Currency to display:

At the border

Correct as of: March 2010

Required Paperwork

Passport of registered owner (original and 1 copy).
Drivers license of registered owner (original and 1 copy).
Vehicle registration (original and 1 copy).

Process at border

The owner of the vehicle gains entry at immigration (migración), including a stamp in their Passport.
Insurance for the vehicle must be purchased. (see below)
The owner must show the new passport stamp, drivers license, the original vehicle registration and vehicle insurance to customs (aduana).
The owner is issued a temporary import permit for the vehicle.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: If you plan to ship your vehicle out of Panama, make absolutely certain that everything written on your temporary import permit is correct. A single digit wrong in your VIN number or date of vehicle manufacture will be a problem later when you try to ship the vehicle. DO NOT let the customs people convince you it will be OK. It won't.

Cost of entry

Free.

Permitted length of stay

90 days.

Extension of stay

Unknown.
Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country

(unknown)
Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long.
Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.

Exiting with a vehicle

By land to Costa Rica

The registered owner is stamped out of Panama at immigration.
The registered owner presents the temporary import paper to customs, where it is cancelled.

By Ship, probably to Colombia

See Shipping across the Darien Gap for details.

Overland Essentials

Vehicle Insurance

Insurance requirements

Insurance is mandatory in Panama and you will be forced to buy it at the border before you are allowed to enter. There are always agents at the border to buy from.

Cost of insurance

$15.00 USD for 3 months for a 4x4.

Where to purchase insurance

Right at the border. The customs guys will tell you exactly where to go.

Driving license

Technically an International Driving Permit is required.
In reality, showing a license from anywhere in the world seems to be good enough.

Driving side of road

Right.
Right hand drive vehicles are permitted without problem.

Mandatory items in vehicle

None.

Roads

General Road quality

Roads in Panama are generally of good quality, except in some of the smaller towns where the pavement is cracked and broken. Lesser roads are gravel and can be mud pits in the rainy season.

Road signs

Road signs are mostly common and clear.

Toll roads

The major highway from Panama City to Colón is tolled.

Bribery

Police bribery is not uncommon in Panama.
See the bribery tips page for advice.

Checkpoints

Police checkpoints are not common in Panama, though you may encounter them. You'll be asked to show your Passport, Vehicle registration, drivers license, vehicle insurance and the temporary import permit you were issued at the border.

Traveling with pets

Unknown.
List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.

Gasoline / Petrol / Diesel

Last updated: April 2010

Price

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade	Price
Regular	€0.80 EUR per Liter ^[1]
Super (90)	??
Premium (95)	??
Ultra (97)	??
Normal Diesel	$0.72 USD per Liter^[2]
Diesel (low sulfur)	??

Gasoline Availability / Frequency

Purchasing gas in Peru is not commonly a problem.
Typically gas stations are not more than 200 - 300km apart.

Gasoline Quality

Gasoline purchaed from name-brand outlets (ie. PetroPeru, Repsol) is regarded as better quality than a "no name" mechanic (grifo).

External information about gasoline

(unknown)
Link to external websites with price & quality information, if available.

Safety / Security Considerations

Driving at night

Driving at night is generally not recommended, though might be OK on the larger highways.

Poor road quality means potholes and obstacles are common.
Dangerous driving such as tailgating, overtaking around blind corners and excessive speeding are very, very common.
There can be many objects on and around the road that are nearly impossible to see at night, such as livestock, people, slow moving carts, cars with no lights, etc.

Vehicle parking

Parking vehicles on the street in smaller towns during the day is typically OK. Find a secure parking lot in big cities and at night.

Special driving considerations

Drivers in Peru are particularly crazy, which leads to some very dangerous driving conditions. There have been many horrific accidents in recent years (some involving Overlanders) due to large trucks and buses taking hairpin corners in the wrong lane. Sound your horn loudly when approaching any sharp corners on mountainous roads.
Don't be afraid to give a couple of short taps on your horn in heavy traffic, it's not impolite, and lets other drivers know where you are.

Security advisories and information

Camping

Camping is not common or popular with local Peruvians, though many hostels in touristy areas have camping to cater for backpackers.
Prices for camping at hostels fluctuates with the tourist seasons - check a backpacker guide book.
There are many excellent sites for roadside camping around the Cordillera Blanca in central Peru.

Camping guide books

No specific book exists, though the usual backpacker guide books mention when a hostel or park has camping facilities.

Drinking water

Tap water in Peru is not safe to drink. Every corner store sells 1 and 2 liter bottles, and 20 liter bottles can be bought at most large grocery stores.

Navigation

Paper maps

Maps of Peru are difficult to find, and road conditions change daily. Purchase maps before arriving in Bolivia.

GPS

Perut (Peru Routeable): A community map project like OSM with excellent coverage for Garmin^[3]
Open Street Map: Appears to have good coverage.^[4]
Garmin: No map of Peru.^[5]
TomTom: No map of Peru. ^[6]

Directions and GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc.

Camping Sites: Peru - Detailed list of campsites and propane filling with description, directions and GPS co-ordinates. Some at hotels (lists facilities and price), some roadside and free.
Campsite Listing - South America | PanAm Notes - List of campsites, with directions and GPS co-ordinates. Some at hotels (lists facilities and price), some roadside and free.
Andes Expedition camping Locations - List of campsites, with basic directions and GPS co-ordinates. Mostly free sites.
Camping Log 2: South America - List of campsites, shopping, fuel, propane and border crossings with excellent descriptions and GPS co-ordinates.
Hackney Travel SA Waypoints - Raw GPS data (in gdb or gpx format) for waypoints (including campsites, fuel, repairs, propane and more)
The Silk Road Motocaravan Network - Raw GPS data for waypoints (camping, gas, propane, points of interest and more)

Overland Travel Interest

Special Overland interests

Matchu Pitchu - It's not possible to drive all the way to Matchu Pitchu, but you can get pretty close and save yourself a lot of money by not catching the train. From the Cuzco area, drive through The Sacred Valley, passing Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Santa Maria and finally along a very narrow little track to the village of Santa Teresa. The last section of road is very narrow and windy, and requires a high-clearance vehicle. In Santa Teresa you can camp and safely leave your vehicle at the Inka Tour Hospedaje - the only campground in town. From Santa Teresa you can hike four hours, or catch a taxi to Hydroelectrica, where you can hike along the tracks or catch the train to Aguas Calientes which is the town at the base of Matchu Pitchu. Don't drive to Hydroelectrica - it's only a construction site and there is absolutely nowhere to park (even for motorbikes)^[7].