Panama Car Rental - Panama City is a metropolitan city and of course it has all of the major car rental companies. You can rent a car from Dollar, Avis, Alamo, Hertz, National, Budget, and others. You can rent the car when you make you hotel reservations (through your hotel) and it will be waiting for you at the airport. If you are planning to do some off road travel, then you need to reserve a four-wheel drive auto well in advance because many come here to travel to the rain forests and other off-road destinations. Renting a car for the most part is no different here than any other part of the world.

Even though car rental in Panama is pretty standard, the driving conditions are not. Yes, Panama is like any other major city where there is a lot of traffic. Yes, you would always be wise to plan ahead and not look at maps while you drive into the city. But driving here is different and you might just get an urban adventure before your eco-adventure.

People who have driven here call it the "Panama 500" as a parody to the "Indy 500." This is no exaggeration either. It can be said, "When in Panama, drive like the Panamanians." These easy-going, fun-loving people drive very fast throughout the city streets. If you do not stay with the flow then you will be in more danger of having an accident than if you just speed and weave like the rest of them and not block the progress.

Here you will need a horn in your car as everyone honks. Everyone honks excessively and the horn is actually more of a safety feature here than anywhere else in the world. It is not uncommon to see a Panamanian taxi approaching an intersection at top speed honking the horn as the driver tries to beat the yellow light. And watch out for the big colorful busses with the streamers. These guys drive really fast and will pull out in front of you without signaling in a heartbeat.

Another road to use extreme caution on is the Trans-Isthmian Highway that links Panama City with Colon on the Atlantic side of the Canal. This is a two-lane highway that goes through the rain forest and it is very dangerous having no shoulder on the side. It is not uncommon to see huge trucks and busses on this highway traveling at night with no headlights. It is best to travel this passageway by day.

With a Panama car rental once you get used to driving in Panama, you'll swear it was one of the most entertaining experiences you ever had. Just give yourself a couple of days to get used to it. And, if you don't really need a car then consider taking a taxi and leave the driving to the experts.