Panama City, Panama

Getting around Panama City

How to travel around Panama City — 5 options, what they cost, and which booking apps fix the fare before you go.

Last updated 2026-08-11

1. Metro de Panamá

Three lines, air-conditioned and cheap, using the rechargeable Metro card.

Cost: USD 0.35–0.50

2. Uber and InDrive

Both work well and are the easy way to avoid negotiating.

3. Street taxis

Unmetered, priced by zone, and the fare must be agreed before departure.

Watch outDrivers who quote a per-person fare after everyone is seated, or pick up other passengers en route without discussion.

4. Tocumen airport transfer

About 25km east; traffic makes an hour realistic at peak.

5. Ferries to Taboga

An hour from the causeway to the island, several sailings a day.

Booking apps in Panama

Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page — lookalike apps are themselves a scam.

Uber

Widely used in Panama City, including the airport run.

Coverage: Panama City and Colón.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.

InDrive

Fare-negotiation alternative, often cheaper.

Coverage: Panama City.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.

Metro de Panamá

The metro, paid with the rechargeable Tarjeta Metro card.

Coverage: Panama City.