How to Get Around Panama Without Renting a Car
Panama is compact — you can cross the whole country in a day — but choosing how to move around makes or breaks your trip. Here are your real options.
Public buses
Cheap and everywhere, but slow: most long routes require changing at terminals (usually Albrook in Panama City or David), luggage space is tight, and beach towns like Santa Catalina have very limited service. Great for budget travelers with time; frustrating with surfboards or a schedule.
Domestic flights
Useful for Bocas del Toro if you’re short on time, but airports only serve a few destinations — and you still need ground transport at both ends.
Tourist shuttles
Door-to-point service on the routes travelers actually use: Panama City → Santa Catalina $60, Boquete → Bocas del Toro $30, Santa Catalina → Boquete $35 and more. You’re picked up at a set point at a scheduled time, ride in an air-conditioned van with room for boards and dive gear, and get dropped at your next stop — no terminals, no transfers, no lost hours.
When shuttles win
- Beach and mountain towns with poor bus links (Santa Catalina, Boca Chica, El Valle).
- Traveling with luggage, surfboards or kids.
- Connecting two tourist stops in one comfortable ride.
Booking is the easy part
Use the route finder on our home page for instant prices, then book in one WhatsApp message — we confirm seats and pickup details fast. That’s the whole process.
Getting around Panama
We run shared and private shuttles linking Panama City, Santa Catalina, Boquete, Bocas del Toro, David and more — plus Coiba National Park day tours from Santa Catalina.