meggss

Hey guys,

Here are some silly questions.
Never visited New Orleans area, thinking of taking my family on a repositining cruise in Nov, comes into New Orleans, I know NOTHING about this area. Where do you suggest staying, would like quiet, but clean, affordable, etc, maybe somewhere you could rent a car for a day. I would be taking dh, dd, she is 16 and myself. Don't want to spend a ton on cab fares, etc, what do you think about airport area?
Thanks ahead for any info,
Liz

Gretchen

I don't know a lot about NO but I do know the airport is a LONG way from anywhere! NO is a fascinating city--I have travelled many places and I know of no other place that I looked forward to my next meal more!! The downtown/French Quarter area is colorful to say the least. You might try bidding on Priceline for a downtown place (where your cruise ship will undoubtedly dock). November shouldn't be a real high season although NO is always a destination.

meggss

thanks for the response, this is the help I need. Downtown? I bid all the time using pl, and bidding for travel, but the info is scarce. The cruise lines come in downtown?
thanks again,
liz

Syv

Their "downtown" is at the harbour. Don't know what places to recommend for hotels, but while in the area, be sure to go on a swamp tour just outside NO. Very interesting, enjoyable. Take a ride on a regular boat, not the airboats (my preference). Also, if you have a vehicle or if tours are offered do the drive outside of town (north) past all the old plantation homes / antebellum homes.

Statia

Don't forget to have breakfast at the infamous Cafe du Monde! You'll really enjoy just strolling around the French Quarter, as well.

Have fun.

SusanCS

Why not stay someplace that would put you within walking distance of everything BUT the port? The French Quarter is the most popular place to stay, but doesn't necessarily qualify as quiet. You might consider the Riverfront Hilton - it's huge, but within walking distance of the French Quarter. Another option would be someplace like the Hampton Inn near the convention center. It's close enough to be able to walk to the "action" (if you love to walk) but far enough away to avoid the congestion.

You really don't want to stay in the airport area. There's nothing whatsoever to do there but go to the airport! As for renting a car, parking in NO is VERY expensive, not to mention scarce.

Lee4

New Orleans is a great city! You'll probably find just walking around the French Quarter and taking it all in very interesting, but there are plenty of other areas to see too. I really found the book "The Unofficial Guide to New Orleans" helpful (they do a great job on many cities); you can find it any book store that has travel books or at amazon.com.

As for hotels, you might consider the Central Business District area or the Garden District area if you want something farily quiet and (possibly) affordable. I stayed at the Hotel Monaco ($79/night through priceline) two years ago and really enjoyed it. It was just off of Canal Street, quiet, and away from some of the wildness of the French Quarter. Yet, it was an easy walk into the FQ. You can find all these areas on priceline. Several of the hotels along and just off of Canal Street would provide a good location with easy access to the FQ. You could also use the street car and this might keep you from having to rent a car.

Don't bother with the airport area--it's quite a drive outside of NO and you'll just be wasting time trying to get back and forth. If you can manage, you might just skip the rental car--parking is terrible down there. Or, try to find a hotel that has free parking so that you could leave the car in their lot some while you walk and explore.

One more hotel tip--try going to google.com and typing in New Olreans hotels or something along those lines. Many hotels run internet specials and you might find some good prices for the time you'll be there. It might keep you from having to deal with priceline since you are not very familiar with the area.

ccolor

SusanCS is right - the Quarter is really fun to stay in, but it's not the only place in town! I think the Hilton she mentioned is close to the Riverfront streetcar line, so you would have cool transportation to the other side of the Quarter if you'd want to visit the French Market and stop at Jackson Square.

Maple

I recently stayed at the Embassy Suites. There were a lot of people staying there before catching the cruise ship. The cruise ship is docked about three blocks from the hotel...a very easy walk. Previously we stayed at the Hilton Riverwalk which is actually connected to the cruise location. Lots of cruisers there. Because the Convention Center is the cruise location, there are numerous hotels very close. Certainly don't need to rent a car to see New Orleans. You would be dissapointed if you stayed by the airport.

puddy

You can check out www.nola.com for a lot of info on the city.

If you plan on bidding, go to www.biddingfortravel.com and scroll down to the New Orleans hotel section. The first post lists the hotels that have come up in the different categories. You can then compare that list to what has come up recently on Priceline. Personally, I would try to stay in the FQ or one of the hotels right on the border (Sheraton, Marriott, Hilton, etc).

J_Correa

I would definitely stay near the FQ so that you will be able to walk to many attractions. The CBD would be my choice if I wanted quiet but to be within walking distance of things. The GD is also very nice and very quiet. If you stay within a couple blocks of St Charles St you will be able to take the St Charles streetcar into the FQ.

As for things to do while you are there, if you are interested in learning about the city, walking tours are the best IMO. We liked the Historic New Orleans Walking Tour Co. For tours outside the city, we took a plantation tour with Spinato Tours to 2 plantations and it was great. I've heard good things about Tours by Isabele as well.

meggss

Thanks to each and everyone of you!
I love to travel and we do alot of it, but wow, with a new area this large, and sooo many choices, it is very easy to get frustrated, so thanks so much!
liz

jenneepoo

The Fairmont is also right on the cusp of the French Quarter, but not too close.
Grayline has a variety of tours, including a cemetery tour, walking tour of haunted spots, bayou tour, plantation tour. Two years ago my husband had a conference in NOLA and I entertained myself by going on all those tours while he was working.
Don't forget to check their tourism websites for additional info.
New Orleans is a hoot - have a great time.

Chele60

Just to repeat: you really do not want to stay at the airport in NO. Unless you want to visit the Saints Hall of Fame (the only "attraction" even remotely in the area, you will have to travel quite a distance to get anywhere.

There are places in the FQ that are also quiet. Just stay off of Bourbon and Decauter Streets. I stayed on Royal, and I think there was two nights when I could hear a sax player on the corner playing some blues. It was nice, actually.

There are plenty of hotels right on Canal Street as well, and they are close to the action.

Do yourself a favor and don't rent a car. Trying to navigate the streets of NOLA while seeing everything is just not possible. The city is very easy to get around. Even if you do have to use a cab, it will probably not be for a very long distance, except if you go to the airport.

Just enjoy! This is one of the most fascinating cities in the US! And food! If I could, I would have eaten around the clock!

J_Correa

Chele - I loved your comment about eating around the clock if you could. When my husband and I got back from NO and people asked what we did, our answer went something like this - ate, went on a walking tour, ate, checked out some museums, ate, listened to some music at a club, ate, saw the aquarium, ate, rode the St. Charles streetcar, ate...

suzy

We've been to New Orleans several times and always stay in the quiet part of the Quarter on Chartres Street: either the Provincial or the Richelieu. The latter has free parking. Towards the end of our stay, we've rented a car (the dealer has come & gotten us and taken us to their office to get the car).
November can be rainy (been there then - but it sure beats the humid heat in the summer).
There's plenty to do right there in the Quarter & nearby - including a very nice aquarium, museums, IMAX, great places to eat, etc.
The Garden District is lovely (can reach it via an historic streetcar) but things are happening more in the Quarter.
You're in for a treat!

bryarsmom

We had great luck with Hotwire for our hotel room...4 star Sheraton on Canal St.@59. a night.We just have never had a bad hotel deal with them.

We've been once before, and a word of caution-this is not Orlando.While many will disagree, we would not take our younger children to many areas of NO-it's just not suitable.Although the town boasts a wonderful aquarium and zoo, things can get very roudy and you could be witness to things on the streets you'd wished you'd not seen.