Arriving in Panama City: Tocumen Airport (PTY), Metro Line 2 Branch, Albrook & MiBus

Serving as the primary aviation crossroads between North, Central, and South America, Panama City is one of the easiest capitals in Latin America to reach and navigate by public rail.

Arriving at Tocumen International Airport (PTY) and the Metro link

Located 24 kilometres northeast of the city centre, Tocumen International Airport operates across the original Terminal 1 and the sweeping Norman Foster-designed Terminal 2. Since March 2023, an elevated branch line of the Panama Metro (Ramal de la Línea 2 al Aeropuerto) connects the Terminal 2 station directly to Corredor Sur station on Line 2. From there, passengers ride westbound along Line 2 to San Miguelito and transfer onto underground Line 1, which runs right through the central hotel district (Vía Argentina, Iglesia del Carmen, Santo Tomás, and 5 de Mayo) to Albrook. Check the official airport and Metro de Panamá portals for current operating schedules.

Authorised airport taxis and ride-hailing apps such as Uber also operate from both terminals via the Corredor Sur toll highway directly to Bella Vista and Casco Antiguo.

Using Metro Lines 1 & 2, contactless cards, and MiBus

Clean, air-conditioned, and fast, the Panama Metro accepts direct tap-in payments with contactless Visa and Mastercard bank cards at station turnstiles, as well as the rechargeable RapiPass / Tarjeta Metrobus card sold at station kiosks. If you plan to board municipal orange-and-white MiBus buses, including the routes departing from the Albrook transport hub to the Miraflores Locks and the Amador Causeway, you will need a RapiPass card, as drivers do not accept cash onboard.

Albrook Bus Terminal and Marcos A. Gelabert Domestic Airport (PAC)

At the western terminus of Metro Line 1 sits the Gran Terminal Nacional de Transporte at Albrook, where intercity coaches depart for El Valle de Antón, Colón/Portobelo, Boquete, and Costa Rica, right beside Marcos A. Gelabert Domestic Airport (PAC) for regional flights to Bocas del Toro and David.