New Orleans hotel?

[Warrior64]

Looking into cruising out of New Orleans in April. Thinking of flying in the day b4 as we have never been to New Orleans. Completely clueless here :) How far is port from airport? What hotel to stay at? And should we rent a car? ThANKS FOR ANY HELP!!!

[candydane]

I've put together a New Orleans Hotel webpage with info. from cc and other sources for our April cruise: Hotel. There's also a webpage for New Orleans and a webpage for Food (with NOLA section.

 

They should give you a good place to start.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[VideoTech]

Looking into cruising out of New Orleans in April. Thinking of flying in the day b4 as we have never been to New Orleans. Completely clueless here :) How far is port from airport? What hotel to stay at? And should we rent a car? ThANKS FOR ANY HELP!!!

 

Candydane's pages are a great collection of posts, check them out.

 

Airport is about 20 minutes from downtown and the French Quarter. Plenty of Taxis available, also shuttle services if you prefer.

 

No need to rent a car, New Orleans is very walk-able, and parking can be difficult to impossible, particularly in the French Quarter. Only reason to rent a car would be if you want to go out of town to visit some of the plantations and historic sites.

 

If you can spring for it, stay in a smaller hotel in the Quarter itself for the full experience (but not on Bourbon street unless you don't want to sleep!). Many cruisers opt for the Warehouse/Convention Center district, which is near the port, and somewhat cheaper in cost.

 

There are several nice hotel chain properties on Canal Street (Sheraton, Hilton, JW Marriott etc), which is a good location as it's right across from the FQ, and close to other New Orleans attractions including streetcars to the Garden District and Park.

 

Just be aware that New Orleans is a huge tourist destination, obviously, and hotels in the city, in general, are not cheap. Also, check and see what's going on in New Orleans around your cruise dates. You may want to book a hotel early if there's some big events going on.