so confused-NOLA

[hlb76]

Hello all,

 

I feel I am a semi seasoned cruiser but we have mainly cruised out tof Miami. This year we are cruising out of our comfort zone and trying NOLA. I just can't seem to wrap my head around the town.

 

I have been reading and reading these forums trying to find the best deals. I have no idea where to stay for a hotel.

 

I do see that Drury Inn comes highly recommended I might go that route but $400 for 2 night is more than I hoped to spend...but it is what it is.

I just don't know what we want to do while in NOLA so not sure if its the part of town we want to stay.

 

I am confused on what the trolly's schedule is. I can't wrap my head around that. We dont want to have to rent a car hoping taxi's and trolly's will get us around town.

 

I'm also confused on the way the taxi's work. In Miami rates are per trip not per person.

 

Please if anyone can help clear things up for me please do. To me it's clear as mud

[CruisingLPN]

Hopefully someone from NOLA will reply to your post, but I'll tell you what I know. The streetcars go to all the touristy sites. They cost $1.25 per trip or you can get an all day pass. We rode the streetcar, and my kids thought it was fun. I thought it was a unique experience, but too warm with no AC. Taxis are per person. It was $7 per person from the Drury to the port. The Drury was a nice hotel. Beautiful inside and all the freebies were great. $400 seems a little high though, but I don't know when you're going. There are many hotels in that area that are within a block or two of the streetcar lines. Hope some of this helps. Good luck.

[bayou cruiser]

We stayed at the Drury pre-cruise and it's okay but with soooo many hotels in New Orleans, I would choose another one. Try the Hilton Riverfront or the Country Inn and Suites on Magazine. With these you can walk wherever you want to go, they are centrally located but far enough from the French Quarter to be quiet when you finally do want some sleep. If you want to splurge then try the Windsor Court, the Ritz or the Hotel Monteleone. You really will not need a car unless you want to venture out of New Orleans to see the bayou areas or the plantations. Honestly, there is so much to do within the city that for a short trip I would just stick to the city, French Quarter, Uptown and the Garden District, all on the streetcar route. I am really not sure on shuttle or taxi rates from the airport but I'm sure it's on this board somewhere. Enjoy my city, it's different but it's home.

[jimjamxx]

Go here: http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/

 

A lot of good information.

 

JimmyJames(30 minutes from New Orleans)

[jgmpuma]

New Orleans is a very compact city. Just about anything you decide to see will be in walking distance. Any of the hotels in the CBD, French Quarter or Warehouse District (area near the cruise terminal) will be convenient. You can download maps (Google "French Quarter Map" or "New Orleans City Map") and get a good lay of the land. People here are friendly, and will be happy to give you directions.

 

There is a Riverfront Streetcar that mostly goes along the riverfront. It's a nice ride, but not really necessary, unless you just don't like walking.

 

The St. Charles Streetcar is a great way to see a lot of NO for $1.25. After about 75 blocks it turns right onto Carrollton Avenue. By this time you will have sees averything worth seeing, and you can get off and catch the next streetcar back to town.

 

Don't worry about schedules. They are estimates, at best. Both streetcar lines run fairly often during the daytime.

[mitsugirly]

Here is a street car schedule: http://www.norta.com/?page=maps_schedules

 

 

Here are some maps I managed to find of the different areas: http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/transportation/maps.html

 

 

And a map of the different trolleys

[hlb76]

I'm hoping that when I get down there you can easily pick up the trolly schedules. Maybe in the hotels lobby or something. I was also wondering to all the trolly and street cars run on the same pass? or do we need different passes to get around the different lines?

[steamboats]

Here´s a printable schedule of the streetcars. But anyway you don´t need it! There are only 3 lines (one - the Canal Street Street Car - is splitting up to the City Park and the Cemetaries): Canal Street, Riverfront and St. Charles Street.

 

Here you´ll find the passes which are valid for all streetcars and busses operated by NORTA. The 1-day pass is 5$ and available at the driver. There are also 3 or 5 day passes. You can also ask at your hotel whether they do have the passes available.

 

steamboats

[hlb76]

so now i know how we are going to get around. $5 a day not to shabby. We will still need a few cabs but glad to hear we can walk or trolly/bus the rest.

 

Now to figure out the hotel. That part makes me nervous since we will be getting in Sat afternoon and heading to the port Mon afternoon. So we will be there 2 nights so we need to find a nice one in a safe place w/o breaking the bank. We are going in Oct and seems all the hotels are more $$ that time of year. After looking at a few hotels the Drury seems to be almost on par w/ others. I just need to see what offers the best deals for our group of 8. We are traveling w/ kids so we dont need to be in the middle of the night life. Sadly we wont get to experience the night life.

[melkteach]

I'm sorry, this was an off topic post, I will try another thread.

[ssca]

so now i know how we are going to get around. $5 a day not to shabby. We will still need a few cabs but glad to hear we can walk or trolly/bus the rest.

