Planes, trains, and cars. New Orleans is among the best locations to go to within the nation due to the abundance of simple transportation. Nonetheless, the way you get to New Orleans solely is determined by the way you prefer to journey.
Flying into the New Orleans airport is simple, with over a dozen direct flight locations and several other main airways servicing the airport. Using Amtrak is simple with three routes resulting in New Orleans from Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.
This can be shocking, however driving is my favourite option to journey to New Orleans. Driving is easy, with three main interstate highways linked to New Orleans, considered one of which is an epic transcontinental route between Florida and California.
Which method do you favor to journey to New Orleans? Go away me a remark beneath, alongside together with your greatest tip for attending to New Orleans.
Map of New Orleans | Airport, Amtrak, and Interstates
Tips on how to use this map | Click on the icon within the top-left nook to open the Map Legend, then click on on any of the legend gadgets to show extra data. In case you have a Google account, click on the (very faint) star on the finish of the map’s identify to avoid wasting this map to your account, then entry the map out of your smartphone throughout your journey.
Flying to New Orleans
Louis Armstrong New Orleans Worldwide Airport (MSY) is a handy option to fly into New Orleans. The worldwide airport is simply 11 miles from downtown, making it nearer to town than many comparable airports. In 2001, the airport was named in honor of Louis Armstrong, some of the influential musicians within the early historical past of jazz.
Southwest, Delta, American, United, and Spirit serve the airport. In 2023, greater than 12 million passengers flew by way of the airport. Delta, Southwest, and Spirit provide 12 day by day direct flights between New Orleans and different cities, like Austin, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts; Burbank, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; and New York Metropolis.
Like many different pure options in New Orleans, the worldwide airport sits on the lowest elevation of any airport within the nation at 4 ft above sea stage.
MSY is a small airport with three concourses unfold all through a single terminal. There’s a whole of 35 gates servicing all kinds of plane.
The airport provides a notable collection of eating places representing one of the best of New Orleans. Café du Monde, Bar Sazerac, and PJ’s Espresso are a terrific introduction to town.
MSY has a terrific collection of rental automobiles which are excellent when you plan to go to the encircling wildlife administration areas or drive to Venice, the southernmost level in Louisiana, by automobile. Rideshares are simple to guide with Lyft (iOS | Android) and Uber (iOS | Android) working in New Orleans.
Using Amtrak to New Orleans
New Orleans is a central hub for Amtrak, with three routes connecting at Union Station. Getting on a prepare to New Orleans from Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles is simple. With further connections, getting from nearly anyplace within the continental United States to New Orleans by prepare is feasible.
Union Passenger Terminal on the southwest fringe of downtown New Orleans close to Caesars Superdome, dwelling of the New Orleans Saints NFL crew. The staffed station options loads of indoor seating, restrooms, ticket gross sales, and merchandising machines.
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) UPT-Riverfront Streetcar has a cease on the prepare station. The streetcar connects to the Canal Streetcar and St. Charles Avenue routes.
Though the prepare station is inside strolling distance – a prolonged strolling distance – of downtown motels, eating places, and sights, I like to recommend reserving a rideshare with Lyft (iOS | Android) or Uber (iOS | Android) to get round.
Professional Journey Tip | I like to recommend budgeting for a roomette or bed room when you plan to spend greater than 15 hours on a prepare. These rooms embody many facilities like personal showers, private rooms, and included meals.
Metropolis of New Orleans Route | Chicago, IL to New Orleans, LA
The Metropolis of New Orleans Route is 931 miles between Chicago, Illinois, and New Orleans. One prepare departs every route each afternoon, taking about 25 hours to journey your complete route.
The trains embody Superliner automobiles with roomettes, bedrooms, and bed room suites for journey households or teams of associates. Every prepare features a eating automobile with three meals ready all through the day.
The Metropolis of New Orleans Route has 19 stations between Chicago and New Orleans. Common stops alongside the route embody Memphis, Tennessee, and Jackson, Mississippi.
Crescent Route | New York, NY to New Orleans, LA
The Crescent Route is 1,300 miles lengthy between New York Metropolis and New Orleans. One prepare departs every route on daily basis – the prepare departs New Orleans within the morning and New York Metropolis within the afternoon. Extra trains depart Atlanta and Washington, D.C. day by day.
It takes about 30-40 hours to trip your complete route, making it one of many longest steady Amtrak routes within the nation. Trains embody upgraded Viewliner automobiles with roomettes, bedrooms, and bed room suites for touring households and teams of associates. Every prepare features a eating automobile with café service, serving three meals per day or 4 meals alongside your complete route.
The Crescent Route has 35 stations between New York Metropolis and New Orleans. Common stops alongside the route embody Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Greensville, South Carolina; and Atlanta, Georgia.
Sundown Restricted Route | Los Angeles, CA to New Orleans, LA
The Sundown Restricted Route is nearly 2,000 miles between Los Angeles, California, and New Orleans. Three trains depart weekly in every route, taking about 48-55 hours to journey your complete size.
