The Big Easy is one of my top US cities to visit along with New York, Charleston, Portland Maine, and Napa California. New Orleans travel is one of a kind. Driven by a desire to have fun, the locals treat you like you’re from there even if you’re visiting and even when it’s outside of carnival season.
One of the best parts of New Orleans travel is the food. Some of the top restaurants in the US are located in the city. Read any James Beard list and you’ll see plenty of places you will want to visit asap. But before diving into the food, let’s highlight credit card points to earn before visiting New Orleans.
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Best Credit Cards to Use in New Orleans
Food and drink are my guesses on what you’ll be spending money on during your New Orleans trip. So, the Amex Gold Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Citi Premier Card are the ones I recommend.
You earn 4x points at restaurants and US grocery stores with the Amex Gold. The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 3x points on dining and travel. With the Citi Premier, you earn 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels.
What is the best time of year to go to New Orleans?
You get the best of both worlds during the shoulder months of March/April and November/October. The lows during these spring months average 54-61 while the highs average 73-79. In the fall, the lows are 53-62 and the highs are 72-81. These averages are based on NOAA data.
In reality, you’re not booking New Orleans travel for the weather. Save that for southern California. Visiting New Orleans is typically driven by an event. Whether it’s carnival season, a sporting event, or a festival, that’s the reason why you visit.
How to Fly to New Orleans
If you flew through the old New Orleans airport, you know how terrible it was. Not any more. Read any New Orleans airport review and the experience is clearly different. New Orleans uses the airport code MSY that’s derived from Moisant Stock Yards honoring US aviator John Moisant.
New Orleans offers nonstop service across the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Central America. Alaska Airlines flies nonstop to Seattle. American Airlines flies nonstop to Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago–O’Hare, and Washington–National. Delta Air Lines flies nonstop to Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, and Salt Lake City. JetBlue flies nonstop to Boston, Fort Lauderdale, and New York–JFK. Southwest flies nonstop to Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago–Midway, Dallas–Love, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Hobby, Houston–Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York–LaGuardia, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Raleigh/Durham, San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington–National. United Airlines flies nonstop to Chicago–O’Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington–Dulles.
Where to Stay When Visiting New Orleans?
Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott are well represented in the city. Uptown is the area of town I recommend staying in. However, most New Orleans hotels are located downtown near the French Quarter.
Hilton properties to consider include The Troubadour Hotel and The Roosevelt. Hyatt hotels to check out include The Eliza Jane and Hyatt Centric French Quarter. IHG properties to look into include Hotel Indigo Garden District, InterContinental New Orleans, and Kimpton Hotel Fontenot. Marriott properties to consider include Q&C HotelBar, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, and The Saint Hotel.
What is there to do in New Orleans in 3 days?
A three-day trip to the Big Easy is likely to give you more than enough time to explore the city. Having visited countless times, here’s an itinerary I would put together if I were visiting for the first time. A New Orleans itinerary in 7 days would include much of the same but I would space out each of these activities over multiple days.
Day 1
Start your first day with beignets at Cafe du Monde in the New Orleans French Quarter. After breakfast, walk across the street to Jackson Square to see the local artists and listen to live music. Make your way down Bourbon Street and catch the street cart at Canal Street. Ride the streetcar to The National WWII Museum. Snag lunch at Willa Jean.
After lunch, rent a Blue Bike and ride the Lafitte Greenway until it ends and then walk to City Park. Check out the park before making your to the French Quarter for Sazerac tasting at The Sazerac Bar or The Carousel Bar in the birthplace of this classic drink. If Sazeracs are not your thing, head to Bacchanal for live music and wine outside. Dinner at Compère Lapin, Herbsaint, or Bywater American Bistro follows your pre-dinner drinks. Close your day out with the Marigny gift shopping (Palace Market Frenchmen is fun!).
Day 2
For Day 2, breakfast at Mollys Rise and Shine is a must. After breakfast, take an architecture street walk in the Garden District. Next, hop on the streetcar on St Charles and get off at the corner of St Charle and Louisiana Ave. Walk south to Magazine Street to stroll past the shops and restaurants. Grab an afternoon pick-me-up at La Boulangerie before walking or taking the streetcar to Audubon Park. Walk the park before grabbing the streetcar to head back to downtown for grabbing a drink at Cellar Door and dinner at Maypop or Cochon.
Day 3
If you’re not entirely exhausted, enjoy breakfast at French Truck (several locations). You can’t leave the city without tasting Po-boys from places like Domilise’s or R & O Restaurant. While you’re at it, tasting oysters is a must from staples like Felix’s and Pascal’s Manale. When the day starts turning to night, a Ghost tour is a unique experience to try. Have your pick at dinner staples like Galatoires, Arnaud’s, Brennan’s, Antoine’s, or August.
Common New Orleans Travel Questions
Is New Orleans dangerous for tourists?
Just like any metropolitan city, there are areas you want to avoid. New Orleans is no different. Use common sense, try not to stay out late, and stick to busy areas of the city and you’ll be ok.
What should first-time visitors do in New Orleans?
The itinerary above covers everything to see for first-time visitors. Top sights include Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, The National WWII Museum, Frenchmen Street, City Park, Audubon Park, and Magazine Street.
Conclusion on New Orleans Travel
New Orleans will always be a place I recommend to travelers to experience. Once you’ve committed to the trip, bringing the right travel credit card with you will help to earn points to book your next trip. Generally speaking, the shoulder months in the spring and fall are the best time to visit. New Orleans has a plethora of points hotels and sights to see giving you plenty to do on your first visit.
What do you think of this New Orleans travel guide? What other US cities do you recommend visiting? Please let me know in the comments below or by sending me an email on my contact page.
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