adoher

I am still trying to organise a rental car for 6 of us who are flying from U.K to Nashville and staying there 4 nights then driving to New Orleans via Memphis and Highway 61. Should I rent a car in Nashville airport on arrival for 14 days vacation or wait until we leave for Memphis . The other question should I drop the car off when we get to New Orleans ( and catch taxis )as we are there 4 nights staying in the French Quarter . this is our first trip to the South but I driven in the United States a few years ago .

adoher

I forgot to say we are staying On Broadway in Nashville

nytraveler

You don't need a car in New Orleans. The French quarter is self-contained and the streetcar is good for the Garden District.

If you want to tour plantations outside I would get a tour that provides background as well as transit.

Sorry - can;t reco on Nashville - never been there.

clarkgriswold

From Nashville I'd imagine you'd want to take some day trips outside of the city...and also that taxis from the airport, to the Opry etc for 6 persons, would soon add up to the price of a rental van so you might as well pick it up on arrival. However, do you know what your parking-per-day charges will be on Broadway?

jvb1982

No need for a car in either town.
Nashville, most hotels offer free shuttle taxi's (although always tip the driver) into the town, and in New Orleans, the daily parking fee far outweighs the convenience of having a car for a few days.
We went to Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, Vicksburg, Natchez, New Orleans, Pensacola and Montgomery this year; fantastic trip.

Nashville is a great little city, we loved it, and found it similar to Bath back home in blighty

BKD

Good luck finding a car that seats 6 people! You do NOT need or want a car in New Orleans. Streetcar, bus, taxi or walking will be all you need for transportation. Try to use United Cab or there's a new taxi company called New Orleans Taxis (I think). Those are the most consistent cabs to take in town. Everything is close by so it won't be expensive to take cabs.

Some recommendations on the way from Memphis to New Orleans...For a real "experience" stay at the Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale, MS. That's also the town that Morgan Freeman is from and he has a blues club and a fine dining restaurant (haven't been in a while so I'm assuming it's still there).

Also, you must go to Natchez, which is a little further south. Lots of B&B's. Spend one night there. Special little pre-Civil War town with magnificent homes. Wife is from there and we go a lot. Stay on 61 and you go through St. Francisville Louisiana where some of the best Louisiana plantations are. After St. Francisville, the rest of the drive if fairly crummy so no reason to stop.

I live in New Orleans so if you need some help, let me know.

Going back to your original question about a car in Nashville, I cannot imagine not having a car there. Seems very spread out to me. I've always had a car there but maybe you don't need one?