Amy

Hi, We're planning on going to New Orleans in mid October,we've never been but are looking forward to going. Couple of questions I have are how long would be "enough" time? We don't drink and party, we plan on doing tours, seeing the zoo and aquarium, picnics in the parks (allowed?) But I dont want to over-stay, I'd like to see enough of it, not to become sick of it. I just wondered what people's views on that were. We're going to fly there, don't plan on renting a car, does this make sense? Is there anything else around that area that would be worth renting a car for and making our trip longer? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, we're hoping to stay in the Chimes B&B we're awaiting information from them before we book, but I'm leaning heavily towards staying there, and want to book like yesterday, I'm waiting because I can't find many mentions about them anywhere (positive or negative) and I'd like to see pictures of what the rooms look like. So any thoughts anyone has again I would appreciate. Thanks for reading!

Amy

John

The Chimes is a very nice property and you should be pleased with your selection. Is there any reason you want to stay in the Gardem District? I always recommend the French Quarter area for first time visitors, even those who don't drink and party all night!

Some people say 3 days is enough, but I think 4-5 is probably about right. There are many great neighborhoods in the city to explore!

John

Sorry for the typo. It's GARDEN District!

TC

Do plan one day to take a day trip to the River Plantations. I don't think you'll need a car, there are plenty of tours offered by bus or vehicle from the city at reasonable prices. We also took a half day "swamp" tour. It was beautiful. The Aquarium only took a couple of hours, so you could incorporate that with other city things. The cemetary tours are very interesting. After one you can spend a bit of time wandering around in the Garden District to look at the lovely homes. Try to hear something at Preservation Hall and have brunch at Brennans or Commanders Palace (call way in advance for reservations). I always have lunch at K.Paul's Kitchen. Its much easier to get in during the afternoon, especially if you'll sit at the bar. The bartender has been there for years and is always full of stories. Have fun.

Coco

I was there for six days and I would say you need at least five. We saw everything in that time. The plantations (there is a tour the goes to three or them and you have lunch in the dining room at one, I think it was Tours by Isabelle), the city tours (cemetery, ghost walking tours at night, the garden district (Anne Rice tours), Mardi Gras World, and plenty of time to shop, eat, and just walk around, you do not need to and should not rent a car, there is no better way to see N.O. than on foot. You can hook up with bus tours for anything that is out of the way. Be sure to go to Pat O'Briens piano bar any time of the day, great way to cool off and sing your favortie tunes. Have fun, Laissez les bons temps rouler!

xxx

My mom and I went to New Orleans for her 60th birthday and had a wonderful 4 day visit. And she doesn't drink and still had a fun time! No need for a car if you sign up for a few tours. We took the Grayline walking tour of the Garden District and really enjoyed it. We also took the Plantation Tour by Isabelle and had a wonderful time (though there was no lunch served on our tour -maybe the previous poster went on a different tour). Isabelle's picks you up right at your hotel and drops you off back at the door, so there's no need for a car. Have fun!

susan

We like to stay in the Quarter rather than in the Garden District as it's more convenient & great for walking.
The only thing we don't like in the Quarter is Bourbon St.
Go to the New Orleans Visitors Bureau in Jackson Square. It's loaded with information.
In the Quarter, you can visit historic buildings, the Historic New Orleans Collection, Louisiana State Museum, etc.
There's the excellent acquarium nearby & river boat trips.
You would need a car to get to the New Orleans Museum of Art.
We've been to New Orleans 5 times & spend a week each time. Obviously, we believe there is LOTS to do there.
Have fun!

gmd

You might want to reconsider and find a place in the French Quarter. You don't have to drink / party to enjoy staying in the quarter.

The Garden District is lovely but there just isn't as much to see and do there. You can always catch the St. Charles streetcar and stop wherever you might want to in the garden.

Do a search with one of the discount hotel sites to find a good price at a hotel in the quarter. Again, the garden is very lovely but the French Quarter is really New Orleans.

gmd

julie

In October it gets dark around 5:00. Keep this in mind when planning your days. Also, we often take picnic food to the zoo with us. It is not a problem as far as I know. But we do not take in large ice chests, just a small bag.

