Getting There By Air:New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
Tel: (504) 464 0831.
Website:
www.flymsy.com Named after the famous New Orleans jazz musician, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is 24km (15 miles) west of the city in Kenner. It is easy to negotiate and has all the modern airport facilities.
Because of the Katrina disaster, service was reduced for a couple of years but is returning to a level closer to normal. The newest service includes non-stop
flights from Denver, Boston and Fort Lauderdale.
Approximate flight times to New Orleans: From London is 10 hours; from New York is 2 hours 30 minutes; from Los Angeles is 4 hours; from Toronto is 5 hours and from Sydney is 21 hours.
Airport facilities: These include banks, bureau de change, ATMs, post office, luggage storage, facilities for the disabled, Internet access, multilingual information booths and a few restaurants, bars and shops. The major car hire companies, including
Avis,
Dollar,
Enterprise,
Budget,
Hertz,
National and
Thrifty, all have offices at the airport. Business facilities are also available at
Travelex, located across from the post office in the Ticket Lobby.
Transport to the city: Shuttle buses (tel: (504) 522 3500
or 1 866 596 2699; website:
www.airportshuttleneworleans.com) run frequently between the airport and the major downtown hotels (journey time - 45 minutes). The service continues until the last flight of the evening. The
New Orleans Regional Transport Authority (tel: (504) 248 3900; website:
www.norta.com) runs a local bus service every 10 minutes; you take the E-2 Airport Bus (operated by Jefferson Transit) on the airport’s upper level, which transports you to Tulane and Loyola Avenues, two blocks from Canal Street, in downtown.
Taxi fares are regulated, and fares are slightly higher for the airport than for other destinations around the city. A fixed rate of US$28 (one to two people) is charged from the airport to most areas of New Orleans. For parties of more than two, the fare is US$12 per person.
Getting There By Road:Major cross-country roads in the USA are called Interstate roads. On road signs and maps, these are designated by an ‘I’ and a corresponding number. All 50 US states have their own traffic rules and regulations, although there is generally little difference. In Louisiana, the minimum age for driving is 16 years and cars drive on the right. All valid national licenses are acceptable; however, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is preferred. US insurance is mandatory and can be purchased from the car hire company, but it is costly so check to see if your insurance covers car hire. In many cases, if the hire is charged to
Diners Club International, the credit card covers the insurance.
Speed limits are generally 48kph (30mph) in town, 88kph (55mph) on highways and 105kph (65mph) on the Interstate highways, unless otherwise posted. Louisiana has strict laws against drinking and driving, and driving while intoxicated is cause for arrest and a criminal charge. Drink driving laws are strictly enforced. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.08%. Open containers of alcoholic beverages are not permitted in vehicles. Seat belts must be worn by everyone in the car and passengers under 12 must be seated in the back. In private vehicles, children under four years old must be protected in car seats. Drivers may turn right at a red light, after a complete stop, if the way is clear. A flashing red traffic light is the same as a stop sign, which means that it is necessary to come to a full stop and proceed when safe.
The
American Automobile Association (
AAA) (tel: 1 800 765 0766; website:
www.aaa.com) can provide information, and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.
Emergency breakdown service: AAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357/AAA HELP).
Routes to the city: I-10 heads west to Houston (Texas) and Los Angeles (California), and east to Mobile (Alabama) and Jacksonville (Florida). I-55 heads north to Memphis, St Louis (Missouri) and Chicago. I-59 connects New Orleans to Birmingham (Alabama) and Chattanooga (Tennessee). Note that the exit for the French Quarter is marked ’Vieux Carré’.
Approximate driving times to New Orleans: From Jacksonville - 8 hours 30 minutes; Los Angeles - 30 hours; Mobile - 2 hours 30 minutes; Baton Rouge - 1 hour 35 minutes.
Coach services: Greyhound buses (tel: (504) 525 6075
or 1 800 231 2222; website:
www.greyhound.com) arrive at the 24-hour Union Passenger Terminal, 1001 Loyola Avenue, which is shared with rail services. Facilities include a tourist information booth and cafe. There are frequent services to Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Memphis and Mobile.
