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New Orleans Qs- rental car, hotel, # days?
Thinking of making a fall trip to New Orleans this year. I went with a group of GFs maybe 10 years ago and had a blast! We stayed @ Hotel Astor and just stayed in the French Quarter (no car).
These are a few things we want to do- Sightsee/eat within French Quarter, Cemetary Tour, Plantation Tour (not sure which one), Garden District (look @ beautiful homes), WW2 Museum, maybe take a cooking class, and shopping on Magazine Street..
1. Rental car- DH and I will fly down to NO airport and not sure if we'd need a rental car? If we don't need a car, then we'll most likely stay in the French Quarter somewhere.
2. If we do need a rental car, should we still stay in French Quarter anyways?
3. How many days is sufficient? I am kind of thinking 4-5 days will be sufficient?
4. Cooking class recommendations?
5. Recommendations for tour companies and tours to go on?
Re: New Orleans Qs- rental car, hotel, # days?
If those are your plans, I don't think a rental car is necessary. The only time I got one was when my mom and I spent a night in NOLA and then headed to Natchitoches.
We stayed at a lovely place in the French Quarter. If you have a good hotel in mind, I'd go for it.
4-5 days will probably be fine. Figure a day to sightsee, a day/evening to do the cemetery tour, a day or so of plantations, an afternoon in the garden district, and a day to devote to cooking.
Have fun! I can't wait until DD is old enough to take her
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Thanks for your input. Do you know if these tour groups will pick you up at a hotel, or should we be cabbing it to the destinations?
i've been to NOLA 4 or 5 times and have never felt the need for a car. I think it would be more of a PITA than anything else. I have never stayed for more than 3 nights.
hotels i've stayed:
Ritz Carlton - Canal St (3 min walk to Bourbon)
Royal Sonesta (in FQ)
Omni (in FQ)
Intercontinental (St Charles - very short walk to FQ)
I listed the hotels "in order" of how I liked them. I actually prefer not to stay in the FQ, it's quieter when i eventually go to sleep and doesn't smell like a frat house when I walk outside.
you have a good start on activities. The galleries and antiques are fun on Royal St. Take the streetcar to the Garden District. Stroll through Jackson Sq (artists, palm readers, live music). have a landshark on the margaritaville balcony. Do a swamp tour. beignets at cafe du monde. harrah's casino. Pat O'Briens for dueling pianos.
food: Stella, Le Meritage (great wine pairing place), BBQ Shrimp at Mr B's, oyster's at acme. breakfast at Coffee Pot, Red Gravy. There are so so so many amazing places to eat that it is hard to rec them all. I have have 2 amazing meals at Stella and I will eat there every time I visit the city. so good.
have fun. one of my favorite US cities.
I did no rent a car...with responsible shoes, I was able to walk from one end of the french quarter to the other and back, even walking outside to Frenchmen street
Most tours will pick you up, that said I only did the rum tour
I did not actually compare this out...but I figured the cost of rent of car plus parking was going to be more then taking taxi's when needed. The cost of the cab from airport was a standard rate that with tip was 38.00.
We did 3 nights...4-5 nights is very sufficient
If you are curious I have exactly how much we spent
176.76 on food (no fancy dinners and DH got sick so this probably is way down)
256.50 on other (we tipped every musician, baggage fees, cab ride, our rum tour, our ghost tour)
179 on drinks (yes we drank more then we ate)
184.67 on souveniers (you might say you won't spend this much and I swear we didn't but I guess we did)
Our airfare and hotel were about 700 too
I would only think you need a rental car for Plantation Tours. I wouldn't rent one for the rest of the time, since you'll be able to either walk everywhere, take a cab or the street car (goes from the FQ to the Garden Dist).
No suggestions on the other questions, but 4-5 days would be a good amount of time, IMO. I've stayed on Bourbon Street at the Bourbon Orleans - I wouldn't do it again. We're not stay up till 2am party people as a couple, so we didn't get much sleep.
I do like the Westin on Canal, the Renaissance Perre Marquette (sp?) though it is a bit of a walk if you're over in the Jackson Square/Bourbon St area. My mom's favorite place is the Omni on Royal. Great central location, very historic hotel & but off of Bourbon St. I've also never stayed at the Monteleone, but that's always highly recommended.