Gina

I've got a four day business trip to New Orleans in February for which I'll not need a car. Is NOLA a city, like New York or Paris, best explored on foot? Or would having a car offer greater flexibility?

Thanks

Kim

No car is necessary. Public transit is good and most of the popular visitor areas are fairly small. Cars ARE good for exploring the outlying areas but keep in mind that parking is expensive.

x

New Orleans, like Manhattan, is a town where a car can be more of a detriment than an asset, provided you are staying in the French Quarter or near the Convention Center. If you can find parking off the street in those areas, it is a minimum of $15 for a public lot and valet parking at the downtown hotels ranges from $20-$25 per day plus tips. If not staying in the Quarter, try to find something on the steetcar line, which will allow siteseeing and get you to most of the desirable areas. As far as exploring on foot, that can be dicey once out of the Quarter, so check with your concierge. Also, most of the better hotels offer shuttle service.

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beenthere

You would not want to drive a car in New Orleans. The entire downtown area seems to forbid left turns. To get where you are going, you must make right turns in increasingly large circles. Lord help you if you miss your street! Other that that it is a great place to visit.