronto–Pearson and Montréal–Trudeau. Those flying from other cities in Canada can also stop in the United States or Mexico in route to Panama.

Several airlines offer direct service from Europe—these depart from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. Other carriers that don’t fly direct will often stop in airports along the east coast of the U.S.

South America has good connections with Panama. There are direct flights to Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Flights to countries close to Panama, such as Colombia or Ecuador, take around two hours. Flights to places like Brazil and Argentina can take seven or more hours.

Flights are fast, easy and frequent from Costa Rica. Flights leave from the country’s capital, San José, and take about an hour. Flights from other Central American countries include El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico.

Flights from Australia, Asia, Africa and the Pacific usually reroute to Los Angeles or Mexico City before departing for Panama.

“Complete List of Airlines” with direct flights to Panama City

By Land

Panama has three border crossings with Costa Rica: Paso Canoa along the Pacific side, Guabito-Sixaola on the Caribbean side, and Río Sereno in the highlands. Paso Canoa is along the Interamericana (Interamerican Highway) and is the route used most. The Guabito-Sixaola border crossing is mainly used by travelers heading to and from Bocas del Toro. Río Sereno is somewhat difficult to access and is not always open for foreigners.

The Interamericana ends at the town of Yaviza in eastern Panama — it is here that the Darién Gap begins. This being the case, there are no roads that run between Panama and Colombia. Travelers must fly to Colombia.

Cars rented in Panama or Costa Rica cannot cross the border. Crossing in your own vehicle can sometimes be difficult as well, so it’s usually easiest to just take a bus. Buses ply the Interamericana from all other Central American countries and continue on to Panama. The buses are fairly inexpensive and decently comfortable. Trips between Panama City and the capital of Costa Rica, San José, depart daily. The drive takes around 16 hours. There are also daily frequent Express Buses from Panama City to David that take 8 hours.

The website “The Bus Schedule” provides an accurate daily bus schedule between all cities in Latin America. It is a very helpful tool for many backpacking travelers.

By Sea

The Panama Canal is visited by thousands of tourists each year, many of them on cruise ships. Panama has two cruise-ship ports along the Caribbean coast near Colón and one along the Pacific side at Amador. The main season for cruises through the Panama Canal is between October and April. It takes around 8–10 hours to transit the canal.

Yachting is also big in Panama. Yachters come from around the world to sail through the canal and visit the country’s islands and archipelagos. That said, yachting facilities in Panama are somewhat limited. There are marinas on both the Pacific and Caribbean entrance to the canal, and a number of ports scattered throughout the country. The archipelagos of Bocas del Toro and Guna Yala (San Blas Islands) are both popular with yachters. Bocas has two moderately sized marinas, but there are none in Guna Yala.

How to travel from Anywhere in the world to Panama:

The following is a “Complete List of Airlines” with direct flights to Panama City (PTY):

Aeroméxico: Mexico City (begins May 14, 2015), MEXICO

Air Canada: Toronto–Pearson, CANADA

Air France: Paris–Charles de Gaulle, FRANCE

Air Transat: Montréal–Trudeau (seasonal), Toronto–Pearson, CANADA

American Airlines: Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, USA

Aruba Airlines:  Aruba, ARUBA

Avior Airlines: Barcelona (VE), SPAIN

Avianca: Bogotá, COLOMBIA

Avianca Costa Rica: San José, COSTA RICA

Avianca El Salvador: San Salvador, EL SALVADOR

Cayman Airways: Grand Cayman (seasonal)

Condor: Frankfurt, GERMANY

Conviasa: Caracas VENEZUELA, Managua GUATEMALA

Copa Airlines: Aruba, Asunción, Barranquilla, Belo Horizonte–Confins, Bogotá, Boston, Brasilia, Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Cali, Campinas, Cancún, Caracas, Cartagena de Indias, Chicago–O’Hare, Córdoba, Curaçao, David, Fort Lauderdale, Georgetown–Cheddi Jagan, Guadalajara, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Havana, Iquitos, Kingston, Las Vegas, Liberia (CR), Lima, Los Angeles, Managua, Manaus, Maracaibo, Medellín–Córdova, Mexico City, Miami, Montego Bay, Monterrey, Montevideo, Montreal–Trudeau, Nassau, New Orleans (begins 24 June 2015), New York–JFK, Orlando, Port-au-Prince, Port of Spain, Porto Alegre, Puebla (begins August 4, 2015), Punta Cana, Quito, Recife, Rio de Janeiro–Galeão, San Andrés Island, San José (CR), San Juan, San Pedro Sula, San Salvador, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz de la Sierra–Viru Viru, Santiago de Chile, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo, São Paulo–Guarulhos, St. Maarten, Tampa, Tegucigalpa, Toronto–Pearson, Valencia (VE), Villahermosa (begins July 31, 2015),Washington–Dulles

Copa Airlines Colombia: Barranquilla, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena de Indias, Cúcuta, Guatemala City, Medellín–Córdova, Pereira

Delta Air Lines: Atlanta, USA

Iberia: Madrid, SPAIN

KLM: Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS

Lufthansa: Frankfurt (begins 16 November 2015), GERMANY

SBA Airlines: Caracas, VENEZUELA

Spirit Airlines: Fort Lauderdale, USA

Sunwing Airlines: Toronto–Pearson, Montréal–Trudeau (sesonal), CANADA

TAP: Portugal, Lisbon, PORTUGAL

United Airlines: Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark, USA

Venezolana: Maracaibo, VENEZUELA