You can see the zoo in 2 hours of spend the whole day there, it is a great facility. The aquarium should only take 1.5 to 2 hours. You can get a combo ticket for zoo, aquarium and John James river cruise between two. I don't know the cost. This can be round trip or you can take the streetcar back.

Staying near streetcar line sounds fine, consider buying visitor pass so that you can hop on and off and often as you like.

Also, if you are going with family, husband, wife and 2 kids, you might consider buying Audobon pass for $95 for whole family to go in and out of zoo and aquarium as often as you like all year long. Iknow you are only coming for a few days but the pass may pay for itself with just one visit to each. Admission prices are high.

October weather is very nice, it just gets dark early. N.O. museum of art is in city park. You will need to take a cab there.

Amy

Thanks for responding everyone, your thoughts really help. I just thought the garden district would be quieter, i just like peace and quiet sometimes, and the travel books made it sound like you didn't want in the quarter at all if you want quiet. Thats why i was leaning towards the Chimes, so we could be away from it all, but close to the trolley to get back to it all when we want to.

Coco

Me again. Poster xxx said that they did not have lunch with the Tours by Isabelle tour. Maybe they dont do it anymore, it was a few years ago that I was there. But I may have the tour company name wrong. Check it out when you get there, its a nice experience.

Michael

There are no meals served in plantations at present without a large
group. Isabelle requires a minimum of
six people, then books a tour with lunch
at Madewood or Judge Poche on her all-day tours. Oak Alley and Nottoway have restaurants, but these are not in the house itself. It's big misnomer to think
that you are going to sit down and have
a meal in "grand plantation style" in
these places. Try a private tour
with the smaller companies where you can
stop at a variety of restaurants along
the way and make your own plans.
And, Ann Rice no longer has a tour
company. Her tours were popular for awhile but got too big for the amusement
of the Garden District Association, so they shut her down.
Michael Brecker

jjj

Given the time of year you'll be there (October) you'll get plenty of peace in the Garden District. No one walks the streets there at night. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful area. But the Quarter is safe enough to walk the streets at night.

You can actually find peace in the Quarter if you stay away from Bourbon Street - and that's easy to do. Actually except for about four or five blocks, Bourbon St. itself is rather quiet.

To get the real flavor of NO, you should stay in the Quarter and ride the St. Charles streetcar to the Garden District in the daytime. And, you don't have to drink and/or be rowdy to appreciate the feel of the Quarter.

However, whether you stay in the Quarter or the Garden District, you'll love New Orleans. It's a wonderful city!

Terri-Ann

Seeing an old Plantation house is a MUST! They are really beautiful, Oak Alley in particular. Jean Lafayette National Park has some swamp tours where you can walk along a boardwalk thru the swamp & spot alligators, can be a bit scary, but well worth it! The Garden District is also beautiful.

Joan Doyle

Dear Amy: Just one correction: you can get to the New Orleans Museum of Art in a taxi for which the fares are reason- able and it's well worth the trouble. Go! Joan

Lexma90

I'd jump on the "stay in the Quarter" bandwagon. We've visited a bunch of times, always stayed in the Quarter, and we are definitely not partiers. The Quarter is pretty quiet except for right on Bourbon street, and if you stay there, you can walk to so many wonderful places, day or night. There are a bunch of lovely B&Bs and small hotels right in the Quarter.

For peace and quiet, wander around some of the more remote parts of the Quarter during the day; when I was there with my husband several years back (he was at a convention) I discovered several interesting home tours on quiet streets. For a nice break, get a picnic lunch (a muffaletta or a poor-boy) from Central Grocery or beignets from Cafe du Monde, or even a take-out drink, and sit on the Moonwalk watching the Mississippi and the barges.

I know the Aquarium is a big tourist thing, but I wasn't impressed; so many other cities have places just like it. The zoo was better, and the alligator and other Southern-specific animals were very interesting.

andi herrmann

okay now I am concerned! I booked us at the Garden District Hotel. They boasted that we could catch the street car and go where we desired from there.
We are staying for 5 days and it is the first time. I planned it for our anniversary in August...the 30th to be exact.

Is the Garden District that bad a place to stay at? I can change the reserv. but since I booked via pkg deal it is going to cost me to change it.

