Sinkevich

planning a trip for 1 wk in Oct. staying at a timeshare. Love Jazz and local foods. Can anyone tell me the pros/cons of staying at Hotel de la Monnaie (which is closer to Frenchman St) vs. Quarter House at the opposite side of the French Quarter (but closer to Harrahs). Also, should we rent a car (taking a swamp tour, but am told they pick up at hotel)? Any info would be appreciated.

abram

We found NOLA very easy to see without a car--did a lot of walking in/around the FQ and took the trolley to the Garden District for a historical walking tour.

november_moon

I am not familiar with either of those properties personally, but I do like the half of the FQ closer to Esplanade than Canal - it is quieter, more residential, the architecture is more interesting, etc.

We've never rented a car while we are IN New Orleans, but we have rented cars for trips outside the city. If you rent a car, rent it just for the time you actually need it. And yes, there are swamp tours where they pick you up at the hotel. There are pros and cons to tours and to driving yourself, of course. Both are good choices, just a matter of what you want to do.

BlueSwimmer

Parking in the FQ is insane, so unless you have parking at our timeshare, I would avoid renting a car. You really won't need it unless you want to drive yourselves to the swamp tour or drive around outside of the city. The city bus lines are very convenient and taxis are plentiful and not too expensive.

SusanCS

We stayed at the Quarter House years ago and loved it. I think we had the "penthouse" but I'm not sure. It had 2 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, full kitchen, washing machine and dryer, and a huge living room/dining room. The location was wonderful! You don't really need a car in the FQ...I think you'd be better off calling a cab or taking a tour.