Possible trip to New Orleans in July

[LookingGlassTie]

Good afternoon,

I might be taking a trip to New Orleans in July and I'm seriously considering taking Amtrak as opposed to flying.

I would be taking the Northeast Regional from NPN to WAS and then taking the Crescent from WAS to NOL, with an almost 6 hour layover in DC.

If the Crescent is on schedule, it would arrive in NOL after 9pm the next night. I would be staying at the JW Marriott New Orleans or the Sheraton New Orleans (right next to the Marriott).

What ground transportation is available to and from NOL? Thanks!

 

[jiml]

Good question, and I had the same two hotel choices for a trip that didn't happen in early 2020. We planned to fly down and CONO back. My only concern with going during the summer would be possible weather issues.

 

[Rasputin]

What ground transportation is available to and from NOL? Thanks!

Taxi and Uber should be readily available.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

Taxi and Uber should be readily available.

Thanks!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I had 2 different accounts with Uber and in both cases, my credit card was tapped. I recently signed up for Lyft through my Delta Skymiles account and even though I only used them for 1 ride so far, I found them to be much cheaper than Uber, even before my Skymiles coupon.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

I figured that Lyft, Uber and taxis would be available. The only thing I wasn't sure about was bus service.

Just want to keep my bases covered.

 

[me_little_me]

The NOL trolley used to be a great way to get to the hotels from Union Station but it has been suspended because of that fire(?) at the Hard Rock Cafe hotel.

 

[Zack]

I figured that Lyft, Uber and taxis would be available. The only thing I wasn't sure about was bus service.

Just want to keep my bases covered.

There is a city bus but it only takes you about half the distance if I remember correctly. You would have to walk the rest. It’s only about half a mile though.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

Follow-up question: How will the change in the Crescent's schedule affect my (possible) trip? Or was the schedule change taken into account based on the dates I selected?

 

[trainman74]

The NOL trolley used to be a great way to get to the hotels from Union Station but it has been suspended because of that fire(?) at the Hard Rock Cafe hotel.

It was a collapse of an under-construction building.

The New Orleans transit authority website says that, effective January 16th, they're now running a streetcar line called 49-Riverfront that goes from the Union Passenger Terminal to the French Market via Loyola Avenue, Canal Street, and the riverfront... however, details of the route are not showing up anywhere else on the site.

 

[tricia]

It was a collapse of an under-construction building.

The New Orleans transit authority website says that, effective January 16th, they're now running a streetcar line called 49-Riverfront that goes from the Union Passenger Terminal to the French Market via Loyola Avenue, Canal Street, and the riverfront... however, details of the route are not showing up anywhere else on the site.

It would be useful to know whether this new streetcar runs late enough to be useful to passengers arriving on the Crescent.

 

[Dan O]

We took a taxi to the Place D'Armes in the French Quarter. I don't stay in hotels much but it seemed lovely and just a stone's throw from Jackson Square. There were plenty of taxis when we arrived at the train station.

 

[Rasputin]

The New Orleans transit authority website says that, effective January 16th, they're now running a streetcar line called 49-Riverfront that goes from the Union Passenger Terminal to the French Market via Loyola Avenue, Canal Street, and the riverfront... however, details of the route are not showing up anywhere else on the site.

In 2019, we used the Ramparts-Union Passenger Terminal streetcar (or whatever its official name is) to go to the station and back a day before our departure to get some information on the bustitution then in effect for the CONO.

The service was fine but my impression is that this streetcar runs much less frequently than the Canal Street or St. Charles Ave. lines. So while it is useful, you may have quite a wait at times (which at those times makes it less useful). Corrections would be welcome.

 

[me_little_me]

In 2019, we used the Ramparts-Union Passenger Terminal streetcar (or whatever its official name is) to go to the station and back a day before our departure to get some information on the bustitution then in effect for the CONO.

The service was fine but my impression is that this streetcar runs much less frequently than the Canal Street or St. Charles Ave. lines. So while it is useful, you may have quite a wait at times (which at those times makes it less useful). Corrections would be welcome.

It used to be every 30 minutes. And of course, if you were a senior and didn't know that you only had to pay half price, the driver never said a word about it to you. I would drop enough for two half fares in the box and when he looked at me to say "What about your wife?", I would remind him that seniors only paid half price. Like the taxis, it was a "cheat the tourist if you can" attitude.

 

[DonNewcomb]

The RTA website has a lot of contradictory information. Some maps show a #46 bus that would go directly from NOL to the Marriott but it's not on the current schedule. I know I've taken a streetcar from NOL to the Aquarium but that was years ago. I think that the combination of COVID and the collapse of the Hard Rock building has left the system in turmoil.

 

[tricia]

If/when anyone has info that's CURRENT about public transport (streetcar or bus) to/from Amtrak and the French Quarter, you'd be doing a good deed to post it here. Thanks.

 

[me_little_me]

If/when anyone has info that's CURRENT about public transport (streetcar or bus) to/from Amtrak and the French Quarter, you'd be doing a good deed to post it here. Thanks.

From New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (norta.com):

General Rider Inquiries
504-248-3900
5am-8pm Daily

 

[Joe from PA]

When we went, the Crescent was 1 1/2 hour late (no big news here). We got a cab right away, while 8 people waited for their Ubers. But this was 3 years ago.

 

[GAT]

taxifarefinder,com says the fare would be about $9.00. Google Maps says it's a 20-minute walk, but it depends on how much luggage you have and your appetite for after-dark walking in a strange city.