Do I Need a Car in New Orleans? A Visitor's Guide

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New Orleans is one of the most walkable, rideable, and rail-connected cities in the South. If you're planning your upcoming trip and asking yourself, “do I need a car in New Orleans,” the short, and perhaps surprising, answer for most visitors is no! 

The longer answer is more context-dependent, and takes into account where you're staying, what you want to see, and how you prefer to move through a city. Here's everything you need to know about transit before you arrive.

Do I Need a Car in New Orleans? Start By Considering Your Location

Where you're staying makes all the difference when it comes to determining how best to move through one of the most fascinating cities in America. Guests at The Riverfront Hotel are positioned at one of the most strategic addresses in the city: 701 Convention Center Boulevard, steps from the French Quarter, the Arts Warehouse District, and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. From this location, the majority of what makes New Orleans worth visiting is either walkable or a short streetcar ride away.

The French Quarter, with its iconic architecture, live jazz, and world-class dining, awaits just minutes away on foot. The Warehouse Arts District is home to the Contemporary Arts Center, the National WWII Museum, and some of the city's best restaurants are practically just outside your door. This is the kind of location that makes a car feel less like a necessity and more like an optional add-on to your visit.

Getting Around Without a Car

New Orleans offers several practical (and often exciting) ways to get around without needing to take the wheel. Below are just a few options you might consider over a traditional car rental. 

The Streetcar

The St. Charles streetcar line is one of the oldest continuously operating street railways in the world, and it's genuinely useful beyond its reputation as a novel tourist attraction. It runs from the CBD uptown through the Garden District and past Tulane and Loyola universities. A single fare costs $1.25, and a Jazzy Pass gives you unlimited rides for a day or longer. For visitors staying near the Convention Center, the Canal Street line also connects quickly to Mid-City and the lakefront area.

Rideshare and Taxis

Uber and Lyft operate throughout New Orleans with solid coverage in the areas most visitors like to frequent. Taxis are also available, particularly around the French Quarter and major hotels. For trips further afield (perhaps out to the Tremé, Frenchmen Street, or a dinner reservation in the Garden District), rideshare is a reliable and affordable option.

Biking

New Orleans is flat, which makes it a bike-friendly city. Blue Bikes, the city's bike-share program, has stations throughout the French Quarter, Marigny, Warehouse District, and CBD. Rates are reasonable for short trips, and cycling through the historic streets is one of the better ways to see the city at your own pace and feel more genuinely immersed in your surroundings.

Walking

For guests at The Riverfront Hotel and in the surrounding areas, walking is often the best option to visit the most popular destinations. The French Quarter is a quick 10-minute stroll, the National WWII Museum is less than a mile away, and the Mississippi Riverfront is just across the street. When the weather cooperates (and in New Orleans it often does), walking is the best way to discover the city's real character: the iron-lace balconies, the shotgun houses, the street musicians and buskers creating moments of magic and music around every corner.

When a Car Actually Makes Sense

There are a few situations where having a car (or renting one for a day), is worth considering. If you're planning a day trip to the Honey Island Swamp, Oak Alley Plantation, a swamp tour, or anywhere along the River Road, a car is the most practical choice, though it’s also worth noting that many local tour outfitters can also arrange transportation for you. Similarly, if you want to explore Mid-City's neighborhood restaurants or set out for a dinner in Lakeview, a car saves time as opposed to stringing together transit options.

Guests with mobility considerations may also find a car or rideshare worth having on hand. While The Riverfront Hotel offers ADA accessible rooms and the immediate neighborhood is navigable, some of the city's most charming streets feature uneven pavement, historic brick sidewalks, and limited curb cuts. For older travelers or guests with limited mobility, having a car accessible or relying on rideshare for longer stretches can make all the difference between a tiring day and a comfortable one. 

That said, New Orleans has come a long way on accessibility, and many of the top attractions near the hotel are easy to reach without a car at all. For the core New Orleans experience, the food, the music, the culture, the architecture, a car is rarely necessary. 

The Convention Traveler's Perspective

For guests in town for a convention at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the answer to “do I need a car in New Orleans” is almost always no. The Riverfront Hotel sits directly across from the Convention Center on Convention Center Boulevard, and it’s entirely possible to walk to a keynote in under two minutes. After a full day of sessions, Fulton St. Bistro and Bar is just steps away if you’re in the mood for a classic New Orleans cocktail or dinner without ever having to worry about a car or a rideshare service.

Making the Most of Your Car-Free Stay With The Riverfront Hotel

So, do I need a car in New Orleans? Most visitors, especially those staying in the heart of the city near the French Quarter and Convention Center, find that they prefer to go without! Skip the rental, avoid the parking stress, and spend that energy on appreciating the city instead. 

The best New Orleans experiences tend to happen at a slower pace than in other cities: lingering over beignets, following the sound of a brass band down a side street, stopping into a gallery in the Arts District on a whim. New Orleans rewards the people willing to walk its streets, ride its streetcars, and let the city set the pace. While it's likely that many of the activities you'll end up pursuing won't require a car, they all require time, an open mind and a good starting point.

Guests at The Riverfront Hotel have that starting point covered. Step outside and you're already in the middle of the action: the Mississippi Riverfront to one side, the French Quarter a short walk in the other direction, and the Arts Warehouse District filling in the blocks around you. When you do want to venture out, the streetcar, Blue Bikes, and rideshare options are all within easy reach. You won't need a trunk or a parking spot,  just a comfortable room to return to, reminisce, and relax at the end of the day.

Ready to explore the Big Easy? Book your stay today and allow yourself to be immersed in the epicenter of New Orleans life and culture.