Information if you want to rent a car in New Orleans
| New Orleans city centre | ||
| Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY): 18 km from city centre | ||
Rent a car in New Orleans
Where to rent a car in New Orleans
The good times never stop in New Orleans, the city practically lives and breathes music and offers some great venues to enjoy an evening of authentic jazz. Sip some cocktails on colonial-era balconies, gossip over lunch in the buzzing restaurant scene and channel your inner flapper.
Everything becomes a lot more accessible if you rent a car when your flight to New Orleans lands; you can drive your New Orleans car rental down to Frenchman Street with the rooftop down and music blasting. When you land in New Orleans Airport (MSY) you have plenty of car rental choice: choose from Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, Honk, National and Thifty but to ensure you get the cheapest car rental deal use liligo.com travel search engine – we’ll do all the hard work for you.
Driving in New Orleans: what you need to know
Luckily for both drivers and walkers the town is flat, which makes for easy driving, however you will have to contend with the poor road conditions. Driving and parking in the French Quarter can be a nightmare, the streets are narrow, potholed, crowded and one-way. Parking spaces are few and far between, and if you’re lucky enough to find a space you’ll be paying a lot per hour.
When driving in New Orleans, right turns on a red light are legal expect where no right turn on red signs are posted, so keep this in mind and be extra mindful.
Top tip: be mindful that there are automated speed cameras all over town, they will automatically ticket you no matter how minor the infraction. They are strategically placed in areas that move from 35mph zone to a 20mph so be extra careful of the speed limit.
Road trips from New Orleans: what to see and do
Avery Island
If you’re looking for something hot and spicy take a trip to Avery Island where Tabasco is made. You can explore the home of Tabasco where the McIlhenny family have worked and lived for generations. The families have managed to maintain the natural paradise which is inhabited by exotic plants and animal species.
Tour the Jungle Gardens, a beautiful 170-acre garden with semitropical foliage, ample wildlife and a centuries-old Buddha statue. If you visit in season you can expect to see alligators, deer and raccoons that live in the hills and marshes around the garden. It’s a beautiful rarity to witness these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.
Natchez
Untouched during the Civil War, Natchez holds plenty of history for you to explore, visit the plantations, tribal grounds, and historic museums and cemeteries. If you’re a bit of an architecture geek then you’ll be fangirling over the many Antebellum buildings located in Natchez. You can explore the exterior of the mansions yourself, take individual house tours or join a Natchez Historic City Tour, a one hour narrated tour (with guide) that will cover 50 antebellum houses and churches.
Galveston
Galveston State Park is a location for the outdoorsy type, you can enjoy some camping either on the beach or bay campsites at night and during the day you can take a stroll on the beach, hike, mountain bike, fish or look for coastal birds.
If camping isn’t your thing, you can find more luxurious overnight accommodation in the city from cute B&Bs to historic hotels. Before you retire to your room, be sure to grab some seafood and some quality beer from the local breweries.