 

Now to figure out the hotel. That part makes me nervous since we will be getting in Sat afternoon and heading to the port Mon afternoon. So we will be there 2 nights so we need to find a nice one in a safe place w/o breaking the bank. We are going in Oct and seems all the hotels are more $$ that time of year. After looking at a few hotels the Drury seems to be almost on par w/ others. I just need to see what offers the best deals for our group of 8. We are traveling w/ kids so we dont need to be in the middle of the night life. Sadly we wont get to experience the night life.

 

Heather~ I too have only cruised from Florida and there are so many shuttle options from the airport and hotels that have shuttles but no one in NOLA seems to have that unless your staying at the airport. We are a family of 5 and I found the Marriott Springhill Suites to be our best option. We are traveling in June so I will let you know how it was. Still dont get why the cabs are pp but that is all there is!

[mitsugirly]

Heather~ I too have only cruised from Florida and there are so many shuttle options from the airport and hotels that have shuttles but no one in NOLA seems to have that unless your staying at the airport. We are a family of 5 and I found the Marriott Springhill Suites to be our best option. We are traveling in June so I will let you know how it was. Still dont get why the cabs are pp but that is all there is!

 

I've found a couple shuttle companies for NOLA, but I think they are a little pricey.

 

http://airportshuttleneworleans.hudsonltd.net/res?USERIDENTRY=HICCH&LOGON=GO

 

 

http://www.airportshuttleneworleans.com/services-rates.html

[rolltidecruiser]

Heather,

 

We are sailing from New Orleans in November, and will be driving there (I refuse to be groped). Because we wanted free parking while we are gone, we chose Quality Inn & Suites Maison St. Charles. The St. Charles streetcar goes right in front of the hotel, and they will shuttle us to the port and come get us when we get back. The rate was around $135 a night I think. It's probably not the swankiest place but we aren't going to be in the room that much anyway.

 

Nancy

[phantomII]

Heather,

 

We are sailing from New Orleans in November, and will be driving there (I refuse to be groped). Because we wanted free parking while we are gone, we chose Quality Inn & Suites Maison St. Charles. The St. Charles streetcar goes right in front of the hotel, and they will shuttle us to the port and come get us when we get back. The rate was around $135 a night I think. It's probably not the swankiest place but we aren't going to be in the room that much anyway.

 

Nancy

We stayed there in February and it was nice. Free parking during our cruise in a secure fenced lot. The trolley runs right in front of the hotel. Quite a few restaurants and bars within a few blocks. I think the taxi was 7.00 a person to get to and from the port. I highly recommend.

[firefly333]

Heather,

 

We are sailing from New Orleans in November, and will be driving there (I refuse to be groped). Because we wanted free parking while we are gone, we chose Quality Inn & Suites Maison St. Charles. The St. Charles streetcar goes right in front of the hotel, and they will shuttle us to the port and come get us when we get back. The rate was around $135 a night I think. It's probably not the swankiest place but we aren't going to be in the room that much anyway.

 

Nancy

 

I would double check on this as our shuttle driver from Holiday Inn said its against the rules for any shuttle drivers to pick from the port. They tried to pick up from the main road and got turned in and had to quit.

 

I would be real surprised if your shuttle driver is exempt from the port rules that govern the taxis there and keep out any shuttles picking up. What you say you are getting is prohibited.

[fresnel468]

Keep in mind that NOLA hosts many conventions and such that will result in hotels booking quickly at much higher rates. We found that on May 6/7th due to the Jazz Fest. You may need to find a hotel away from the CBD/FQ if that happens.

[ownercarry]

ssca,

we're going in september and can't find ANY hotel that picks up at airport and takes to pier like in FLL or miami. is there a law against it or something? they don't look too far apart.

 

please let us know too when you get back how the hotel was and how you handled transport. we'll be just one night with family of 4.

 

thanks

[phantomII]

ssca,

we're going in september and can't find ANY hotel that picks up at airport and takes to pier like in FLL or miami. is there a law against it or something? they don't look too far apart.

 

please let us know too when you get back how the hotel was and how you handled transport. we'll be just one night with family of 4.

 

thanks

Just use a taxi from the hotel to the port. The price isn't bad and you don't have to fight the crowds.

[lovetexas]

We also stayed at the Maison St. Charles. It was ok, but the fenced in parking was great!!

 

Just remember to get the car over there early. The streetcars are great, and stop right in front.

 

We did a plantation tour, and it was really cool...

 

The taxi back to the hotel was cheap enough, and very fast. But, it seems there are two hotels with similar names. He took us to the wrong one... so make sure you are clear.

 

New Orleans is a great town to cruise out of... we plan on doing again this year.

 

The Mississippi River is a tour in of itself... there is so much to see!

[PennyAgain]

A friend stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Super Dome for a meeting recently as said to avoid it.

 

The other HGI is fine.

[jean95404]

Try the International House Hotel, 221 Camp Street

New Orleans, LA 70130

(504) 553-9550

 

My husband and I have stayed there twice and wouldn't even look for another hotel after our experiences. It is a wonderful boutique hotel, close to walking to Bourbon Street, River Front, Jackson Square....well you get the idea. If you can see if it is listed on Hotels.com or Priceline. We usually pay $90-110 for a deluxe room. Lovely complimentary toiletries too. Hotel staff is friendly and laundry costs are CHEAP!

