Be alert that the streets of much of the city were laid out before the automobile, especially in the older parts of town of most interest to visitors. There are many one way streets, and in some neighborhoods two-way side streets may be so narrow that cars going one way may need to pull to the side to let vehicles going the other way pass when someone has parked on the street.

Potholes are common and road condition is often poor for a developed country.

Street signage is sometimes unclear or missing, although the city has improved this situation significantly in recent years, but Katrina set the situation back, which much signage yet to be replaced.

Parking is often hard to find around many areas of interest to tourists, but there are generally pay lots in the area.

Those who don't know how to parallel park may wish to just leave their car in a pay lot when visiting much of the city.

Without a car

Public transit varies from good to poor depending on what part of the city one is in, but the good news is that many of the prime areas of interest to visitors are on the better end of this scale.

The streetcar lines are generally more reliable than the buses, and run 24 hours a day, but after midnight usually cut back to just one an hour.

Public transit is by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority ("RTA"). RTA website:

Fares for buses or streetcars are $1.25, 25 cents extra for a transfer (good only on another line, not for a return trip on the same line). Express buses are $1.50. Have exact change ready, please.

Visitors who expect to take more than one or two rides on public transit while in town can get a transit pass, available at most Whitney or Hibernia Banks and many other locations around town, as detailed on the RTA site. The NORTA has regular express bus service between the airport and the French Quarter/Downtown. At 1.50 a ride, it's the best deal in town. The trip takes about 40 minutes.

Those staying in or near the French Quarter can easily get around by foot, with optional occasional trips by streetcar or cab if they wish to visit other parts of town.

Visitors can find out more information about what is available via the New Orleans Streetcar Lines at:

Knowing which way is up

The older neighborhoods of the city, the ones of most interest to visitors, were laid out along the banks of the Mississippi River. Except for the grid of the French Quarter, streets were laid out either following to the river's curves or perpendicular to them, not according to compass directions or a grid.

For this reason, locals in these parts of town often don't give directions according to "north, south, east, and west". The four directions, instead, are "up" (or "up river" or "up town"), "down" (or "down river" or "down town"), "river" (or "towards the river" or sometimes "in"), and "lake" (or "towards the lake" or "back" or sometimes "out"). Don't be daunted, this makes sense when you take a moment to understand it.

Look at a map of the city. If, for example, you are taking the streetcar that runs along Saint Charles Avenue from the French Quarter to Carrollton, you see that the route starts off going south, then over some miles gradually turns west, and winds up running northwest. This is because Saint Charles reflects a bend in the river. From the local perspective, the entire route goes one way: up (or on the return trip from Carrollton to the Quarter, down).

Know that Canal Street is the up river boundary of the French Quarter. (Keep going further "up" away from the Quarter and you'll be in "Uptown".)

Some streets are labeled "North" and "South", this reflects which side of Canal Street they are on (despite the fact that Canal Street runs from southeast to northwest). The part of Rampart Street on the French Quarter side is North Rampart Street; the part on the Central Business District side is South Rampart.

A majority of New Orleans streets are divided, with a "neutral ground" (median) running down the middle. For this reason, the traffic lights have no dedicated cycle for a protected left turn. On streets with a wide neutral ground, there is a solution. Imagine turning from an avenue to a street; the solution is to turn left on green, queue in the stretch of the street between the two halves of the avenue, then proceed once the traffic light on the street has turned green. On streets with a narrow neutral ground, there is not enough room for cars to queue. In these situations, left turns are often prohibited; the solution is to go straight, take the next U-turn, then take a right turn when you arrive back at the intersection. Streets such as Tulane Avenue famously have "No Left Turn" signs posted for miles.