Car hire and driving in Panama City
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Panama traffic drives on the right. Picking up at PTY means 17 km (11 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648811 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648855 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q533806.
Drives from Panama City
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panama City to San José | Costa Rica | 512 km (318 mi) | about 7 h 48 min |
| Panama City to Masaya | Nicaragua | 792 km (492 mi) | about 12 h 4 min |
| Panama City to Managua | Nicaragua | 814 km (506 mi) | about 12 h 25 min |
| Panama City to Matagalpa | Nicaragua | 824 km (512 mi) | about 12 h 34 min |
| Panama City to León | Nicaragua | 890 km (553 mi) | about 13 h 35 min |
| Panama City to Chinandega | Nicaragua | 924 km (574 mi) | about 14 h 6 min |
| Panama City to Catacamas | Honduras | 951 km (591 mi) | about 14 h 30 min |
| Panama City to Danlí | Honduras | 952 km (591 mi) | about 14 h 31 min |
| Panama City to Tegucigalpa | Honduras | 1,010 km (628 mi) | about 15 h 25 min |
| Panama City to Tocoa | Honduras | 1,024 km (636 mi) | about 15 h 37 min |
| Panama City to Olanchito | Honduras | 1,052 km (654 mi) | about 16 h 3 min |
| Panama City to San Miguel | El Salvador | 1,068 km (664 mi) | about 16 h 17 min |
| Panama City to Mérida | Mexico | 1,716 km (1,066 mi) | about 26 h 10 min |
| Panama City to Guatemala City | Guatemala | 1,351 km (839 mi) | about 20 h 36 min |
| Panama City to Cancún | Mexico | 1,565 km (973 mi) | about 23 h 52 min |
| Panama City to San Pedro Sula | Honduras | 1,174 km (729 mi) | about 17 h 54 min |
| Panama City to Villa Nueva | Guatemala | 1,352 km (840 mi) | about 20 h 37 min |
| Panama City to Tuxtla | Mexico | 1,707 km (1,060 mi) | about 26 h 1 min |
| Panama City to San Salvador | El Salvador | 1,176 km (731 mi) | about 17 h 56 min |
| Panama City to Mixco | Guatemala | 1,359 km (845 mi) | about 20 h 44 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Panama City?
The right, as everywhere in Panama.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.