Visiting NOLA during Mardi Gras
 

I am visiting NOLA during Mardi Gras. Its our first time visiting the area. I will be arriving the Saturday before Fat Tuesday. I need advice on great seafood as well as other places to visit, also what parades are a must see.

You need to make reservations now for places you want to eat. There will be almost no place you want to eat where you can walk in during Mardi Gras.

How can you make reservations until you get sme replies here?

What do you like and how much do you want to spend?

Well, Cafe du Monde is a given for beignets, no matter where you stay. :)

I guess the first thing someone would need to know is; where are you staying? That will help answer a few questions.

And in response to olesouthernbelle, I'd avoid Cafe du Monde. That place is going to be PACKED and as good as their beignets are, I've heard locals say there are better to be found.

Where are the better beignets?? NOLA will be "CREWZ"Y!!! Play on words intended!!

More than a few have said Cafe Beignet, on Royal St, has better ones. Although, you're always going to find a line there as well.

The Saturday and Sunday before Mardi Gras will be one of the biggest, busiest days for the season. You need a plan because streets will start closing, restaurants will move to "parade mode" which might mean different operating hours (or closures) if on the parade route,streets will be packed so the street cars stop running and public transportation may be impossible (walking is the best mode of transportation).
I copied the schedule below. Endymion on Saturday is one of the most amazing parades but so crowded that it is best to try and buy seats in the grand stands or at a restaurant offering a parade package (food, drinks, and bathroom). All of the uptown parades are old, traditional and beautiful. Bacchus is another "Super Krewe" parade which is a must see but very crowded. You should check out each route for each parade and plan your route. If you hotel is on the parade route, that can be a good thing but you need to get to it before the parades start.
Check out this website for routes - http://www.mardigrasguide.com/calendar/
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Parades start at 10:45 a.m. and one will follow the other - uptown
Endymion - Mid City 4:15 p.m.

Sunday, March 2, 2014
Okeanos - Uptown - 11:00 a.m.

Mid-City - Uptown 11:45 a.m.

Thoth - Uptown Noon

Bacchus - Uptown 5:15 p.m.

Eating at restaurants is very difficult during Mardi Gras. Look at tripadvisor and pick one of the top 5 for a restaurant and make reservations.

WorldGallery, thank you for your awesome response. You know so much:) I am planning a trip to New Orleans, Mardi Gras 2015. I know hotels book up fast so that is why I'm starting my planning now. My biggest obstacle has been finding a hotel with a balcony. I've checked with one and the response was that they book their rooms 25 years in advance to corporations. Do you have any advice on a good hotel on a parade route? This is an adult trip so we don't need kid friendly places. I would like to get my room booked as soon as they are available and then I can think of places to eat and party:)

Any responses will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Hotels in the French Quarter are not on a parade route. The streets are too narrow. There have been some hotels opening on Canal which is on the route. People rent hotels with balconies because the whole FQ becomes a people parade! There are a couple of hotels on St. Charles which is on most of the routes. You also have to understand that parades have different routes. For example, 2 of the grand parades, Bacchus on Sunday night and Endymion on Saturday night have different routes.

Chcordova, if you are coming in on Saturday, then try to see Endymion Saturday night. Be aware, that if you don't buy a seat in the stands, you will need to be at the route very early to find a place. For the that parade, people can be 20+ deep. Don't drink too much because there won't be a bathroom available! Bars will let you in if you buy a drink plus you can take it with you. Of course, that sets up a vicious cycle!

Sunday, go to Iris and Thoth uptown. Thoth is always a fun Krewe. Sunday night is Bacchus which is a beautiful parade. Bacchus always has a celebrity for Bacchus king & this year is Hugh Laurie. I usually see the uptown parades on Napoleon Avenue close to where they start (often less crowded), except I catch Thoth on Magazine. You will find the heaviest crowds closer to the Quarter & on Canal.

Monday night is Proteus uptown which is an Ok parade, but nothing will be like Endymion & Bacchus. On Fat Tuesday, I like to get up early & go down to the French Quarter before things start getting crazy. It's fun to watch the city wake up & to begin to see costumes. There will be several unscheduled walking parades around. Lots of people do their own Krewes with family and friends with themes. So fun to see how creative everyone is.

You will have more fun if you dress in costume. At the very least, get a mask! Have fun.

ErnestPMudd: Welcome to Fodors. You should start a new thread of your own since your trip/questions/answers are different than the OP's . . .

(See the Start a New Topic box up top.)

Carefully consider this:

http://youtu.be/77pe0ciezO4

LOVE Benny Grunch!

I can't think of any hotels on the parade route with a balcony. Even if there was a balcony, it would be set back too far of the street, unless of course you just want to see the parade and not catch beads. In my opinion, the best place to watch the Uptown New Orleans parades is on St. Charles Ave, between Napoleon and Lee Circle (closer to Napoleon is better unless you actually buy seats in the grand stands on Lee Circle.) The problem is, there are very few hotels on St. Charles Ave and most of them are on the opposite side of where the parade route is (there is a large neutral ground with the street car line that separates St. Charles). I looked at Mardi Gras dates for Hotel Indigo (on St. Charles) and either it is booked up or they are not taking reservations yet for those dates. Also, I looked at Best Western Plus - 3636 St Charles Ave., 504-899-8888 and they only take reservations 50 weeks out but I would call them. Also try Hampton Inn and Clarion Boutique hotel on St. Charles. Your other options is to book a hotel at the end of the traditional Uptown parade route, which would be on Canal St. between St. Charles and Tchoupitoulas but you would still have to walk outside and get a spot. Some options would be Sheraton Canal St. or the Marriott on Canal St. I think the crowds are usually bigger on Canal St.
You can go to this Mardi Gras guide and look at the routes for this year. The parades keep the same routes and days of the week but the exact date will change because Mardi Gras day is always the day before Ash Wednesday.
http://www.mardigrasguide.com/calendar/

Watch out for the coconuts at the Zulu parade!

