Getting around · New Orleans · United States
Getting around New Orleans
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: ajay_suresh, CC BY 4.0
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Quick answer
The French Quarter, Marigny and Warehouse District are compact and walkable. The RTA's streetcars run along St. Charles Avenue, Canal Street, the riverfront and Rampart Street, buses cover the rest, and taxis and ride-hailing fill the gaps at night. No for the city itself; French Quarter parking is scarce and expensive.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Tram
- Airports
- MSY
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- Jazzy Pass
Ways to get around
Tram
The St. Charles line runs to the Garden District and Uptown, the Canal line runs to Mid-City and City Park, and the Rampart–St. Claude line links the edge of the Quarter with the Marigny.
Buy fares and passes in the Le Pass app; cash fares need exact change.
Walking
The French Quarter, Marigny, Tremé and Warehouse District are all walkable, and a riverside path runs from the Quarter towards Crescent Park.
Bus
RTA buses run along Magazine Street and to neighbourhoods the streetcars don't reach, using the same passes.
Ferry
The Canal Street ferry crosses the Mississippi to Algiers Point, a quiet historic neighbourhood with views back to the skyline.
Cycling
Blue Bikes bike-share docks cover the central neighbourhoods; the city is flat, but watch for potholes and streetcar tracks.
Taxi
Taxis and ride-hailing are plentiful and the best way to move between neighbourhoods after dark.
Taxis from the airport charge a set fare to the central business district and French Quarter.
Tickets and passes
Jazzy Pass
1-day, 3-day and longer passes for unlimited streetcar and bus rides, sold in the Le Pass app and at ticket machines.
From the airport
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is about 25 km west of the French Quarter. Taxis charge a set fare to the central area and take about 25–35 minutes; ride-hailing and shared shuttles are also available, and a public Airport Express bus runs to downtown.
Do you need a car?
No for the city itself; French Quarter parking is scarce and expensive. A car helps for River Road plantations, swamp tours that don't include pick-up and trips to Cajun Country.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Whitney Plantation | About 1 hour by car | Car or guided tour |
| Oak Alley Plantation | About 1 hour by car | Car or guided tour |
| Barataria Preserve | About 30 minutes by car | Car |
| Honey Island Swamp tours | About 45 minutes by car | Car or tour with hotel pick-up |
| Lafayette and Cajun Country | About 2 hours 15 minutes by car | Car |
| Baton Rouge | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car | Car |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in New Orleans?
No for the city itself; French Quarter parking is scarce and expensive. A car helps for River Road plantations, swamp tours that don't include pick-up and trips to Cajun Country.
+How do you get from the airport to New Orleans?
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is about 25 km west of the French Quarter. Taxis charge a set fare to the central area and take about 25–35 minutes; ride-hailing and shared shuttles are also available, and a public Airport Express bus runs to downtown.
+What is the best way to get around New Orleans?
Tram: The St. Charles line runs to the Garden District and Uptown, the Canal line runs to Mid-City and City Park, and the Rampart–St. Claude line links the edge of the Quarter with the Marigny.