Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FINDING YOUR WAY
Panama is not without its frustrations: streets often have several names, rarely marked on a
signpost; telephone numbers change frequently, especially for mobile phones and even for
government offices; and websites are often not updated, or domain names left to lapse - all
of which makes contacting people difficult. Moreover, the pace of change in Panama at the
moment is phenomenal: new places to stay are mushrooming; bars, discos and restaurants,
especially in Panama City and tourist areas, regularly open, close, move or change name,
often lasting the summer partying and tourist season, but failing to make it through winter.
This guide will help you navigate this dynamic country, but it's always worth checking de-
tails on the ground.
By bus
The vast brick building fronted by battalions of buses just down the road from Albrook Air-
port on the edge of Panama City is the Gran Terminal de Transportes de Panamá, the highly
efficient hub of the national bus system . Most of the capital's local transport and all interna-
tional and regional buses leave from here.
The main centres, such as Santiago, Chitré and David, also have large efficient bus termin-
als on the outskirts of town complete with toilet, left-luggage and restaurant facilities; from
there regional connections and local buses - usually a mixture of battered Toyota minivans
with extra fold-down aisle seating and the more comfortable Coasters - head out into the
countryside in centrifugal fashion. In the smaller settlements, minibuses or chivas hang out
in the plaza or main street waiting for an adequate number of passengers. Generally, the more
rural the location, the more laissez-faire the bus timetable and the more likely it is that pas-
sengers will be picked up anywhere along the route.
Along most regional bus routes from Panama City, transport runs from 5.30-6am until
9-10pm, whereas the first buses heading into the capital from the provinces may leave from
1-4am to ensure passengers arrive for the start of the commercial day. Local transport in the
provinces usually peters out around 6.30-7pm, while in the capital buses run along popular
routes until around midnight. The timetables for many routes can now be consulted online at
thebusschedule.com/pa , which is kept reasonably up to date.
The Interamericana is punctuated with official and unofficial (generally at a major inter-
section) bus stops, where you can flag down transport, but on Friday and Sunday afternoons
and at either end of a holiday period when buses are jam-packed you can be left stranded for
hours.
Ticket prices range from 30¢ for any bus in the Panama City metropolitan area to around
$5 for a two-hour ride in moderate comfort, or $15 for a relaxing seven-hour recline all the
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