Daily rates beat taxis if you’re parking 3+ days at PTY
Long-Term Parking at Tocumen International Airport sits directly in front of Terminals T1 and T2, so you walk from your car to the check-in halls in roughly 3–7 minutes depending on the row. It’s the official airport lot, open 24/7, and you keep your keys and park yourself, which beats waiting on shuttles in Panama City heat.
Pricing runs on a per-day structure (check the current posted tariffs at the entrance gate), and it usually pencils out better than rideshares once you cross the 3–4 day mark. You pull a ticket at the barrier when you enter, and you pay at automatic machines near the terminal doors or at a manned booth before driving out. Take a quick photo of your row and pole number; the lot is large and the layout near T1 vs T2 can blur after a long flight.
The lot is inside the airport perimeter fences and under regular patrol from Tocumen security, with CCTV covering the vehicle lanes and payment areas. There’s no covered parking or EV charging yet, so plan for full sun and tropical rain; if possible, choose spaces away from light poles and cart returns to reduce door dings. If your return lands late at night, the pedestrian routes from both T1 and T2 to the long-term rows stay lit, and you’re never more than about a 7–10 minute walk from the farthest spots.
Final tip: snap a second photo of your license plate and ticket when you park; you’ll need both if the payment machine has trouble reading the barcode or if you misplace the paper ticket before heading back to the car.