Useful tips to save money in Panama<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn Panama<\/span><\/mark><\/a> you can often pay with credit card or cash. In Panama you pay with dollars or Panamanian balboa. These two are equivalent and are used interchangeably. Your normal debit card is hardly accepted anywhere except at a bank. Even if you set it to worldwide, you cannot pay with your normal debit card anywhere. This means that you can withdraw cash with a debit card, but you cannot pay at a store or restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPaying with your card always entails extra costs, of course, every transaction has a certain conversion rate. When you pay with your credit card, you pay conversion costs of about 1.95%. Withdrawing cash with your normal debit card has a conversion of 1.4% and extra costs of \u20ac3.50. When you withdraw money with your credit card, it is even more expensive than with your normal debit card. You always pay the 1.95% conversion costs and 4% extra costs here. So, withdraw your cash especially with your normal debit card, because this is much cheaper than with your credit card. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is therefore most convenient to pay with your credit card as much as possible when this is a possibility. If this is not possible, you must pay in cash. It is better to withdraw this cash with your debit card instead of with your credit card. You can also choose to withdraw a lot of cash in one go with your debit card. Then pay in cash everywhere, this is even cheaper than paying with your credit card. You just shouldn't mind walking around with a lot of cash. So make sure you always go out with a credit card, debit card and enough cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Sportshool](\"http:\/\/graduatedtravelers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/IMG_8693-768x1024.jpg\")
Gym at Plaza Paitilla Inn in Panama City.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAccommodations in Panama<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHotels in Panama<\/span><\/mark><\/a> are not really cheap. Despite the fact that it is not very busy with tourists, or perhaps because of that, the prices are quite on the high side. In addition, you do not always have a lot of choice, because there are simply not many accommodations in Panama. As a result, you often end up with a hotel of \u20ac20 a night, where you did not want to sleep ever if you were given money. Or a more expensive hotel of about \u20ac65 to \u20ac75 per night, which did provide you with all kinds of facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe more expensive hotels seem very expensive, but when breakfast (and or gym) is included it is not much more expensive, sometimes even cheaper than when you have breakfast separately and possibly visit a gym. We spent an average of about \u20ac20 on breakfast for the two of us. A gym can also cost around \u20ac7.50 per person. If you calculate this, you end up at about \u20ac30 or \u20ac40 per night. That is why we often chose to sleep in a slightly more expensive hotel that included breakfast and a gym.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nTravel tips for transportation in Panama<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn Panama, especially in the cities, there are a lot of taxis. Everywhere you walk you will be honked by taxis. You can always use this. They are not extremely expensive, but can charge a bit more money for short drives. As a tourist you also often pay more for these taxis than residents of Panama. In addition to taxis, Uber is also available in Panama, just not everywhere. Especially in the larger cities there are plenty of ubers driving around to transport you. These Ubers are a lot cheaper than the taxis, often you pay only half or even less. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides being cheaper, it is also safer, because all journeys are registered in the app. In addition, you also know in advance who you are getting into the car with and there is a rating in the app. That's why our tip is to take an uber instead of a taxi if you have this option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course you can also go by bus, these are very cheap as you can read in this blog<\/span><\/mark><\/a> These buses only have no air conditioning and are quite crammed. This way you can quickly end up with 3 people on 1 bench or there is someone standing next to you in the path. We have often done this ourselves when we had to drive far, but found this not convenient and not necessary for short trips, from hotel to the city and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nTip for the language in Panama<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOne of the Panama travel tips is to learn a little basic Spanish. In Panama they mainly speak Spanish (with an accent). It is therefore useful to know some basic Spanish because in some places few people speak (good) English. In addition, most people are also not very helpful, they often just say they don't speak English and don't bother to help you any further. Only at the reception of hotels and in some restaurants people do speak English, but this is certainly not always the case. Only in Boquete<\/span><\/mark><\/a> and on Bocas del Toro<\/span><\/mark><\/a>, the most touristic places, people can speak some good English. Of course you can always use Google Translate<\/span><\/mark><\/a>. Unfortunately, this makes having a reasonable conversation not very easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paying with your card always entails extra costs, of course, every transaction has a certain conversion rate. When you pay with your credit card, you pay conversion costs of about 1.95%. Withdrawing cash with your normal debit card has a conversion of 1.4% and extra costs of \u20ac3.50. When you withdraw money with your credit card, it is even more expensive than with your normal debit card. You always pay the 1.95% conversion costs and 4% extra costs here. So, withdraw your cash especially with your normal debit card, because this is much cheaper than with your credit card. