1) Everything is on the American dollar. They do use Balboa coins for change, however, don't use Panamanian dollars and don't take it from anyone!
2) Everything is in Spanish. This did surprise me at first because even when I was in India, signs were in both Hindi and English. That being said, I would highly recommend downloading a Spanish-English dictionary and memorizing basic phrases.
3) Use the Metro. It is clean, safe, efficient, and cheap. It costs $2.00 to buy a metro card and each ride is $0.35 (score).
4) If you use a taxi, do NOT get into it until you have negotiated a price with the driver (in fact, this is a good rule of thumb for riding taxis anywhere in the world). Getting to Casco Viejo from downtown costed us only $5.00. Prices do fluctuate depending on how far your destination is, how many people are riding, and on the driver. I wouldn't recommend paying more than $10.00 for travel within Panama City.
5) Brace yourself for the crazy hot weather! Even though I visited in late December, the weather was still insanely hot and humid, so pack summer clothes, water bottles, sunglasses, hats, and SPF. The best piece of advice that I can give you is to not leave your hotel without a huge bottle of water. Trust me, you are going to be sweating twice as much in Panama and you don't want to get dehydrated.
Best Wishes,
The Pseudo Southerner
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