Sarasota/Bradenton to Albrook (SRQ–PAC) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

US passport holders enter Panama visa-free for up to 180 days. No advance application is needed. Passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the date of entry. A return or onward ticket is required, and immigration may ask for proof of funds ($500 or equivalent). At Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City, immigration stamps your passport. Panama also requires an online immigration affidavit filled out at migración.gob.pa within 72 hours before arrival.

The 180-day allowance is generous and makes Panama popular with remote workers and retirees. Panama City's skyline is Central America's most modern, with the Casco Viejo historic quarter contrasting the glass towers of Punta Pacifica. The Panama Canal's Miraflores Locks visitor center is 15 minutes from the city center and lets you watch ships transit. Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean coast is a laid-back island town. Boquete in the highlands is known for coffee farms and the Quetzal Trail in Volcan Baru National Park.

Direct flights from Miami (MIA) to Panama City run about 3 hours 15 minutes on American Airlines, Copa, and Delta. Houston (IAH) to PTY runs about 4 hours on United and Copa. Copa Airlines uses PTY as its hub with connections across Latin America. Direct service also operates from New York JFK, Newark, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Los Angeles, Washington Dulles, and Atlanta. Panama uses the US dollar (called the balboa, pegged 1:1). Balboa coins circulate alongside US coins. No currency exchange needed. ATMs dispense US dollars. Card payments work at most businesses. The Panama Metro runs 2 lines from Albrook to the eastern suburbs for $0.35 per ride. Uber operates in Panama City. A taxi across the city costs $3 to $8.