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is therefore most convenient to pay with your credit card as much as possible when this is a possibility. If this is not possible, you must pay in cash. It is better to withdraw this cash with your debit card instead of with your credit card. You can also choose to withdraw a lot of cash in one go with your debit card. Then pay in cash everywhere, this is even cheaper than paying with your credit card. You just shouldn't mind walking around with a lot of cash. So make sure you always go out with a credit card, debit card and enough cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accommodations in Panama<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHotels in Panama<\/span><\/mark><\/a> are not really cheap. Despite the fact that it is not very busy with tourists, or perhaps because of that, the prices are quite on the high side. In addition, you do not always have a lot of choice, because there are simply not many accommodations in Panama. As a result, you often end up with a hotel of \u20ac20 a night, where you did not want to sleep ever if you were given money. Or a more expensive hotel of about \u20ac65 to \u20ac75 per night, which did provide you with all kinds of facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe more expensive hotels seem very expensive, but when breakfast (and or gym) is included it is not much more expensive, sometimes even cheaper than when you have breakfast separately and possibly visit a gym. We spent an average of about \u20ac20 on breakfast for the two of us. A gym can also cost around \u20ac7.50 per person. If you calculate this, you end up at about \u20ac30 or \u20ac40 per night. That is why we often chose to sleep in a slightly more expensive hotel that included breakfast and a gym.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nTravel tips for transportation in Panama<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn Panama, especially in the cities, there are a lot of taxis. Everywhere you walk you will be honked by taxis. You can always use this. They are not extremely expensive, but can charge a bit more money for short drives. As a tourist you also often pay more for these taxis than residents of Panama. In addition to taxis, Uber is also available in Panama, just not everywhere. Especially in the larger cities there are plenty of ubers driving around to transport you. These Ubers are a lot cheaper than the taxis, often you pay only half or even less. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides being cheaper, it is also safer, because all journeys are registered in the app. In addition, you also know in advance who you are getting into the car with and there is a rating in the app. That's why our tip is to take an uber instead of a taxi if you have this option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course you can also go by bus, these are very cheap as you can read in this blog<\/span><\/mark><\/a> These buses only have no air conditioning and are quite crammed. This way you can quickly end up with 3 people on 1 bench or there is someone standing next to you in the path. We have often done this ourselves when we had to drive far, but found this not convenient and not necessary for short trips, from hotel to the city and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nTip for the language in Panama<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOne of the Panama travel tips is to learn a little basic Spanish. In Panama they mainly speak Spanish (with an accent). It is therefore useful to know some basic Spanish because in some places few people speak (good) English. In addition, most people are also not very helpful, they often just say they don't speak English and don't bother to help you any further. Only at the reception of hotels and in some restaurants people do speak English, but this is certainly not always the case. Only in Boquete<\/span><\/mark><\/a> and on Bocas del Toro<\/span><\/mark><\/a>, the most touristic places, people can speak some good English. Of course you can always use Google Translate<\/span><\/mark><\/a>. Unfortunately, this makes having a reasonable conversation not very easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more expensive hotels seem very expensive, but when breakfast (and or gym) is included it is not much more expensive, sometimes even cheaper than when you have breakfast separately and possibly visit a gym. We spent an average of about \u20ac20 on breakfast for the two of us. A gym can also cost around \u20ac7.50 per person. If you calculate this, you end up at about \u20ac30 or \u20ac40 per night. That is why we often chose to sleep in a slightly more expensive hotel that included breakfast and a gym.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Claro](\"http:\/\/graduatedtravelers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/IMG_8683-1024x520.jpg\")