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Voykit pocket guide · United States
New Orleans
La Nouvelle-Orléans
Give New Orleans 3 nights: one for the French Quarter and riverfront, one for music on Frenchmen Street, one for Uptown or a swamp and plantation run.
New Orleans is a compact, walkable city where the trip is food, music and neighbourhoods rather than a checklist of sights. Three nights covers the French Quarter, the CBD museums and a night of live music; four or five adds Uptown, City Park and a day trip. Spring and autumn are the good windows; summer is hot, wet and inside the hurricane season.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- La Nouvelle-Orléans
- Best months
- Feb–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (heat, humidity, hurricane season), Mardi Gras week unless that is the point
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–120 excl. bed · Mid $120–220 excl. bed · High $220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and a beignet | $5–10 |
| Po-boy or plate lunch | $12–20 |
| Sit-down Creole dinner, main course | $25–45 |
| Cocktail in the Quarter / beer at a corner bar | $12–18 / $5–8 |
| Streetcar or bus ride | $1.25 (check) |
| Museum entry (WWII Museum, NOMA) | $20–35 |
| Live music cover on Frenchmen Street | $5–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MSY · Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
- In Kenner, about 20 km (12 mi) west of the centre; taxi flat fare to the French Quarter or CBD, or RTA route 202 for $1.25In Kenner, about 12 mi (20 km) west of the centre; taxi flat fare to the French Quarter or CBD, or RTA route 202 for $1.25
- NEW · Lakefront Airport
- General aviation only; the restored 1930s terminal is free to visit
Typical fares
- MSY → French Quarter or CBD, taxi
- flat $36 for one or two people, $15 each for three or more
- MSY → CBD, RTA 202-Airport Express
- $1.25, about 30 min
- Streetcar single ride
- $1.25; day pass available (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The French Quarter, CBD and Marigny are walkable and you rarely need a car. Streetcars run on Canal Street, along the riverfront and up St. Charles Avenue to Uptown; buses fill the gaps. Rideshare and taxis are cheap for short hops; a car is only worth it for plantations or the swamp.
See and do
Known for
- French Quarter and Bourbon Street
- Live jazz and brass bands
- Creole and Cajun food
- Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest
- St. Charles Avenue streetcar
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Plantation country (River Parishes) | Car or an organised tour upriver on I-10 and River Road | About 1 h each way |
| Honey Island Swamp | Guided boat tour from Slidell or a West Bank launch | About 1 h each way |
| Baton Rouge | Amtrak City of New Orleans or I-10 by car | 1.5–2 h |
| Chalmette Battlefield | Car or rideshare downriver | About 30 min |
Sleep
- French Quarter
- Walk to most sights and music; loudest streets are Bourbon and the lower Decatur blocks, so ask for a courtyard-side room.
- Central Business District (CBD) and Warehouse District
- Chain hotels, the National WWII Museum and Julia Street galleries; 10–15 min walk to the Quarter, quieter at night.
- Faubourg Marigny
- Across Esplanade from the Quarter; Frenchmen Street clubs are on the doorstep and rooms are often cheaper.
- Uptown and Garden District
- St. Charles Avenue streetcar, Magazine Street shops and local restaurants; 20–30 min by streetcar to the centre.
- Mid-City and Esplanade Ridge
- City Park, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Fair Grounds; cheaper, more local, needs the streetcar or a bus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the streetcar stop? | Where's the streetcar stop? |
| Can I get the check, please? | Can I get the check, please? |
| Is there a cover charge? | Is there a cover? |
| To this address, please | To this address, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer heat and humidity: plan outdoor sightseeing before 11:00 and after 17:00, and carry water.
- Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, most active in September; check forecasts and know your airline's change policy.
- Drinks on Bourbon Street are often served in open containers and the street is crowded at night; keep phones and wallets out of back pockets.
- Some bars and clubs in the tourist core post no prices: ask the total before you order.
- Parking is expensive and street parking rules are enforced; if you keep a car, use a garage.
- Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest weeks sell out months ahead and rates double.
Central tourist areas are busy and generally fine by day and night; the real risks are heat, drink spiking, pickpockets in crowds and wandering into unfamiliar blocks after dark. Stay in lit, populated streets and use rideshare late.
One and two days
No timed day plan for New Orleans yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- French Quarter and Bourbon Street
- Live jazz and brass bands
- Creole and Cajun food
- Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest
- St. Charles Avenue streetcar
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- New Orleans official tourism site: www.neworleans.com/
- City of New Orleans: nola.gov/
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport: flymsy.com/
- New Orleans Regional Transit Authority: www.norta.com/
- Wikivoyage: New Orleans, revision 5316645 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5316645
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
New OrleansLa Nouvelle-Orléans
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Most countries keep consulates in Houston or Atlanta; check your embassy's website for the nearest office.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/new-orleans). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.