The world's first transcontinental railroad is also the shortest at only 47 miles (75 kilometers). Completed in 1855, it dramatically cut travel time between New York and California during the Gold Rush.Only two trains run a day, one in each direction, often used by Panama City businessmen commuting to the Colon Free Zone. Much of the one-hour trip is through the jungle or along the canal. A day-trip could include a visit to the Colon Free Zone, the Gatun Locks or Fort San Lorenzo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the mouth of the Changres River on the Caribbean. Passenger service weekdays from Corozal in Diablo at 7:15 am and Colon at 5:45 pm. Tickets each way are adults $25 and children 2-12, $15.
LGBT-friendly, the 15-room Canal Inn is under the Bridge of the Americas in a quiet residential neighborhood close to Amador Causeway, Ancón Hill, Albrook Mall, the domestic airport and native craft markets....
IDs are checked at the front gate at Zona Viva, the Amador Causeway entertainment compound that has discos, low-keyed bars, restaurants and nightspots with pirate or Egyptian themes that get going after...