Panama City Taxis
You can easily get a taxi in Panama City by hailing one in the street. You’ll also find taxi stands by major tourist attractions. If you’re staying at a hotel chain, they can usually call or hail a taxi for you. Although taxi drivers in Panama City generally will go anywhere in the city, drivers will sometimes double up on passengers or decline fares to certain areas.
All taxis in Panama City are now yellow. This didn’t used to be the case, but the governing authority made this a rule. Taxis have a T or an RI license plate on the back. They have a regular license plate on the front of the car. There are also vehicles that have SET plates. These tourist “taxis” have special transportation licenses and are used by tour operators for the special taxis that can be found at downtown hotels. These are not yellow and they have a different fare structure. These tend to be somewhat pricier than street taxis.
Fares in Panama City taxis are calculated by the zones traveled. You can also pre-book a Panama City Airport to city center taxi.
Hand picked & english speaking drivers
Same price as a regular Taxi from the line
Drivers are always on time
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How much does a taxi cost?
Taxi prices | Day time (05:00 - 24:00) | Night time (00:00 - 05:00) | Duration |
---|---|---|---|
FROM ALBROOK METRO STATION TO PANAMA ART MUSEUM | 5 € | 5 € | 10 MIN |
ALBROOK "MARCOS A. GELABERT" INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO CITY CENTER | 20 € | 20 € | 16 MIN |
FROM AIRPORT TO HOTELS | 28 € | 28 € | 25 MIN |
FROM CITY CENTER TO PANAMA CANAL | 40 € | 40 € | 70 MIN |
Panama City taxi prices
Taxis in Panama City are affordable compared to most other large cities. You can easily get around most destinations downtown with a fare of $2 PAB (€1.80) to $5 PAB (€4.60). If you’re traveling from the airport, you will be charged a set fare of $30 PAB (€28) for your Panama City cab service.
It’s worth noting that fares aren’t fixed downtown and drivers don’t use a taximeter, so there may be cases a higher fee is quoted. Be sure to use an official taxi, and agree on a price you’re comfortable with before beginning your journey to avoid surprises.
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How to Get a Taxi in Panama City
There are two types of taxis in Panama City, regular yellow taxis and white tourism taxis. The yellow Panama taxis can be hailed in the street or found at taxi stands outside large hotels, shopping malls, and tourist attractions. The white tourism Panama taxis can be called for a pickup and are usually a little more expensive and premium compared to the regular taxis.
How to get a taxi from Tocumen International Airport
Just past the Arrivals area, there is a tourist cab service with fixed rates. This service can be individual or shared. The trip to the city center takes approximately 30 minutes. You’ll want to be sure to firm up the price of your ride to your destination in the city.
How to get a taxi from Albrook “Marcos A. Gelabert” International Airport
You’ll find yellow airport taxis outside the Arrivals area at Albrook Airport. It will take you about sixteen minutes to get to most downtown hotels from Albrook Airport.
If you’re looking to book your Panama Airport taxi in advance that can help get you on your way faster.
Most popular Panama City taxi apps
If you like the comfort of having apps available to hail taxis at your leisure rather than depend on finding them on the street or at taxi stands, there are a few options for you in Panama City.
These include the app Tu Chofer, Yellow Car Panama, Cabify, and Talixo. The rideshare app Uber is also available in Panama City.
If you know your travel plans in advance, you can pre-book a Panama City Airport transfer instead. Welcome Pickups offers guaranteed on-time pickups with English-speaking drivers at competitive rates.
Useful Panama City taxi numbers
If you aren’t connected to the internet or prefer not to download an app to your phone, be sure to keep some taxi phone numbers handy so you can call a taxi company or radio dispatcher to order your cab. This is a great option if you’re traveling with children or have a lot of luggage.
- Ambar Luna: +507 6664 0171
- Radio Taxi Plaza Tocumen: +507 6680 6186
- Vitalpma Taxi Panama: +507 6071 7733
- Panama City Jungle Taxi: +507 6668 9597
Booking your Panama City taxi in advance
With language barriers and unsure rates for local taxis in Panama City, it can sometimes be a little tricky and stressful to take a local cab. Instead, you can pre-book your Panama City Airport taxi and enjoy a stress-free experience with fixed-rate fares and local English-speaking drivers.
Panama City taxi tips
- Panama taxi drivers love to use shortcuts, so don’t be surprised if they take you a different way to your GPS app.
- There’s no extra charge for passengers after the first person.
- Tipping your Panama taxi driver isn’t expected unless they spend the whole day driving you to different destinations.
- If you like your Panama City taxi driver, it’s normal to request their phone number for future rides.
- It's not uncommon for Panama City taxi drivers to double up on rides going to the same destination, so be aware of this practice.
- Most taxis in Panama City will not have car seats or booster seats, so you'll want to pre-book your ride if you're traveling with children who need those.
Wheelchair-Accessible Panama City Cab Service
The regular Panama City taxis aren’t wheelchair accessible. However, there are a few specialist companies that offer specially trained drivers and fully wheelchair-accessible vehicles. One of the top-rated wheelchair-accessible Panama taxi companies is Let’s Go To Panama. To book your ride with them, you can fill out their online form.
Panama Taxi Safety and Complaints
Taking a taxi in Panama City is usually very safe and comfortable. Panama taxi drivers are notoriously friendly and chatty. However, if you do experience any issues such as overcharging or an unsafe and unprofessional driver, you can report it to the transit police by calling +507 231 2678.