I'd err on the safe side bringing my GF. My buddy and I walked everywhere around Panama City and there are some areas we just didn't go to. We had two different people stop us in the slums surrounding Casco Viejo and tell us that we needed to get the hell out (place of the attempted robbery; probably the most dangerous part inside PC).

I'd stick to the more touristy areas. The metro is relatively safe and dirt cheap. I wouldn't trust cabs. Use uber from the airport (unless you can swing a hotel shuttle -- I didn't see one while I was at the airport). Also very cheap. I wouldn't recommend bringing the gf on any of the buses.

You may want to look into visiting the kuna tribe through the san blas mountains. That was the best part of the trip for us. It was also the most dangerous. The driving through the mountains is pretty rough, especially if it's raining. You're also heading somewhat close to the Dorian gap. I know you can pay like $80 for a tour that will take you there. Might want to just do that.

Walk around the city, check out the canal, hit up Casco Viejo (stay away from the slums -- it's like NO -- one wrong turn and you're in a third world country), checkout the badass Albrook mall (biggest mall I've ever seen), and look into a san blas trip if you have the time and can find a good guide to take you.

Our go to cheap restaurant was a place called Don Blas near the via argentina metro stop. Cheap. Awesome. And they love gringos. Most places auto tip 10%, so check the receipt. The normal tipping amount is 10%, but we always did 15-20%. Always bargain with the street vendors.

If you and your gf are into hookers, check out the veneto wyndham casino.

And finally, prepare for some nasty looks when you venture to certain parts of the city. A lot of panamanians do not like gringos. Most do not speak any English. Great place to learn Spanish.

This post was edited on 1/9/16 at 8:06 pm