Panama measures 75,417 square kilometers with geography that compresses the Isthmus of Panama to 80 kilometers wide at the Panama Canal and stretches 193 kilometers at its broadest point. The Pan-American Highway traverses 534 kilometers from the Costa Rica border at Paso Canoas to Yaviza in Darién Province, where pavement ends before the Darién Gap. This 106-kilometer roadless stretch between Yaviza and Colombia makes Panama accessible only by air or sea when approaching from South America. The transportation network radiates from Panama City, which sits on the Pacific coast at the canal's southern entrance, with roads extending west along the Azuero Peninsula and east to Darién Province.
The Tocumen International Airport processed 16.4 million passengers in 2019 and serves as Copa Airlines' hub, connecting Panama City to 81 destinations across the Americas. Tocumen lies 24 kilometers northeast of downtown Panama City. Scarlett Martinez International Airport in Santiago de Veraguas offers commercial flights operated by Air Panama, connecting the Veraguas Province capital to Panama City on routes spanning 45 minutes. David's Enrique Malek International Airport connects Chiriquí Province to Panama City through Air Panama flights covering the 424-kilometer distance in 55 minutes. Bocas del Toro's Bocas del Toro Isla Colón International Airport receives flights from Panama City and San José, Costa Rica. No railway passenger service connects these airports to city centers.
Air Panama operates domestic routes from Albrook Marcos A. Gelabert International Airport, located within Panama City limits south of Albrook Mall. The airline serves Bocas del Toro, David, Contadora Island in the Pearl Islands, Changuinola near the Costa Rica border, and destinations within the Guna Yala comarca including multiple airstrips across the San Blas Islands. Flights to Bocas del Toro depart six times daily and cover 500 kilometers in 60 minutes at fares ranging from 88 to 135 dollars one-way depending on advance purchase. The Pearl Islands flight reaches Contadora in 20 minutes. Charter operators at Albrook serve the Darién Province communities of La Palma and Sambú where road access does not exist.
Panama City's Albrook Bus Terminal occupies the former U.S. military base adjacent to Albrook Airport and concentrates virtually all intercity bus departures for destinations across Panama. The terminal opened in 1985 and handles departures from 5:00 to midnight daily. Buses to David in Chiriquí Province leave every 60 minutes around the clock and cover 440 kilometers in seven hours along the Pan-American Highway at fares near 15 dollars. Express services reduce travel time to six hours. Chitré in Herrera Province receives buses every 30 minutes completing the 237-kilometer journey in four hours for eight dollars. Santiago in Veraguas Province sits 250 kilometers west with buses departing hourly for the four-hour trip costing nine dollars. Colón on the Caribbean coast 79 kilometers northeast connects through buses every 20 minutes completing the journey in 90 minutes for 3.50 dollars.
Smaller destinations require connections or dedicated departure areas within Albrook Terminal. Boquete in the Chiriquí highlands does not receive direct buses from Panama City. Travelers take David buses then transfer to Boquete services at David's terminal. The David-Boquete segment covers 38 kilometers in 60 minutes at 1.75 dollars with buses departing David every 30 minutes from 5:00 to 21:00. El Valle de Antón in Coclé Province receives direct buses from Albrook departing every two hours covering 128 kilometers in 2.5 hours for four dollars. Portobelo in Colón Province requires transfer at Sabanitas, 13 kilometers before Colón city, where minibuses complete the 38-kilometer connection to Portobelo in 45 minutes for two dollars. Buses from Panama City to Sabanitas depart every 20 minutes.
The Darién Province town of Yaviza connects to Panama City through buses departing Albrook Terminal at 6:00 and 13:30 daily. The journey covers 268 kilometers of paved road in six to seven hours at eight dollars. Beyond Yaviza the Pan-American Highway terminates. No scheduled ground transportation crosses the Darién Gap. Travelers continuing to Colombia arrange boat transport along the Pacific coast to Juradó or Bahía Solano in Colombia's Chocó Department, then fly to population centers, or fly directly from Panama City to Colombian destinations. The Darién Gap remains roadless due to engineering challenges in swamp terrain, environmental protection of Darién National Park declared in 1980, and security concerns related to guerrilla activity historically present in the Colombian border region.
Panama City operates two public bus systems. The red Metrobus network replaced privately operated diablos rojos buses between 2010 and 2018. Passengers purchase a Metrobus card for two dollars and load credit in increments of five dollars or more. Fares range from 25 cents for short distances to 1.25 dollars for the longest routes. The system operates approximately 250 buses across 17 routes from 5:00 to 22:00 on weekdays with reduced weekend service. Buses display route numbers and terminal destinations on digital signs. Route maps appear at major stops and on the Mi Bus Panama mobile application. The older red buses do not accept cash. Remaining feeder routes in outlying neighborhoods use smaller buses accepting cash fares of 25 to 50 cents.
Panama City Metro opened Line 1 in April 2014 with 13.7 kilometers connecting Albrook Terminal north to Los Andes in the city's northern suburbs. The line includes 13 stations with trains departing every four minutes during peak hours and every eight minutes off-peak from 5:00 to 23:00 daily. Fares cost 35 cents paid with the Metro card also valid on Metrobus. Line 2 opened in April 2019 adding 21 kilometers and 16 stations extending from San Miguelito southeast to Nuevo Tocumen near the airport. The two lines intersect at San Miguelito station. Combined ridership reached 250,000 passengers daily in 2019. A third line connecting Albrook to the airport broke ground in 2021 with completion projected for 2025. The metro system uses French-supplied Alstom Metropolis trains operating on standard gauge track with platform screen doors at all stations.
Taxis in Panama City do not use meters. Fare zones determine pricing with the route divided into zones based on distance. A ride within the same zone costs 1.50 to 2.00 dollars. Crossing one zone boundary raises fares to 2.50 to 3.00 dollars. Airport trips from downtown Panama City cost 30 to 40 dollars. Uber, Cabify, and InDriver operate in Panama City with app-displayed fares typically 20 to 30 percent below traditional taxi rates for equivalent distances. Traditional taxis display yellow plates and painted yellow bodies. Uber and similar services legally operate under intermittent regulatory challenge since 2016 but remain functionally available. Outside Panama City, taxis serve primarily in David, Chitré, Santiago, and Colón at similar fare structures. Rural areas lack taxi service.
Rental cars operate from international agencies at Tocumen International Airport and locations in downtown Panama City, David, and Bocas del Toro. Rates begin near 35 dollars per day for compact cars with automatic transmission. Panama recognizes foreign driver's licenses for tourist stays up to 90 days. The Pan-American Highway maintains two lanes in each direction between Panama City and Santiago then narrows to one lane each direction west to the Costa Rica border. Road conditions rate as good to excellent on primary highways. Secondary roads accessing Bocas del Toro, Boquete, and El Valle de Antón use paved two-lane roads with occasional maintenance issues during rainy season from May through November. Gas stations appear regularly along the Pan-American Highway but decrease in frequency on secondary routes. Fuel costs approximately 0.90 dollars per liter for regular gasoline.