Taxis in Panama

So how do you negotiate this tricky challenge…getting a taxi in Panama?

The difficulty with getting a taxi in Panama is that there are no meters, no official cabs (like black cabs in London or yellow cabs in NYC) and generally no rules whatsoever!

In all honesty, it’s not that bad. A couple of locals we met didn’t even like getting cabs but if you stick to the following approach, you’ll be fine…

1) Hail a cab and tell the driver where you want to go - preferable in a Spanish-sounding accent.

2) Usually, he’ll nod his head or indicate that he’s happy to take you. On occasion, he may shake his head and screech off in a wheel spin. Don’t be alarmed, this isn’t that unusual and there should be another one along in a minute.

3) Depending upon how good your Spanish is, you can ask how much it is going to be before you get in.

4) Alternatively you can just take our approach, know roughly how much you should be paying and then hand it to them when you get out. If they’re unhappy they’ll let you know and if you add another 50c, maybe a dollar, they’ll usually go on their way. Or you can ask them when you arrive ("Cuanto es, senor?") but be prepared to disagree ("No, es mucho") if they say a price that’s too high.

The following should give you a rough guide to how much to pay (I have no doubt as a local, you probably pay less but this is what I’d say is a ‘fair’ price for a non-local):

For anywhere in the ‘downtown’ area, it should cost no more than 75c for 1 person to get to another downtown area. Examples are: Bella Vista to Punta Paitilla, Bella Vista to Punta Pacifica etc.

If this is for 2 people, then add another 25c to make it a £1 in total. If the taxi driver has driven well (safely - a rarity!) you might like to add a small tip, say another 25c.

You should pay no more than the following for slightly longer journeys:
$1.50 from Bella Vista to Amador for 1 person, $1.75 for 2 people
$1 from Amador to Albook Mall, $1.25 for 2 people
$1.25 from downtown to Casco Viejo for 1 person, $1.50 for 2 people
$1.25 from Amador to Casco Viejo for 1 person, $1.50 for 2 people

There is a good local taxi company, run by a guy called Jose Saenz. He & his drivers speak English and they are excellent value if you want to go further afield (El Valle, Santa Clara), for airport transfers ($25) or for a ’safe’ taxi experience in Panama. His email is here >>>

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Related posts:

1. Taxis in Buenos Aires
2. Panama: Cost of Living
3. Panama Furnished Apartment: Amador Causeway
4. Panama Furnished Apartment: Bella Vista
5. Panama: As a LIP Location

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