PADiamond

Arrive PTY ~2:30pm on Thursday, March 21. Depart ~8am Friday to SJO. Flying Copa w/ checked bags. Would like to see the canal and allow the kids to sleep as late as possible.

• What time do I need to arrive at PTY on Friday?
• Suggestions for seeing the canal? (Miraflores visitor center will be closed by the time we get there.)
• Anything else we should consider?

Many thanks for helping out the newbie.

SJOGuy

Yes. One huge detail: The date is going to complicate things here. Friday March 22 is the Friday before Holy Week, and everybody is going to be heading out on vacation. The airport will be packed that morning. Allow yourself a lot of extra time to get to the airport and to get through security. (I take it you'll already have your boarding passes?) Without traffic, the airport is about 30 minutes east of the city. I've stood in the security line about 30 minutes on a typical morning for that morning COPA flight to SJO. I'd build in a lot more time for both those tasks that particular Friday morning.

PTY-SJO is about a one-hour flight. If you have to get up at some ungodly hour that morning (and I think you will) catch a few winks on the plane. Costa Rica is one hour earlier than Panama so your flight should arrive and depart about the same time.

TacaCopaFlyer

You may also consider staying at the Country Inn & Suites en the Balboa area. It is right on the canal near the Bridge of the Americas. Great View from the pool and hotel. A Fridays on the property and the Balboa Yacht Club next door for reasonalbly priced food and drinks.

I've been getting the Carlson Friends and Family Rate of $70 per night recently and that includes a nice hot breakfast.

THe advice on traffic the next morning should be followed. You'll want to leave the hotel about 5:00 to 5:30 am for that flight in you are checked-in on-line.

PADiamond

Thank you, SJO and TacaCopa! You have given us incentive to rise early. But I think we'll stay in the Courtyard Metromall to save a few minutes in the morning. (And none of my family but me would eat at that hour, anyway.) Any decent breakfasts at PTY?

PADiamond

Thanks again, SJO and TacaCopa. Based on your advice and local input, we arrived at PTY about 6am and had plenty of time.

168

We too will land on Sunday at 2:46pm on Copa, then Monday to SJO at 9:14am and Tuesday via UA to IAH at 6:30am. Will we have to claim our bag in PTY or will CM agent in SXM checked our bags all the way to USA since this is a SXM-USA ticket with 2 long layovers on 3 different dates?

We would like to visit Miraflores, but they closed at 4:30pm. If we go straight from the airport, any chances of making it there before they close? If we arrived after 4:30pm, are we able to walk around outside of visitor center to see the canal and the locks?

Any tips on getting a taxi/tour from airport to Miraflores before going to Marriott Panama? Anything interesting to see near Marriott in the evening?

With 9:14am flight on Monday and Star Gold, I am thinking we should leave hotel by taxi by 7am on Monday. Is this cutting it too close?

thank you!

dsauch

sort of in the same boat - need a place to stay overnight, arriving at 11pm and leaving at 9am.
Any suggestions on closest place to stay to airport? There seems to be just one hotel in airport area and it doesnt have great reviews.
Courtyard appears to be next on the list.

Any advice?

Thank you!

a hotel with airport shuttle would be awesome :-)

YEGcg

Similar question...

We're taking a morning flight PTY-SAL on a Wednesday at 06:47 and might be staying in Casco Viejo.

At that time of day (and given last minute morning packing, etc) I'm not going to chance a shared shuttle or public transit. What's a reasonable time to take a taxi for the airport?

We'll be checking luggage and are flying in J (priority security line?)