Since my husband is totally enthralled with Emeril...I booked us a reservation at Delmonico's....any words on that?
The suggestions to Amy were great and I am glad I found this posting.
thanks in advance
andi

Cheryl

The Garden District is very nice, however I would definitely recommend staying in the French Quarter. It is relatively safe and you can just walk to most things. My husband and I are in our early 40s and not really partiers and drinkers, but I would still rather stay in the Quarter. I love being able to just walk out of the hotel for restaurants, shopping, going to Jackson Square, the French Market, the riverfront, and of course Cafe DeMonde. We stayed at the Omni Royal Orleans which has an excellent central location right on one of the nicest streets in the Quarter (Royal Street). Also, it has a nice rooftop swimming pool with great views. There are many options for places to stay in the Quarter in various price ranges that have been discussed extensively on this forum if you want to consider staying there.

As far as enough time, we were there for 5 days, 4 nights which gave us just enough time to take in the sites and also have some time to relax and shop. We really enjoyed the 1/2 day swamp tour. My husband also enjoyed the aquarium (I was at a seminar that day). Definitely plan on taking one of the city tours the early part of your stay. If your husband is a fan of Emeril's, also look into his restaurant in the Quarter, NOLA. It has a casual, "funky" atmosphere and the food is great. You will need to make reservations several weeks ahead. Other restaurants that we ate at that we loved: Bayona (nice courtyard), Mr. B's Bistro (great gumbo and BBQ shrimp), K-Pauls, and Pelican Club. I would recomend looking into making reservations ahead of time for any popular restaurant.

There is so much to do and see in New Orleans besides the Bourbon Street scene. October will be a great time to visit ... I was also there last October on business. It was pleasantly quite warm ... even hot enough to swim on some days if your accomodations offer a pool.

I don't think you will need a car if staying in the Quarter or Garden District, however you will probably be spending more for cabs in the Garden District (i.e., for going to dinner and back at night ... during the day you can walk and/or utilize the streetcar. Although when we were leaving the Garden District one afternoon to return to our hotel, two full streetcars passed us up. It was so hot we just took a cab right back to the hotel to go swimming. The streetcars only go as far as Canal Street so we still would have had to walk several blocks ... we were just too tired and hot!)

Gooey

Amy: I think the Garden district is great because you are staying in a neighborhood. We stayed with a friend further down the streetcar line for 10 days and had no problems. I think the French Quarter is great for a couple of days but you need to get out and see the rest of the city.

A couple of things that I loved about Nawlin's, a cooking school at the Jackson Brewery, a great way to spend a few hours and have a real good lunch, a bike/boat ride out to the swamps, a walk around the Tulane area and breakfast at the Camelia Grill. Enjoy it is a great town.

everywhere

This is specifically to address questions asked by Andi Herrmann. The Garden District Hotel is fine. You will be able to get to the Quarter and take in all the sights. However, keep in mind that in August it will be very hot. Today we are approaching 96, 97 degrees and the street cars are NOT air conditioned. And as one poster noted, depending on the time of day or number of conventions in town, several full cars might pass you up before one stops. As for Delmonicos, it is not in the Quarter but closer to your hotel. Personally, it is my favorite of the Emeril restaturants. Finally, you said you were coming to N.O. August 30. Please, no one take any of this the wrong way, but Aug.30 through Septmeber 3 is Southern Decadence. Southern Decadence is also referred to as the "Gay Mardi Gras". Last year there were over 60,000 folks attending and it gets bigger every year. This being New Orleans, Southern Decadence is a no holds barred event. The epicenter will be at the corner of St. Ann and Bourbon Street. If you want to see things happening in public that your momma never told you about or your mind has never imagined, go down for a look see. If you are easily offende or are of a conservative religious persuasion, please please steer clear. If has been said the last days of Sodom and Gomorrah were not as wild as New Orleans during Southern Decadence. The police turn a blind eye. Lest anyone chastise me as politically incorrect, please met me at the corner of St. Ann and Bourbon on Sat. Sept 1, I'll be the one wearing the lime green day-glo thong AND NOTHING ELSE. This is one party where women get booed for showing their brests and men get beads for showing their willies.