By Plane
Almost all international flights land at Tocumen International Airport (PTY; tel. 238-2700), located 21km (13 miles) from Panama City. Flights from Costa Rica to Panama City with the country’s domestic carrier, Air Panama (tel. 316-9000), land at the Marcos A. Gelabert Airport (PAC), more commonly referred to as Albrook Airport. There is also direct service from San José, Costa Rica, to the David and Bocas del Toro airports. In addition, Avianca Airlines (see below) has service from Costa Rica, arriving at Tocumen.
The following airlines serve Panama City from the United States, using the gateway cities listed. American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S., or 269-6022 in Panama) has two daily flights from Miami. Avianca (800/284-2622 in the U.S., or 206-8222 in Panama) has flights from many major U.S. hubs, but most include a stopover in Bogotá, El Salvador, or Costa Rica. Copa Airlines (tel. 800/359-2672 in the U.S., or 227-0116 in Panama) has the most flights in and out of Panama City, with daily or weekly flights from Miami, Orlando, New Orleans, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., as well as destinations from around Latin America and the Caribbean.
Delta Airlines (tel. 800/241-4141 in the U.S., or 214-8118 in Panama) offers one daily flight from Atlanta. United Airlines (tel. 800/044-0001 in the U.S., or 265-0040 in Panama) offers flights between Panama and Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Tampa Bay, and several regional cities.
From Europe, Iberia (tel. 0870/609-0500 in the U.K., or 227-3966 in Panama) has daily flights to Panama City that connect in either Madrid or Amsterdam. American Airlines (see above) and British Airways (tel. 800/246-9297 in the U.S.) have daily flights that connect in Miami.
From Australia, Qantas (tel. 9691-3636) has daily flights in conjunction with Copa Air from Sydney, connecting in Los Angeles; Air New Zealand (tel. 507-264-8756 in NZ) also works in conjunction with Copa Air with one daily flight from Auckland, connecting in Los Angeles.
By Bus
Comfortable, air-conditioned international bus routes from Panama run to neighboring Costa Rica with Tica Bus (tel. 314-6385 in Panama), departing from Albrook station. There are three daily departures for the approximately 16-hour drive.
By Boat
Several major international cruise lines have itineraries that include the Panama Canal, often continuing on to various Caribbean or Latin American ports. Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, and Princess ships travel through the 64km (40-mile) canal, rising and falling with the locks, from one ocean to the other.
Yachts also travel frequently between Portobelo and Cartagena, Colombia, on the Caribbean Coast. These are less formal and are usually arranged directly with the boat owners at marinas in either destination.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.