Louisiana

Introduction

Geography

Cities

• Alexandria
• Baton Rouge, the state capital
• Bossier City
• Kenner
• Lafayette
• Lake Charles
• Monroe
• New Iberia
• New Orleans, the state's largest city
• Shreveport

Sights and Activities

National Parks

• Cane River National Heritage Area
• Cane River Creole National Historical Park
• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
• New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
• Poverty Point National Monument

Events and Festivals

Mardi Gras

When most people think New Orleans they think Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras basically is the celebration prior to the fasting season of Lent. Although it refers to the events of the Carnival celebrations, Mardi Gras itself typically culminates on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday), referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. Popular festival events are wearing masks and costumes, dancing and parades. The parades are organized by the Krewes and they travel on large floats tossing beads to the crowds. No one knows the exact year this festival started but by 1743 it was in full swing. Mardi Gras is celebrated mainly in South and North America and other famous ones include those in Rio de Janeiro, Barranquilla, Port of Spain, Quebec City and Mazatlán.

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, started in 1970, is an annual festival that celebrates every kind of music associated with New Orleans or Louisiana. This includes music like jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, cajun music, zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk, Latin, rock, rap, country music and bluegrass. The festival is held during the day from 11:00am to 7:00pm on the Fair Grounds Race Course, a horse racing track, on two consecutive weekends. These are the last weekend of April, from Friday through Sunday and the first Weekend in May, Thursday through Sunday.

There are other jazz festivals during the year like the French Quarter Festival in April and the Satchmo Summerfest in August.

Weather

Summers are generally hot and humid with rain. Winters are mild.

Getting There

By Plane

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is a large international airport serving an average around 10 million passengers a year. It is also the second lowest airport in the world only sitting at 4.5 feet (1.5 metres) above sea level. It is possible to get direct flights to most major USA cities, especially the ones in the south. There are a few international flights, mainly to Central America and Mexico. The main destinations include Mexico City, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Houston, New York City, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Denver, Kansas City, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Orlando, Nashville, St. Louis, Tampa, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Charlotte.

To/from the airport

• Bus: From the airport, public transit runs to the Central Business District. The E-2 Airport Bus goes to Tulane and Loyola Avenues in downtown New Orleans, which is two blocks from Canal Street. The fare on this bus is $1.60 one-way. The bus is operated by Jefferson Transit, which is not the same operator that runs buses within New Orleans, so transfers to New Orleans services require an additional fare. Schedules can be found at the Jefferson Transit website.
• Car: A taxi to the French Quarter will cost approximately $30. An airport shuttle service runs to the major hotels for $13 per person one-way. Rental cars are available at the airport as well.

By Train

Several trains travel between Louisiana and other states in the country. These include:

• The City of New Orleans between New Orleans and Chicago.
• The Crescent between New Orleans and New York.
• The Sunset Limited between New Orleans and Los Angeles.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

Louisiana has a number of National Scenic Byways which offer a great way to explore the state crossing beautiful landscapes. Mostly, there are lots of national parks, state parks or monuments along the way and it's generally a better alternative than the faster but boring Interstate Highways.

By Bus

By Boat

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Hotel and Motel Chains

There are dozens of hotel and motel chains, ranging from budget to top end. Allthough they are not the most charming accommodations, they usually have a very decent midrange service with good rooms and are generally good value. At least you know what to expect and in some cases they are either the only or the best option in the area. Some of them include:

• Motel 6
• Super 8
• Days Inn
• Quality Inn
• Red Roof Inn
• Howard Johnson
• Best Western
• La Quinta Inns and Suites
• Holiday Inn
• Econo Lodge
• Travelodge
• Hilton
• Choice Hotels
• Ramada
• Radisson
• Starwood Hotels
• Marriott Hotels