South - New Orleans - Rental Car vs. Public Transit

I usually like to have a rental car on all trips except NYC, but I'm torn for my first trip to New Orleans.

Any thoughts?

Stay in CBD or FQ and rely public transit?

Stay in suburbs and drive in each day (Saturday, Sunday, and holiday)?

Parking in the CBD and the Quarter is EXPENSIVE. Three bucks an hour is typical. There is some non-metered on street parking, but don't count on being able to find any, and the meter maids are very very very good at what they do should you be parked even ever so slightly in a loading zone or a nanometer too close to the corner.

If I were you, I'd definitely stay downtown or in the Quarter and use public transit. But don't shy away from walking either. It's a nice city to walk around in, if it's not the dead of summer, anyway.

Don't deprive yourself and stay in the Quarter. You can easily take a cab down there and walk every where else. I guess it also depends on what you are going to do while there.

The only other thing is that staying out in the 'burbs, other than the Garden District (where you still have the street car) isn't that exciting.

Stay in the CBD or French Quarter. You'll have easy access to the St. Charles Avenue streetcar if you need to go to the Garden District or Uptown areas. You probably won't need it, but there is the Riverfront streetcar if you want to go along the river from the Warehouse District to the back of the Quarter (Esplanade Ave.). And, there is the relatively new Canal St. streetcar which can take you to the Mid City area, New Orleans Museum of Art, or the cemeteries. All 3 of these streetcar lines are easy to get onto from the CBD and FQ. Skip the rental car and use cabs otherwise.


http://www.regionaltransit.org/

http://www.atneworleans.com/body/busses.htm

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Louisiana/New_Orleans-793014/Transportation-New_Orleans-RTA_buses-BR-1.html

I've got a four-day biz/pleasure combo trip with colleagues there next Thurs-Sun... we decided to just do taxi transit. There isn't much point driving around the quarter... and over four days, any cost of several taxis a day would still be cheaper than four days of rental/parking.

If I were just there a day or so and had business that required me to drive around, I might reconsider... but I also know that by a certain point each day, none of us will be in any shape to drive anyhow!

Thanks, everyone. We decided to stay at Hotel Monaco and do public transit. Can't wait.

Other than a ride on the St. Charles street car line I am not sure that I would recommend that tourists use our bus system. Cabs are plentiful and fairly cheap (though they did get a rate increase last month). Take a taxi to the hotel and stay in the French Quarter or just outside. Don't stay at the Hyatt which typically has some very cheap weekend rates. It is far from the FQ and you will sit in alot of traffic and spend a fair amount on taxis. Taxi is your best bet from the airport. It is a flat rate and there is an additional charge for 3 or 4 persons. They are NOT allowed to charge you extra for luggage. If you are not familiar with NOLA streets I wouldn't recommend driving (especially after drinking hurricanes) since streets abruptly stop and change names and one ways are thrown in for good measure. Parking is a nightmare in the FQ. If you are looking for a place to chill and have a few beers away from the tourists head to Lucy's Retired Surfer bar in the Warehouse district which is not that far from Hotel Monaco where you are staying. I love heading to Lucy's on Tuesday for "Taco Tuesday"!!

is there a local bus from the airport to the French Quarter? Shall be by myself, in no hurry to reach anywhere, but back to the airport after a few hours (Mileage Run ;)). Trying to keep it as cheap as possible.

Many thanks :)

is there a local bus from the airport to the French Quarter? Shall be by myself, in no hurry to reach anywhere, but back to the airport after a few hours (Mileage Run ;)). Trying to keep it as cheap as possible.

Many thanks :)

To add to this...

Would the local bus (I forget where it stops) be a safe/easy walk to Hotel Monaco?

is there a local bus from the airport to the French Quarter? Shall be by myself, in no hurry to reach anywhere, but back to the airport after a few hours (Mileage Run ;)). Trying to keep it as cheap as possible.

Many thanks :)

There is an airport shuttle bus that goes to the various hotels throughout the city. It is $26 rountrip so less than half the price of taking a cab both ways.

To add to this...

Would the local bus (I forget where it stops) be a safe/easy walk to Hotel Monaco?

Try this link and click on Ground Transportation. It lists all the options:

http://www.flymsy.com/

Try this link and click on Ground Transportation. It lists all the options:

http://www.flymsy.com/

Thanks - I have seen that. I was just wondering if the walk from the bus terminus to Hotel Monaco is safe/easy with one medium piece of luggage.