Help! Taxi Costs from hotel to port in New Orleans

[travelexplore3]

We are traveling in April for a 7 night cruise out of New Orleans, I had a hotel booked in the French Quarter.... then I read reviews of bed bugs, and dirty rooms. I canceled the hotel reservation, and moved us to a new hotel with rave reviews in Metairie. My question is, does anyone know the taxi rate from airport (msy) to Metairie? Then Metairie to french quarter? and lastly Metairie to Port for my NCL cruise. I tried looking this up but never found any pricing for anything in Metairie. I know it's only 6 miles away from the french quarter. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

[garycarla]

Taxis are not that expensive in New Orleans. Maybe you can find something on a New Orleans board/website.

 

Personally, I would think again about booking out there and dealing with Taxis. Traffic sometimes is a pain in New Orleans. There are many, many fine hotels in or near the French Quarter. From there is is like a $15 cab ride to the port.

[Budget Queen]

If you haven't been to New Orleans, I too question your location. How do you plan on occupying your time?? It is vitally important to be in walking distance for most touring, in my opinion. Metairie, is "ok", and I do get to some of the clubs there, but not where I stay. From the airport, it's at least $35++++ to the port as mentioned $15+

[cruisinmama0]

There are many great hotels in the French Quarter. Look at some of the sites where travelers post hotel reviews. I would stay in the Quarter or Downtown before I'd stay in Metairie if you want a true feel for New Orleans. The taxi from airport to French Quarter will be about $35 and then you can also use the streetcar, bus or walk around easily.

[rvsullivan]

I would not stay in Metarie if I had any choice. Which hotel in the Quarter is supposed to have bed bugs??? There are so many reasonably priced hotels in the Quarter and surrounding area, I cannot imagine staying out of town before or after my cruise. If you check the CC board for New Orleans, you can find a ton of first class reasonable hotels.:D

[travelexplore3]

Unfortunatly we are going the weekend of the Jazz Festival. That seems to be the problem when trying to book a room. I had been searching since last month and most hotels were sold out, or out of my price range of what I would comfortably pay for an average hotel room. My first hopes were to get that "real" new orleans feel and stay in the french quarter in a boutique hotel... they were all sold out, so I tried the garden district and they are all sold out or require a 3 night minimum stay. We are only staying 2 nights before the cruise, and we are flying home the day we dock after the cruise. So we then tried to book in downtown or on the riverwalk and the rooms on the riverwalk were outrageously priced. The Hilton started at $279 per night. Then there was the embassy suites which are $975 per night. Are they insane? And so I opted to check out the wearhouse district and downtown. The only option I found that was decently priced was the Comfort Inn downtown, so I had booked it for $149 plus tax a night. Then I got really angry over paying that much for a comfort inn, that in my opinion shouldn't be more than $79 a night being a 2 star property. THen I researched on trip advisor and saw pictures someone recently took of the room, and I died. There were a lot of complaints about bed bugs dating back to 2009 to current, and the pictures were aweful. And for $149 a night I ecpect something like a Courtyard. But I totally get that we are going during a festival and they raise their hotel prices because of supply and demand, I get it. But I'm not gonna overpay for some nasty property and get bed bugs with it. No thanks. So the only reasonably priced hotels left to book from was in Metairie. SO I took the plunge and booked at the Marriott Lakeviewfor $99 a night. Now because it is 6 miles away we are trying to calculate in taxi fares. The other concern I had was that this is a trip we are taking for our sons 12 birthday, this trip is his birthday present, so traveling with a kid we have to also be careful where we stay for safety reasons. We have never been to New Orleans, and so I did try to research on the New Orleans board, and there was nothing. We do have to take a taxi into the french quarter though on the day before the cruise because we have booked am afternoon swamp tour and an evening vampire tour. SO we plan to spend the entire day in the french quarter before returning back to the hotel, then the next day we would need to go to the port to board our cruise. I also wanted to add, I did look in Kenner and that seemed really far away, the hotels by the airport were reasonably priced but too far away and also in Gretna there were some reasonably priced hotels but the hotels themselves were really rough looking. I did debate over the tower hotel I believe it's a best western called the land mark hotel, but I passed on it because it wasn't as nice as the Marriott I was getting a cheaper rate. Thank you agian for any further help or suggestions.