[jean95404]

A friend stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Super Dome for a meeting recently as said to avoid it.

 

The other HGI is fine.

 

Try the International House Hotel, 221 Camp Street

New Orleans, LA 70130

(504) 553-9550

 

My husband and I have stayed there twice and wouldn't even look for another hotel after our experiences. It is a wonderful boutique hotel, close to walking to Bourbon Street, River Front, Jackson Square....well you get the idea. If you can see if it is listed on Hotels.com or Priceline. We usually pay $90-110 for a deluxe room. Lovely complimentary toiletries too. Hotel staff is friendly and laundry costs are CHEAP! No onsite parking, but just half a block away was/is a parking lot. Haven't been there in a year, and with buildings going up everywhere, the lot may not be there any longer.

[ownercarry]

phantom II

 

"Just use a taxi from the hotel to the port. The price isn't bad and you don't have to fight the crowds"

 

 

i don't know....

i found a post elsewhere that family of 4 did that and it was $56!! i checked and it's just 13 miles from the airport to the convention center hampton inn. 56 bucks for that?! the room is just 69. the per person thing seems to be a real killer.

 

any other ideas.....anyone??

 

thanks

[Ponchatoula Mayberry]

To all: I can't really speak on prices of hotels since I am from New Orleans but I will tell you what I do know from postings above. There are also Hotels on Canal Street and anything closer to the river can be walked. With that being said I would not walk it at night. Hotels in the CBD (Central Business District) is really not walkable. I work in the 1400 Block of Canal Street which is close to the New Orleans Superdome. It is a good 20 to 30 minute walk for us if we head to the Quarter for lunch and this is walking at a fast pace. If you choose to stay at a Hotel on Canal street please be advised that some street names change at Canal Street. For instance St. Charles Ave. turns into Royal Street as you Cross Canal Street. This confuses tourists all the time.

 

The Street car and the trolley are one in the same. I know this is confusing. There are buses also that run where street cars don't.

 

The airport is located in Kenner which is in Jefferson Parish (our Parish is equal to everyone else's counties.) It is about 15 miles outside of Orleans Parish and depending on traffic can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes via car.

 

Also please be advised that we have lots for Children however I do not recommend children in the Quarter at night. Daytime is okay but it really is an adult playground at night. I say this as a parent. There is the Zoo, Aquarium and Insectarium which are all Audubon institutes and the World War II Museum. There is also the Louisiana Children's Museum. There are riverboat rides also. Most definitely check out www.neworleansonline.com for any fairs and festivals that might be taking place while you are in town. If you plan to visit a cemetery please do a tour. Some can be unsafe unless you are with a large group of people.

For anyone coming to New Orleans for Labor Day weekend please be advised it is the weekend of the Decadence Festival. This is not something for kids. In order to stay politically correct I will not go into details. Please google to determine if this is something for you or not.

I hope this helps. :)

[hlb76]

To all: I can't really speak on prices of hotels since I am from New Orleans but I will tell you what I do know from postings above. There are also Hotels on Canal Street and anything closer to the river can be walked. With that being said I would not walk it at night. Hotels in the CBD (Central Business District) is really not walkable. I work in the 1400 Block of Canal Street which is close to the New Orleans Superdome. It is a good 20 to 30 minute walk for us if we head to the Quarter for lunch and this is walking at a fast pace. If you choose to stay at a Hotel on Canal street please be advised that some street names change at Canal Street. For instance St. Charles Ave. turns into Royal Street as you Cross Canal Street. This confuses tourists all the time.

 

The Street car and the trolley are one in the same. I know this is confusing. There are buses also that run where street cars don't.

 

The airport is located in Kenner which is in Jefferson Parish (our Parish is equal to everyone else's counties.) It is about 15 miles outside of Orleans Parish and depending on traffic can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes via car.

 

Also please be advised that we have lots for Children however I do not recommend children in the Quarter at night. Daytime is okay but it really is an adult playground at night. I say this as a parent. There is the Zoo, Aquarium and Insectarium which are all Audubon institutes and the World War II Museum. There is also the Louisiana Children's Museum. There are riverboat rides also. Most definitely check out www.neworleansonline.com for any fairs and festivals that might be taking place while you are in town. If you plan to visit a cemetery please do a tour. Some can be unsafe unless you are with a large group of people.

 

For anyone coming to New Orleans for Labor Day weekend please be advised it is the weekend of the Decadence Festival. This is not something for kids. In order to stay politically correct I will not go into details. Please google to determine if this is something for you or not.

 

I hope this helps. :)

 

Thanks.... for some reason this is a lot for me to take in.

 

We think we are going to take the kids to the WWII thing. Our youngests are huge war buffs. Have you been is it worth it?

 

We planned on going to the FQ during the day. We would love to go at night but the kids... damn them kids.... LOL

 

We do want to see the cemeteries. We planned to just check them out on our own but now we will rethink this. Any suggestions on good tours companies? We want to do a vodoo or haunted tour as well.