petedaria
12/1/2017 12:15 EST
My wife and I are going to Panama in February starting in Panama City.... Having a car to move around with would be very convenient. Any ideas on a 65 year old Canadian renting a car to move around the country is welcomed.
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ranaverde
12/1/2017 15:50 EST
The main consideration for you is that driving around in PC is not a good idea and that the cost of insurance is quite high for renting a car. It often is more than 1-1/12 times the cost of the actual car rental. Read the fine print about your credit card rental insurance coverage and the many options implied to be necessary form the Agency that can add up to $25-35 per day! Only as little as about $14 /day is truly mandatory. However, most Canadians are travel risk adverse and succumb to the higher insurance packages. Also, they charge a lot for drop off in other than the city where you rent from ($200). Many advise taking inter city buses and local taxis to get around. So rent in as near to your destination area as possible to return the car there. Depending on how adventurous you are and experienced in driving in unfamiliar country and the hectic driving style in the emerging world it can add to your adventure and enable you to see a lot in a short period of time too. We have done it many times and enjoy the freedom, one of us is conversational in Spanish, again bearing in mind your sense of cost.
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Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaConnectKovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded. Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.
Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded. Connect Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.
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shar501
12/1/2017 16:05 EST
Hertz in Panama is not related to Hertz in the US. Don't be fooled by the name. Why Hertz allows this I don't know. It is deceptive and constitutes grounds for cancellation of the US trademark.
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sweethomepanama
12/1/2017 18:20 EST
I haven't read all the post so I might be repeating BUT; we have rented a car three times in panama over the last 4 years. The insurance is expensive so know that if you see a car for rent for $15.00 per day you will be paying $30-$40 extra per day for insurance. However, not all insurance is mandatory. Every year we bring down a letter from our credit car company (yes they will provide one) that proves what they cover. Then we reject all other insurance except the minimum requirement which should only be about $15.00 extra per day.
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ranaverde
12/3/2017 11:09 EST
None of the Car rental companies in Panama are 'corporate' owned locations, as in many other countries. That is the definition of franchising! They are owned by the big car dealerships, also franchises of the brands.
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panamajames
12/3/2017 12:49 EST
And always be aware that online is one price and in person is another price. Insurance is the killer here in Panama that they say is mandatory. I would like someone to test that theory with some background that makes sense. The car rental business in Panama is a rip-off to be sure. Be careful out there. Some folks don't care. I didn't as a tourist 12 years ago.
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Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaConnectKovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded. Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.
Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded. Connect Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.
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llseldon
12/3/2017 13:33 EST
Driving tips in Panama
Do not drive & talk on your cell phone.
No U-turns
One Panamanian told me when he was riding with me on a rainy day when I turned on my head lights for safety "you can't do that, only officials can their head lights on during the day" (don't ask me about new car with head lights that are on when the car is started)
Caution, many street sign including one way (Una Via) signs are missing & often hard to determine which streets are one way?
Driving on 4 lane road (2 lanes each way), stay right except to pass.
I have paid several "road side fines" for violating several of the above items.
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llseldon
12/3/2017 13:33 EST
Driving tips in Panama
Do not drive & talk on your cell phone.
No U-turns
One Panamanian told me when he was riding with me on a rainy day when I turned on my head lights for safety "you can't do that, only officials can their head lights on during the day" (don't ask me about new car with head lights that are on when the car is started)
Caution, many street sign including one way (Una Via) signs are missing & often hard to determine which streets are one way?
Driving on 4 lane road (2 lanes each way), stay right except to pass.
I have paid several "road side fines" for violating several of the above items.
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llseldon
12/3/2017 13:34 EST
Driving tips in Panama
Do not drive & talk on your cell phone.
No U-turns
One Panamanian told me when he was riding with me on a rainy day when I turned on my head lights for safety "you can't do that, only officials can their head lights on during the day" (don't ask me about new car with head lights that are on when the car is started)
Caution, many street sign including one way (Una Via) signs are missing & often hard to determine which streets are one way?
Driving on 4 lane road (2 lanes each way), stay right except to pass.