Edited February 24, 2011 by travelexplore3

[Budget Queen]

Unfortunatly we are going the weekend of the Jazz Festival. That seems to be the problem when trying to book a room. I had been searching since last month and most hotels were sold out, or out of my price range of what I would comfortably pay for an average hotel room. My first hopes were to get that "real" new orleans feel and stay in the french quarter in a boutique hotel... they were all sold out, so I tried the garden district and they are all sold out or require a 3 night minimum stay. We are only staying 2 nights before the cruise, and we are flying home the day we dock after the cruise. So we then tried to book in downtown or on the riverwalk and the rooms on the riverwalk were outrageously priced. The Hilton started at $279 per night. Then there was the embassy suites which are $975 per night. Are they insane? And so I opted to check out the wearhouse district and downtown. The only option I found that was decently priced was the Comfort Inn downtown, so I had booked it for $149 plus tax a night. Then I got really angry over paying that much for a comfort inn, that in my opinion shouldn't be more than $79 a night being a 2 star property. THen I researched on trip advisor and saw pictures someone recently took of the room, and I died. There were a lot of complaints about bed bugs dating back to 2009 to current, and the pictures were aweful. And for $149 a night I ecpect something like a Courtyard. But I totally get that we are going during a festival and they raise their hotel prices because of supply and demand, I get it. But I'm not gonna overpay for some nasty property and get bed bugs with it. No thanks. So the only reasonably priced hotels left to book from was in Metairie. SO I took the plunge and booked at the Marriott Lakeviewfor $99 a night. Now because it is 6 miles away we are trying to calculate in taxi fares. The other concern I had was that this is a trip we are taking for our sons 12 birthday, this trip is his birthday present, so traveling with a kid we have to also be careful where we stay for safety reasons. We have never been to New Orleans, and so I did try to research on the New Orleans board, and there was nothing. We do have to take a taxi into the french quarter though on the day before the cruise because we have booked am afternoon swamp tour and an evening vampire tour. SO we plan to spend the entire day in the french quarter before returning back to the hotel, then the next day we would need to go to the port to board our cruise. I also wanted to add, I did look in Kenner and that seemed really far away, the hotels by the airport were reasonably priced but too far away and also in Gretna there were some reasonably priced hotels but the hotels themselves were really rough looking. I did debate over the tower hotel I believe it's a best western called the land mark hotel, but I passed on it because it wasn't as nice as the Marriott I was getting a cheaper rate. Thank you agian for any further help or suggestions.

 

You are not in a good area, nor is it going to be at all, convenient for your touring. I would look at the CBD, LaQuinta, Queen and Cresent etc.

 

Sorry, but the rates are what they are despite what you think they should be. I go to the Jazz Fest every year, and stay for a week. It's an excellent time for adults in New Orleans, and the nightlight is fantastic. With a 12 year old and you never being here before, LOCATION is what is going to pay off, for a better trip. I would suggest you up your hotel budget and look at it differently.

[travelexplore3]

oooohhh, you are right, I know the cost is gonna be what they can get. During a festival I was aware the costs would be up there. I'm ok with like $200 a night but these are like 2 star locations going for $300 - $400 a night, and I'm not ok with that. Everything is nearly sold out, so I will take a look at the hotels you had suggested and see what I can find, I appreciate the suggestions. I had no idea that Metairie was not a good area, they kept suggesting it to me on sites like Orbitz, Expedia and Priceline. Oh man..... now I gotta see what I can find, and try to cancel this hotel. I just do not want to be in a scary area with a kid.

[gerabe]

I've been researching hotels for the same time frame, going on the same cruise. Booked Quality Inn and Suites on Okeefe Avenue for a fairly decent price given the circumstances. Looked like they had a few rooms left.:) I'm hoping once we get from the airport to the hotel we won't be needing a car of having to deal with parking.

[LadyShiva]

As a consolation, the Marriott Lakeview is a nice hotel, and the fog rolling off the water gave us quite a few eerily beautiful pictures. Their pool is pretty big and is indoors.

 

You don't have to dive into the crowds of the Quarter this first visit; think about renting a car and staying in Kenner or Metairie and branching into Oak Alley or an airboat alligator tour. Hit up the Cafe du Mode on Veterans Blvd instead of the grumpy servers at the French Market. That location is definitely cleaner, and you can get seconds easily and use the restroom.

