Arrange for a flight to Panama on the airline that will take you there nonstop if possible. Fare Compare: Cheap Flights to Panama City lists opportunities from a number of locations (see Resources). Several domestic airlines serve Central America along with the carriers based in other countries. One such foreign carrier, Copa Airlines, provides similar service to Continental Airlines. The two air carriers "code share," so flying on Copa mirrors the Continental experience, except the price is often less.
Decide whether to stay in a downtown hotel or in one on the Amador Causeway. Downtown hotels provide the hustle and bustle one might expect and they are surrounded by Internet cafes, restaurants and shops of every description. The Amador Causeway, also known as the Amador Peninsula, features fewer hotels and peripheral attraction choices but it is located alongside the Pacific Ocean and the waterway leading to the Panama Canal. Both hotel locations offer abundant tourist attractions. (See Resources.)
Panama City provides a different and sometimes hazardous driving environment. Not only are the roads crowded with traffic and pedestrians, the local drivers are aggressive and careless about common courtesy. Take the decision instead to travel by taxi. You will need to bargain for the fare before getting in the cab but you will find taxis provide an economical way to get around. For visitors who have opted to stay in a tourist hotel, airport pickup service may be available.
Take a taxi to Casco Viejo. Ask a cab driver to take you to the Panama Canal Museum. Sightseers will find a composite of the history of the canal inside and interesting architecture, parks and vistas outside. If going to Casco Viejo to dine, ask the cab driver to drop you off near the presidential palace. You can trust the cab driver's restaurant recommendation or you can make your way on foot from the palace area. You will find restaurants of all descriptions practically everywhere you look. Wander the streets to find that perfect place to eat dinner.
Order a taxi to take you to the Flamenco Resort and Marina, where the cruise on the Panama Canal begins. Most, if not all, partial canal cruises take place on Saturdays. A typical itinerary will take you from the Flamenco Marina to the Gamboa rain forest by bus. At Lake Gamboa, you will board a ship that will transport you along the Panama Canal, through the Pedro Miguel locks and the Miraflores locks, before cruising beneath the Bridge of the Americas and back to the Flamenco Marina.
Visit the duty-free shops of Panama. Two that are probably the best known are located in the city of Colon and inside Tocumen Airport. The side trip to Colon, about 31 miles away, might be worth it for serious shoppers. If Colon cannot be worked into the trip itinerary, be sure to arrive at Tocumen, about 15 miles outside Panama City, early for the flight back home for some duty-free shopping.