I have paid several "road side fines" for violating several of the above items.
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llseldon
12/3/2017 13:34 EST
Driving tips in Panama
Do not drive & talk on your cell phone.
No U-turns
One Panamanian told me when he was riding with me on a rainy day when I turned on my head lights for safety "you can't do that, only officials can their head lights on during the day" (don't ask me about new car with head lights that are on when the car is started)
Caution, many street sign including one way (Una Via) signs are missing & often hard to determine which streets are one way?
Driving on 4 lane road (2 lanes each way), stay right except to pass.
I have paid several "road side fines" for violating several of the above items.
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llseldon
12/3/2017 13:34 EST
Driving tips in Panama
Do not drive & talk on your cell phone.
No U-turns
One Panamanian told me when he was riding with me on a rainy day when I turned on my head lights for safety "you can't do that, only officials can their head lights on during the day" (don't ask me about new car with head lights that are on when the car is started)
Caution, many street sign including one way (Una Via) signs are missing & often hard to determine which streets are one way?
Driving on 4 lane road (2 lanes each way), stay right except to pass.
I have paid several "road side fines" for violating several of the above items.
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Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaConnectKovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded. Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.
Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded. Connect Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.
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llseldon
12/3/2017 13:34 EST
Driving tips in Panama
Do not drive & talk on your cell phone.
No U-turns
One Panamanian told me when he was riding with me on a rainy day when I turned on my head lights for safety "you can't do that, only officials can their head lights on during the day" (don't ask me about new car with head lights that are on when the car is started)
Caution, many street sign including one way (Una Via) signs are missing & often hard to determine which streets are one way?
Driving on 4 lane road (2 lanes each way), stay right except to pass.
I have paid several "road side fines" for violating several of the above items.
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llseldon
12/3/2017 13:34 EST
Driving tips in Panama
Do not drive & talk on your cell phone.
No U-turns
One Panamanian told me when he was riding with me on a rainy day when I turned on my head lights for safety "you can't do that, only officials can their head lights on during the day" (don't ask me about new car with head lights that are on when the car is started)
Caution, many street sign including one way (Una Via) signs are missing & often hard to determine which streets are one way?
Driving on 4 lane road (2 lanes each way), stay right except to pass.
I have paid several "road side fines" for violating several of the above items.
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llseldon
12/3/2017 14:20 EST
Sorry, it appears my driving tips was sent 7 times, don't have any idea why?
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Oldcameraman
12/3/2017 18:27 EST
The repeated postings are a bug in this site programming. When you click on "POST" it appears as if nothing has happened, when in reality it has already posted and nothing seems to change. So our tendency is to click on it again. Every click posts it again., and again.....
I sent a complaint to the source of this webpage,Burlingame Interactive about 2 years ago, but never heard anything back and the problem remains so I guess that this site is run by AIs.
They're takin' over I tell ya ! Lets all head for the hills !
Bottom line, just click once on post and it will likely post. If I've written a longer post and want to be sure it gets posted, I copy it before clicking post. If it does post, great. If not, then I paste what I've copied.
If THAT one doesn't post, I give up because most of what I post is drivel anyway......
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Oldcameraman
12/3/2017 18:35 EST
Ditto what lseldon said about the rules of driving here in Panama.
About the headlights on in daylight, I talked with a police official about it and he said there is no law that only officials can have them on.
It's just an urban rumour.
What gets me are all the vehicles driving along with red and blue flashing lights on their dash making them look like police cars or SUVs on a mission.
Mostly it's just some person who wants to speed and drive erratically who put them on.
Not normally Police or Official racing to do some officiating somewhere.
They just bought those lights at a car parts place and like the effect.
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golric
12/5/2017 18:58 EST
Reminder that Panamanians celebrate Carnivals during February. Check the days in the official National Holidays for the country. Start Saturday, and end Tuesday/Wed. Some Banks will be closed and all government offices and the majority of the country is having a great time . Driving to the interior of the country will be a big adventure. If you are staying in the city it will not be too bad just make sure you dont want to go to the Cinta Costera area.
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