Marriott Courtyard on St. Charles has balconies on the parade route.

I will be staying at the new orleans west koa..We will have a car with us..where are the best places to park? I am not really into getting my car towed. We are wanting good sea food at mid price not high end.

That depends on what day you drive into New Orleans (you are about 20 to 25 minutes outside of the French Quarter area or Uptown parade routes), what you plan on doing and what parades you are planning to see. The best thing to do during Mardi Gras season is figure out where you want to go or where you want to stand on the parade route and put that location into a GPS. Then drive as close as possible to the location and just start looking for parking lots (rates will be anywhere from $15 to $30 during Mardi Gras season). It would be very rare to find a free spot on the street and if you find one, read the signs very closely. Also, just because you see other cars parking somewhere (for example, on a New Orleans Neutral Ground), that does mean you should also park there. I have seen about 100 cars all with tickets on the windows that were parked on a neutral ground along a very long street close to a parade route Uptown. I cannot stress enough how important it is to follow parking rules in NOLA!
Since parking rules in New Orleans are difficult to understand, I copied and pasted some info:
Parking Your Car

New Orleans Parking
Parking in New Orleans can be challenging, considering the millions of visitors who visit by car every year. Even local residents find the parking rules of the city daunting.
The many commercial lots in the French Quarter can usually accommodate enough visitors on a given day.Please check the hourly rate before deciding where to park. Some places will have a flat rate during Mardi Gras season.

More daring motorists willing to troll for a space on the street should remember the most important rule of parking in New Orleans: READ PARKING SIGNS CAREFULLY! Rules can change from neighborhood to neighborhood, and some violations can be very costly.
Violations range from $20 at an expired meter and $40 for parking too close to a corner, to $75 for parking on the median (called a “neutral ground” in New Orleans), $200 for parking on the sidewalk in the French Quarter.
Parking Offenses
Blocking driveways or fire lanes
On sidewalks or neutral grounds
Near fire hydrants (within 15 feet)
On corners and crosswalks (within 20 feet)
In loading and service zones (buses and cab zones too)
On a parade route within two hours of a parade
During rush hours (7-9 a.m., 4-6 p.m.) on major streets
On street cleaning days (usually Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 a.m. - Noon)
At bagged meters (during special events) and broken meters
Near railroad crossings (within 50 feet)
On-street for more than 24 consecutive hours
Vehicles longer than 22 feet overnight in the Central Business District
On a narrow street without allowing 10 feet of unobstructed roadway
More than 18 inches from the curb
Parking Meters
The city has modernized many of its parking meters, and some now accept dollar bills and credit cards which give you a printed receipt to place on your car dashboard. AS OF MARCH 2010, REGULAR TWO-HOUR METERS COST $1.50/HOUR AND LONG-TERM METERS (UP TO 10 HOURS) COST $1.00/HOUR. BOTH TYPES OF METERS ARE ENFORCED FROM 8 A.M. - 6 P.M. MONDAY - SATURDAY. Parking is prohibited at meters in designated rush hour zones from 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Please read the meters before you park! Also know that broken meters are not free passes. They are technically off-limits and could land you a ticket!

World Gallery thanks for your wealth of information. Do you happen to know of some good places to eat? We are still in search of restaurants. We want local food not chain food. We are looking at mid price seafood.

We always eat at least once at Acme Oyster House. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Louisiana.html
There will be a line but it usually goes pretty fast. You can go inside, order a drink and then take your place along with drink, back in the line that is outside. Don't expect a fancy dining area. Lots of time we will eat at the bar and watch the guys shucke oysters.

For restaurants, it depends on what seafood you would like and how you would like it prepared. For example, Restaurant Revolution is more "upscale" and I love their Shrimp and grits. I loved everything I tried at Restaurant Revolution. My husband thinks the best chargrilled oysters are at Dragos. They have a location in the Hilton Hotel and one in Metairie - http://www.dragosrestaurant.com/ The locals I know do no like Acme Oyster House but love Dragos.
My father loves Bozo's Restaurant in Metairie and thinks it has some of the best seafood in the whole area (not a chain or touristy restaurant) - www.bozosrestaurant.com/Bozos/Welcome.html
I eat at Deannie's sometimes. They have mostly fried seafood platters. New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood is another one my family eats at often. They have a location in the FQ, St. Charles and Metairie and a few other places. They have a great BBQ Shrimp One-Handed Po boy (the shrimp are stuffed inside frenchbread).
Olivier's restaurant is in the FQ also. I love their Shrimp Creole, which is hard to find on menus these days. This restaurant is nice and quiet, a great way to take a break from the action. http://www.olivierscreole.com/
Definitely avoid the chain restaurants. Always avoid the restaurants that workers by the door to try and lure you in.

Thanks everyone for all the input. I am excited for the trip!