 

As for the Quarter, did you check Drury Inn?

 

Good luck! We are getting on a plane in a few hours to head to MSY!:D

[bar1068]

We are traveling in April for a 7 night cruise out of New Orleans, I had a hotel booked in the French Quarter.... then I read reviews of bed bugs, and dirty rooms. I canceled the hotel reservation, and moved us to a new hotel with rave reviews in Metairie. My question is, does anyone know the taxi rate from airport (msy) to Metairie? Then Metairie to french quarter? and lastly Metairie to Port for my NCL cruise. I tried looking this up but never found any pricing for anything in Metairie. I know it's only 6 miles away from the french quarter. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

We did something almost identical last April for a Carnival cruise out of New Orleans. The weekend the cruise left there was a fairly large teacher's convention going on AND..and this one still amazes me...a WWE event and associated events were also going on....place was crazier than normal So the good AND affordable to us hotels near the French Quarter we not available, so we stayed in Metairie, was really not that bad. No, not much around to do, but there was a Cafe DuMonde that we walked to. We figured, it's only one day/night, we cab it into the French Quarter, then back to the hotel.

 

My recollection was the cost of a cab ride to the hotel from the airport was around $14....we didn't cab into the French Quarter, but rather to a stop for the Hop-On Hop-Off bus that toured around the city, that left us off at the French Quarter after it made it's stops around NOLA..cab ride Saturday night back to Metairie was about $22...to the airport on cruise day was about $27. We didn't sweat the few bucks we spent for fare, we just figured it as part of the cruise cost.

 

Try a Google search for Metairie cab company's. That should bring up cab company's that service Metairie and there are a few fare calculators that are somewhat accurate.

[Wildcatllamas]

I'm with Lady Shiva - I would do the Drury Inn again in a heartbeat. It was about $32 from the airport to the Drury and then $10 from there to the port. The French Quarter was about 5 blocks and I would get up every morning and walk over there to Cafe Beignet while my late husband slept in. Harrah's was I think about 6 blocks. Right on the corner was a stop for the Hop on and hop off. The breakfast and managers hour aren't bad and can save you a few bucks on meals.

[Doughboy139]

We are traveling in April for a 7 night cruise out of New Orleans, I had a hotel booked in the French Quarter.... then I read reviews of bed bugs, and dirty rooms. I canceled the hotel reservation, and moved us to a new hotel with rave reviews in Metairie. My question is, does anyone know the taxi rate from airport (msy) to Metairie? Then Metairie to french quarter? and lastly Metairie to Port for my NCL cruise. I tried looking this up but never found any pricing for anything in Metairie. I know it's only 6 miles away from the french quarter. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

Go to Booking.com and key in new orleans and the dates that you want, you can get some good deals......

[don't-use-real-name]

A piece to the puzzle - you are flying into MSY (Louis Armstrong Airport)

the airport location hotels while not downtown French Quarter will be a

great deal less expensive with FREE shuttle service to and from the airport.

 

The day of the cruise if at the airport area take a FREE shuttle back to the

airport and check in with the NCL rep in the claim area of one of the major

airlines and the airport to port fee is $20 pp.

 

Now as for getting downtown French Quarter for some ACTION find out if

there is some limo or charter bus service or perhaps a shuttle bus to some

central location downtown less than the $35 rate some have posted.

 

If your cruise is departing as most do on a weekend then the traffic concern

would be mute unless some weather or sporting event is going on - then

the Jazz fest but that should not pose a problem for an afternoon departure

of a cruise ship.

 

It is Christmas Holiday at this posting wait for a few more posters with

comments about how to get the best bang for buck - call or check out any

Chamber of Commerce information (Google). Get a feel of time versus

distance (the MSY airport is about 12 miles west of the downtown French

Quarter).

A three day car rental maybe the solution - or - a problem with the Jazz fest

- caution check on the rates for car parking at the hotel that you select - this

idea may not be so good after all.

 

After the cruise NCL offers a $20 rate pp for port to airport transfer timed for

departures at or after noon. Have something earlier in mind think walk-off

with baggage and cab ride. Ship arrives 8am off ship say 9am + or - and

a half hour cab ride to airport you might make a 10:30 flight but it will be

cutting it close !

 

Something to ponder - any further help from our posters ???