Getting Around New Orleans
New Orleans is one of the world’s busiest ports and the cultural capital of the South, yet the city is remarkably compact and easy to navigate. Visitors are always pleasantly surprised to learn that many of the city’s attractions, accommodations and event venues are within walking distance of each other; in fact, “hoofing it” (in New Orleans’ case, translated as walking or grabbing a mule-drawn carriage) is a favorite means of transportation in the Crescent City.
But, if you prefer wheels to legs, New Orleans has a very accessible and reasonably priced public transportation system, too. It only costs $1.25 to take an RTA bus . . . or one of the city’s famed streetcars, which travel the Riverfront and Canal Street. Where else can you actually ride on a historic landmark? Of course, as one of the world’s top convention and meeting destinations, New Orleans also has a range of national car rental agencies as well as taxi and limousine services. A number of the city’s hotels and attractions offer free shuttle services, and there are a great variety of guided tours throughout the city and its environs.
"By land or by sea," getting where you are going in New Orleans is half the fun. Riverboats go rollin’ on the river, just like they’ve done for more than a century. If street traffic is tight, you can always take a ferry to Algiers or a river shuttle to Audubon Zoo
Getting To New Orleans
Formerly New Orleans International Airport. Most people coming to New Orleans arrive through Armstrong Airport.
After a severe dip after the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005, by late 2006 the airport had rebounded to 3/4 of it's pre-Katrina flights with daily flights to/from 37 destinations throughout North America. Additional flights have continued to be added in more recent years. European vacation packages are available from the UK on several British airlines who offer charter/cruise services nonstop to the Crescent City.
To get into town a taxi ($33 for one or two people, $14 per person for three or more) is quickest; that's the flat fee from the airport to any spot in the French Quarter or Central Business District. Limo service is also available for rates starting at $35. Airport shuttle is $20, and Jefferson Transit Airport Express route E2 only $2. .
Many major hotels have shuttle buses from the airport. Even if you're not staying at one of those hotels, the shuttles can often be a value for those getting in to town if their destination is near one of the hotels. There is a public transit bus from the airport to Loyola Avenue in the New Orleans Central Business District; the stop is a fair walk from the luggage pickup, and you'll probably have to ask at an information desk to find it.
Just be prepared for some transportation disruptions during the Mardi Gras season; nothing takes precedence over the city’s biggest celebration, so you will want to plan your comings and goings around the parade routes!