Getting There By Rail:Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245; website:
www.amtrak.com) is the national railway provider and its service is generally good, if not reliably punctual. Trains arrive and depart from the Union Passenger Terminal, 1001 Loyola Avenue, where there is a tourist information booth and cafe.
Rail services: New Orleans is the terminus for the
City of New Orleans service from Chicago, Illinois via Memphis, Tennessee (journey time - 30 hours), and the
Crescent service from New York City via Atlanta, Georgia (journey time - 19 hours). The
Sunset Limited service passes through New Orleans on its 4,800km (3,000-mile) journey between Orlando, Florida (journey time - 17 hours) and Los Angeles, California (journey time - 32 hours).
Getting Around:Public TransportStreetcars and
buses are operated by the
New Orleans Regional Transport Authority (
NORTA)
(tel: (504) 248 3900; website:
www.norta.com). Streetcars and major bus routes operate a 24-hour service.
The New Orleans
streetcar system is the oldest in the USA and an attraction in its own right. There are two lines - one that runs along the Mississippi riverfront and the St Charles Line.
Buses run throughout the city. Tickets for both forms of transport are purchased upon boarding.
There is also a
ferry service operated by
Canal Street Ferry (tel: (225) 379 1177) between Canal Street and the suburb of Algiers on the other side of the river. The trip takes 10 minutes and leaves every half-hour. It is free for foot passengers. Tickets for vehicles are purchased upon boarding (exact change only). There are no toilet facilities or food or drink concessions available in the terminals or on the ferry.
TaxisThere are thousands of taxis in the city, and they are easily found at major hotels, all over the French Quarter and along Riverwalk. At peak times and during major festivals fares go up. They can also be telephoned for, although there may be a wait. Companies include
Checker-Yellow Cabs (tel: (504) 525 3311) and
United Cabs (tel: (504) 522 9771
or 524 9606; website:
www.unitedcabs.com). A tip of 10% is common. The
Taxicab Bureau (tel: (504) 658 7102) provides further information.
Driving in the CityA car is neither necessary nor recommended in downtown New Orleans. Parking space is minimal and most hotels charge costly rates for off-street parking. Most places that visitors might want to see can be reached on foot or by taxis (see above). In the French Quarter especially, streets are narrow and are on a one-way system, with some streets being closed to vehicles at certain times. The streets are also usually crowded with visitors paying little attention to traffic and at Mardi Gras, the entire French Quarter is closed to motorized traffic.
Parking meters allow a maximum two-hour stay. Parking regulations are rigorously enforced with potentially steep fines. French Quarter parking lots are operated by
Central Parking Corporation (tel: (504) 525 3191; website:
www.parking.com),
Downtown Parking Service, Inc.
(tel: (504) 529 5708),
Standard Parking Co.
(tel: (504) 524 2919;
www.standardparking.com),
U-Park Systems (tel: (504) 585 1900;
www.uparksystem.com) and hotel parking garages.
Car HireAll the major car hire companies have offices in New Orleans, both downtown and at the airport. These include
Alamo (tel: 1 800 327 9633; website:
www.alamo.com),
Avis (tel: 1 800 331 1212; website:
www.avis.com),
Budget (tel: 1 800 527 0700; website:
www.budget.com),
Dollar (tel: 1 800 800 4000; website:
www.dollar.com) and
Hertz (tel: 1 800 654 3131; website:
www.hertz.com). Optional CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) insurance is always recommended if not already covered by the driver’s own policy. Drivers must be over 21 years to hire a car (most companies extend this limit to 25 years) and will need a valid license or International Driving Permit and credit card.
Bicycle HireHiring a bicycle is fairly popular in New Orleans, although the most relaxing cycling is away from the French Quarter in places such as Audubon Park, City Park and by Lake Pontchartrain. To hire a bike, call
Bicycle Michael’s, 622 Frenchman Street (tel: (504) 945 9505; website:
www.bicyclemichaels.com).
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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