Stay at the airport for my 8-hour layover in Tocumen, or spend a few hours in Panama City?
On my way to Asunción, I will have an 8-hour layover at Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen in Panama from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon.
If there's a lounge at the airport, I can probably just settle in and work for a day, but my sanity might be better served if I were to jaunt out and explore a bit.
From my last trip to the area, I remember Panama City is quite a drive from the airport – around 30-45 minutes, I think.
Will I have enough time to leave the airport and spend a few hours in Panama City and still be able to get back, clear security and make my connecting flight in time, or should I just find ways to keep myself occupied at the airport?
I will be traveling on a US passport, so I should be able to qualify for visa on arrival.
Best Answer
So I ended up walking up to the taxi counter and saying, "Quisiera visitar un café super chévere en la ciudad, no lugar especifico."
They hooked me up with a local driver who drove me around the city, parked out by Isla Naos so I could take pictures, had brunch with me at a local café (all the while I got to practice my Spanish – super cool!) and had me back at the airport with plenty of time to spare.
The whole trip cost me US$70 plus lunch for my driver (~US$80 total).
The taxi counter is located at the far end of the international arrivals area just in front of the bank (as soon as you exit customs, take a right).
Pictures about "Stay at the airport for my 8-hour layover in Tocumen, or spend a few hours in Panama City?"
Can you leave the airport during a layover in Panama?
If you leave the airport in Panama City, you would have to go through immigration. If lines are long, it could easily take an hour each way, so you'd have to factor in an extra two hours for your layover. The problem is that you can't know in advance how long the lines will be. It could even take two hours each way.Can you leave the airport during a 8 hour layover?
Yes, you can leave the airport during domestic layovers. For instance, if you're a US citizen and have a layover within the country, it is legal and safe to leave the airport. Be aware that you'll probably be getting two boarding passes if the domestic layover is more than an hour.How do I spend a layover in Panama City?
Go sightseeing If your layover is at least 7 hours long, you can easily head into Panama City for some sightseeing. Public bus routes provide frequent, cheap connects to downtown, but will take about 50 minutes to reach the city center. Cut that time in half by opting for a licensed taxi, waiting outside the airport.Do you have to go through customs for a layover in Panama?
Panama City International Airport is a major connecting hub in the Americas and for short layovers, the connection couldn't be simpler. There's no need to go through customs or immigration, you simply disembark your flight, find your next gate and off you go.THINGS TO DO ON A 6 HOUR LAYOVER IN PANAMA CITY | Vlog 003
More answers regarding stay at the airport for my 8-hour layover in Tocumen, or spend a few hours in Panama City?
Answer 2
I was also going to recommend Casco Viejo, but if you have more time besides, you might also think about squeezing in a look at Panamá Viejo too.
Panama City is perhaps the most interesting capital city in Central America and, though it also has bad areas that must be avoided, is definitely safer than the others and has plenty of locals and tourists wandering about. It also has friendly helpful tourist police at least in the Casco Viejo area.
I have never been to the airport there and the taxi price sounds expensive to me, but if it's not a problem for you I would definitely suggest not missing the opportunity to have a look. Eight hours in just about any airport is going to be pretty horrible.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: MESSALA CIULLA, Soly Moses, Pixabay, Shoval Zonnis