The trains embody Superliner automobiles with roomettes, bedrooms, and bed room suites for touring households and teams of associates. Every prepare additionally features a eating automobile with café service, which prepares three meals day by day.
Did You Know | From Los Angeles to San Antonio, Texas, the Sundown Restricted and Texas Eagle routes share the identical railroad. This offers you extra alternatives to guide a passage with a connection in Texas.
The Sundown Restricted Route has solely 22 stations, limiting the choices to discover different locations whereas retaining the journey time to simply two nights aboard the prepare. Common stops embody Tucson, Arizona; San Antonio and Houston, Texas; and Lafayette, Louisiana.
Driving to New Orleans
Three interstate highways connect with New Orleans, making it a simple vacation spot to drive to. Throughout my go to to New Orleans, I drove Interstate 85 from Charlotte to Atlanta, Interstate 20 to Meridian, and Interstate 59 to New Orleans.
Professional Journey Tip | When driving lengthy distances on interstates, I like to recommend downloading iExit (iOS | Android). The app makes use of your GPS location and route of journey, after which lists the fuel stations, quick meals chains, and eating places at upcoming exits.
Interstate 10 | Jacksonville, FL to Los Angeles, CA
I-10 is the southernmost transcontinental interstate freeway within the nation. The two,460-mile freeway stretches throughout the nation from Jacksonville, Florida to Santa Monica, California. It’s the fourth-longest interstate within the nation after I-90, I-80, and I-40.
Main intersections of I-10 embody:
- Interstate 75 in Lake Metropolis, FL
- Interstate 65 in Cell, AL
- Interstate 59 in Slidell, LA
- Interstate 55 in Laplace, LA
- Interstate 49 in Lafayette, LA
- Interstate 45 in Houston, TX
- Interstate 20 in Scroggins Draw, TX
- Interstate 25 in Las Cruces, NM
- Interstate 17 in Phoenix, AZ
- Interstate 15 in Ontario, CA
- Interstate 5 in Los Angeles, CA
In Slidell, Louisiana, a big city northeast of New Orleans, Interstates 10 and 59 mix. The interstates cross a slim finish of Lake Pontchartrain. After the intersection with I-510, Interstates 10 and 59 move by way of the residential outskirts of New Orleans.
Interstates 10 and 59 move alongside the northwestern fringe of downtown New Orleans, curving away from town close to the Caesars Superdome. A number of exits present fast entrance into downtown – Exit 235 results in Canal Avenue, the primary thoroughfare into downtown.
Interstate 55 | Chicago, IL to New Orleans, LA
I-55 is a significant interstate freeway bisecting the nation by way of the Midwest. The 965-mile freeway connects Chicago, Illinois, and New Orleans. It’s the first route for touring from the Nice Lakes to the Gulf Coast.
Main intersections of I-55 embody:
- Interstates 94 and 90 in Chicago, IL
- Interstate 80 in Channahon, IL
- Interstate 74 in Bloomington, IL
- Interstate 72 in Springfield, IL
- Interstates 70 and 64 in St. Louis, MO
- Interstate 57 in Sikeston, MO
- Interstate 40 in Memphis, TN
- Interstate 69 in Hernando, MS
- Interstate 20 in Jackson, MS
- Interstate 12 in Hammond, LA
Curiously, I-57 parallels I-55 from Chicago, Illinois to Sikeston, Missouri. The alternate route follows the identical route because the Metropolis of New Orleans Amtrak route. I-55 passes by way of bigger locations like St. Louis and Springfield, whereas I-57 passes by way of Shawnee Nationwide Forest and central Illinois.
After crossing I-12 in Hammond, Louisiana, I-55 passes between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. In Laplace, a small city west of New Orleans, I-55 merges with I-10. From there, the 2 interstates journey alongside the sting of Lake Pontchartrain.
After the intersection with I-310, Interstates 10 and 55 move Louis Armstrong New Orleans Worldwide Airport and journey into the residential suburbs of New Orleans.
Interstate 59 | Meridian, MS to New Orleans, LA
I-55 is a brief connector interstate freeway. The 445-mile freeway connects Trenton, Georgia, and Slidell, Louisiana, reducing throughout Alabama. It’s the first route for anybody touring to New Orleans from Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Birmingham.
Main intersections of I-59 embody:
- Interstates 20, 65, and 22 in Birmingham, AL
- Interstate 20 in Meridian, MS
- Interstate 10 in Slidell, LA
In Slidell, Louisiana, a big city northeast of New Orleans, Interstates 10 and 59 mix. The interstates cross a slim finish of Lake Pontchartrain. After the intersection with I-510, Interstates 10 and 59 move by way of the residential outskirts of New Orleans.
Interstates 10 and 59 move alongside the northwestern fringe of downtown New Orleans, curving away from town close to the Caesars Superdome. A number of exits present fast entrance into downtown – Exit 235 results in Canal Avenue, the primary thoroughfare into downtown.