Help!! I'm trying to decide whether or not we need to rent a car when we go to New Orleans this May. We will be there 10 days. I'm not quite sure how easy the travel is there or the parking for that matter. We will be staying at McMurphys and the House on Bayou Rd. Any info on Anything about New Orleans would be greatly appreciated~ Kim from Canada.

I will be also going in May for about 5-7 days. From what I understand from doing some searches here at Fodors this is one place you will not need a car. We are not renting one. If you do a search or click under the state you will find a lot of info on New Orleans. Have fun.

Thanks Pam. Where abouts are you planning on staying?

We were in NO for a week and never needed a car. We walked, took cabs, buses and streetcars everywhere we wanted to go. The cab fare from the airport was about $30 and there is also a shuttle that costs about $12-15/person.

In the FQ, a car would be a liability - the streets are narrow, people are everywhere, and parking is scarce and expensive. At night, driving in the Quarter is next to impossible. Also, I think the city supports itself on parking ticket revenue because I saw more meter maids per capita than anywhere I have ever been.

Bayou Rd appears to be just off Esplanade about 1/2 way between the Quarter and City Park. I believe there is a bus that runs along Esplanade which you could take into the Quarter. Also, I think there are buses that run along Rampart and Decatur which you could take over to Canal and pick up the St Charles streetcar to go out to the Garden District. Cabs are also pretty cheap.

When we were there we bought multi-day bus passes which were good on all city buses and streetcars - there is the St Charles streetcar, one that runs up and down Canal and another running along the riverfront in front of the Quarter. I believe the passes were $8 for 3 days.

A car is a liability in New Orleans due to the limited parking. You really won't need a car within the city limits.

Besides, if you are really enjoying the town, why run the risk of a DWI. (Of course, with a car you hit the drive through Margarita Stands.)

Kim, it is our first time in NO. I don't know where we will be staying as of yet. I am trying to get a feel for a place to stay. Still searching. I think I want to be in the French Quarter,this much I do know. Not real expensive but not cheap either. Something in between. I am leaning towards the Hotel Richilu or St. Louis motel or the Sonesta sounds very nice also. Not sure yet.

I hope you are going for work or something more than just 10 days of site seeing. I would think after about a week in N.O. you would have seen EVERYTHING possible. You may want to consider renting a car and getting out of the city.

That's a good idea Leanne - to rent a car and get out of the city for a few days. When my husband and I were in NO for a week, we left the city twice for day trips, once for a swamp tour and once for a plantation tour.

If I were planning to be in NO for 10 days and didn't have any specific reason for staying in town all 10 days, I would probably take a couple days and drive up the River Road and check out some of the plantations further from the city - I've heard Evergreen is great. There is a rural history museum in Baton Rouge which is supposed to be very good. Maybe stay overnight at one - several are B&Bs. Then check out the cajun country west of NO.

Another interesting side trip might be to take a couple days and hang out along the Gulf Coast.

I think with 10 days, a person could see NO and possibly even take 2 side trips.

My experience has been that if you are staying in New Orleans for that length of time, you would be MUCH better served staying OUTSIDE of the French Quarter. Here's why.

You see, the French Quarter is certainly the crown jewel of New Orleans tourist attractions, and worth seeing, for sure. It is also the City's oldest neighborhood, though you would be hard pressed to find many full-time residents anymore. You can think of the French Quarter like Fisherman's Warf in San Francisco -- a great place to visit, that rarely attracts locals. The French Quarter delivers everything TOURISTS coming to New Orleans expect and more, but it deceives you into thinking it is the REAL New Orleans, and nothing could be further from the truth.

If you are staying in the area 10 days, you should take advantage of the opportunity to get out into the neighborhoods and explore the real New Orleans. the best way to do that is to pick two or three B&Bs from the list at www.bbnola.com. I have stayed at lots of them. The one's I highly recommend are Ashton's B&B, House on Bayou Road (both in the Esplanade ridge area, only 10 blocks or so from the French Quarter), Grand Victorian (on St. Charles in the Garden District), La Maison Marigny (closest to the French Quarter), and O'Malley House (farthest from the Quarter, but near Mandina's -- my all-time favorite neighborhood N.O. restaurant).

The innkeepers at all of these places can give you personal advice on planning your trip. They can also help you plan day trips out of the City -- plantations, swamps, Cajun country, etc. There is no better way to experience the City.

I would add a few more to the above list. I stay at B&Bs frequently (business in N.O.). Try Coccinelle, Parkview Marigny, Claiborne Mansion, McKendrick-Breaux House and Parkview Guest House at Audubon Park.

We're also going to NO in May for 10 days. We always rent a car & usually stay at Le Richelieu, located in the lower Quarter & close to the Farmers Market. They have a free parking lot & we love the location. Because we visit NO just once a year (we live in Calif), we make the most of our trip. The French Quarter is beautiful (be sure to walk down all of the side streets), as is the Garden District.The St Charles streetcar is a "must" & try to eat at Camelia Grill - it's everything you've read about! Something you might want to consider is spending perhaps 5 nights in NO & then renting a car & spending the rest of the time visiting other areas of LA. Refer to a good book (Lonely Planets' "Louisiana & the Deep South" is excellent & covers the entire state) for info on areas & regions other than NO. We're spending 5 nights in the French Quarter, 1 night at the Madewood Plantation in Napoleanville, 1 night in Natchitoches (located between Alexandria & Shreveport) & at this time, the other 3 nights are up in the air. Regardless of what you do, if you'll be in NO 05/01 through 05/04, be sure to go to Jazz Fest. The music (you name it, you'll hear it!) is awesome & the food, oh, the food... Speaking of food, I'd like to recommend 3 great restaurants: Mulate's in Breaux Bridge for the best food in the world, Restaurant des Familles, located just south of NO near the Barataria Preserve, for atmosphere that you'll remember forever, & Commanders Palace in the Garden District for wonderful food & gracious hospitality. Have a wonderful trip.

All good comments above. If you get a good rate at the St. Louis then go for it, it is one of my favorite hotels, and it is just off Bourbon street.

Parking is expensive and limited, so I would take a cab from the airport for $26. (note...carry lots of small bills, the cabbies sometimes tell you they cant make change to get a bigger tip out of you)

Here is what I do when I have simialar travel plans. Cab it from the airport so you don't have to worry about the route, enjoy the city, which in New Orleans is all concentrated in one area, and you can take street cars to the other areas to see, and then book a rental car for 2 or 3 days in the second week, that way you can explore the area surrounding New Orleans, plantations, swamp tour, Tabasco tour. etc.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has written me. I really do appreciate it. My hubby and I haven't been away just the two of us for 6 yrs. I have always dreamed of going New Orleans - somehow I feel a connection. I want to make this the best trip ever because we have had a series of tragic events this past year and really do need some FUN!!!

Total FYI. Cab fare is $28 from the airport, not $26.