Transportation to New Orleans
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) currently serves 37 nonstop destinations with approximately 119 daily departures.
Transportation Services at the Airport
Taxicab: The flat-rate from the airport to downtown is $33.00 for one or two passengers, and $14.00 per passenger for three or more riders. Pick-up is on the lower level, outside the baggage claim area. There may be an additional charge for extra baggage.
Shuttle buses: Airport Shuttle is the official ground transportation provider for the airport. It is a shared-ride van service and costs $38.00 per person round trip and $20.00 one way; children under 6 are free. The shuttle runs every 10 minutes until the last flight of the night. Ticket desks are located across from baggage claim areas 3, 6, and 12. Service is available on a continuous basis with vans departing approximately every 30 minutes.
Public transit: If arriving on a weekday, Jefferson Parish Transit's (JeT)Airport-Downtown Express E-2 (www.jeffersontransit.org) provides direct service into the city. The bus picks up passengers outside airport Entrance 7 on the upper level, departing on 10- to 20-minute intervals. The fare is $2.00, and the trip takes approximately 35 minutes. The drop-off point is about two blocks from the French Quarter, with AHA hotels within short walking distance.
On weekdays after 6:00 p.m. and on weekends, the E-2 departs the airport at 7:12 p.m., 8:16 p.m. and 9:20 p.m.; however, the bus does not go into New Orleans. Passengers must transfer to a New Orleans Regional Transit bus (RTA). The JeT bus drops passengers at Tulane and Carrollton, with the RTA bus taking passengers from this point to the corner of Canal Street at Elks Place, at the northwest corner of the French Quarter. After hours JeT fare is $1.50 and the RTA fare is $1.25; transfers from the JeT cannot be used as they are two different bus companies.
Public Transportation in New Orleans
Fares: The standard fare for a one-way trip on a bus or streetcar is $1.25. Transfers cost 25 cents each and are good for two hours on any bus or streetcar that continues the same trip. Transfers are purchased from the bus driver or streetcar conductor at the time of boarding and paying fare. Transfers cannot be used for a return trip along the original route. For a return trip, even if within the two-hour period, passengers must pay another one-way fare.
Children 2 years of age and under ride free. Senior citizens 65 years of age and older pay 40 cents to ride the bus or streetcar, and transfers are free. Riders must present to the bus driver or streetcar conductor an ID that proves age in order to qualify for the lower fare.
Paratransit: Disabled riders and Medicare cardholders can ride standard RTA buses for 40 cents and can get transfers for free. Before being allowed to pay this reduced fare or get free transfers, they first must apply with the RTA to receive a special ID card. When boarding, show this card to the bus driver or streetcar conductor. For more information, visit the RTA's web site “How to Ride with a Disability”.
For those disabled riders who do not have the mobility to access standard RTA buses and streetcars, the RTA offers a shared-ride, curb-to-curb paratransit program. A one-way fare on this service costs $2. For more information, please visit the Paratransit page.
Passes: The Jazzy Pass is a card with a magnetic strip that lets you ride RTA busses and streetcars as much as you'd like during the period it is active. It comes in one-day, three-day, and 31-day versions. For more information, visit the Jazzy page .
Parking in New Orleans
There are three options for parking in New Orleans: at your hotel, at a commercial garage, and on the street. The first two are expensive and the latter can be next to impossible to find. Watch your time when parking in the French Quarter--parking regulations are strictly enforced through ticketing and towing. There is metered parking on most downtown streets, with regular two-hour meters costing $1.50 per hour and long-term meters (up to ten hours) costing $1.00 per hour. Both types of meters are enforced from 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. , Monday-Saturday. Parking is prohibited at meters in designated rush hour zones from 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. If you allow the time to elapse, you will be towed to a city impound lot. Also, watch for signs indicating that parking is not allowed at specific time periods during the day; make sure your car is moved before the time frame starts.
