Any ideas for a holiday in New Orleans?

[BIWI]

DH really wants to go. We're probably going to have to go in mid to late July (he's a contractor so has to work around permanent members of staff and their holiday dates).

It looks difficult to get to, in that you can't fly direct as far as I can see. (We'll be flying from London).

Anyone been and have any recommendations?

TIA

It will be crazy hot and humid at that time of year. How do you/dh cope with that sort of weather? Can you really not go any other time?

As far as flights, you should have no problem getting there, but will have to connect.

Don't mind hot, humid less so! I suppose we could go later in the year - when's best do you reckon?

Where would you fly via? I'm wondering if it would be worth making it a two centre holiday?

Oh, and thank you!

Why New Orleans? My advice is probably outdated but we went before Katrina and it was not what we expected. We were in the tourist areas and frankly it was intimidating and quite scary. When i could see DH was scared was probably the final straw. It was seedy, lots of prostitutes in windows and this was the main tourism street and it was not the best experience. We only had 1 night and were glad to leave. I don't know what it is like now post Katrina but definately research. We also did other places in the deep south, we loved Memphis and did graceland. Could you also consider Nashville if you are driving?

We also hated it, we drove in, had a walk around, then cancelled our hotel reservation and drove back out - shudder

And we've done lots of fly drive holidays around the US, so not easily spooked

We did Memphis and Graceland too, and drove from Memphis down to NO then out, through Mississippi and Alabama, along the Florida panhandle and down to friends who live near West Palm beach

Oh

That's so disappointing.

Sorry

There was a thread a few months ago asking the worst place you'd been on holiday, and NO was mentioned quite a few times by different people

You should research and think why you want to go there, plenty of other cities have the music and culture. We spent 3 weeks in the USA and travelled to lots of places and NO was the worst place i have Ever been, ever.
We were there less than 24 hours and that was 20 hours too much, even the hotel was scary.
However, you may find others who loved it. I can only imagine it is worse now post katrina, more poverty and desperation.

I loved it OP! Went in March a few years ago, and thought it was great - loved the music everywhere, some v interesting museums, did a great cemetery tour and good nightlife off the beaten track of Bourbon St (stay away from there).

I wouldn't go in summer though - I wouldn't go after April tbh

Many people I know have enjoyed N.O. for a long weekend, and I think it would be great for that. Not sure you'd enjoy it for a full (2 week?) holiday.

As far as flights - what is your preferred airline? American will fly London - Dallas, London - Chicago and there are easy connections to N.O. Delta flies into Atlanta from London, and the connection will be an easy one also. Honestly, it won't be hard to get there from London.

Here are some links from an American blog that specialises in life in the SE part of America:

styleblueprint.com/atlanta/everyday/your-next-weekend-trip-new-orleans/

styleblueprint.com/everyday/new-orleans-itinerary/

And this entry is a bit old, but you could research to make sure the suggested places are still open
styleblueprint.com/atlanta/everyday/trip-big-easynew-orleanslots-food-lots-frivolity/

And, in spite of the questionable name of the publication, this magazine will offer many useful suggestions for planning a trip - just search their archives:

gardenandgun.com/solr-search/new%20orleans?search=new%20orleans

More archives to peruse from American travel magazines:

www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/new-orleans

And another U.S. based trail magazine - scour the archives for ideas and recommendations:

www.cntraveler.com/search?size=10&page=1&q=new+orleans

"My advice is probably outdated but we went before Katrina and it was not what we expected. We were in the tourist areas and frankly it was intimidating and quite scary."

It was like that when we went in 1990. I had always wanted to visit New Orleans, especially as I was a fan of Tennessee Williams and his work. OH and I are pretty streetwise, but NO is the only place where we were fleeced out of some money by a con artist.

We stayed in the French quarter, but away from the main drag the streets are eerily quiet and we kept looking back over our shoulders on the way back to the hotel in the evenings.

We saw a lot of alcoholics and down and outs in the main square and found the city very expensive.

To get there we flew via Chicago.

It isn't somewhere I would go back to.

I wouldn't go back either but if you do i would avoid summer, the humidity is awful.Spring or Autumn would be better.

I went as a 22 year old in 2003 and I didn't find it scary, although I was probably more blasé about safety back then, but I did find it to be a very deprived and downtrodden city. We also stayed in the French Quarter which must have been cheap as we were backpacking.

We've been to NOLA many times when we lived in the USA. We absolutely love it, although we have friends who live there so they were always on hand to show us around.
It's beautiful, gritty, fascinating, the food (omg deep fried pickles, and beignets!) and music is amazing and it's like no other USA city. There are great museums and galleries, and City Park is stunning, with its outdoor sculpture park.
Of course there are areas you shouldn't go to, but show me a city where that isn't the case.
The best time of year to visit weather wise is Spring or Autumn, but it can be pretty humid all year round.

I was there for a week last year and absolutely loved it! Didn't notice any of the stuff the pps have said (except on bourbon st which I avoided) and found it really reasonably priced.

Also I can't stand heat or humidity but I still loved it there in August despite this.

Blimey! Don't know what to think/believe now!

BIWI if you're going to travel that far, I'd tie a trip to New Orleans in with visitng other places.
Two or three days is probably as much as you'll need to get a flavour of the city, and if you don't enjoy it, you'll soon be moving on. The plantation houses are fascinating to visit if you get chance.

So where would you suggest that we base ourselves? Or fly into, if we're going to travel around? I'm up for a road trip type of holiday, if NO is only worth a day/couple of days

You could fly to New Orleans, spend a few days there and hire a car to drive to west Florida, there are gorgeous beaches on the gulf coast, about a three or four hour drive through Alabama.
Or you could drive up to Tennessee for Memphis, the Smoky Mountains and Gatlinburg.
They're both easy, if long drives but to get anywhere in the US there will be a lot of travelling involved!

We had about 3 days in New Orleans, had a day out along the Mississippi coast, took a boat trip on a bayou then drove up to Memphis. We drove down through Arkansas and through Texas to Galveston then came back to New Orleans via Lafayette. En route we visited Avery Island, looked around the Tabasco factory and visited the Acadian village in Lafayette.

Thanks all

I have lived in NOLA and I do enjoy going back. It is like no other city in the country, and it is still struggling to overcome Katrina. You do have to be careful, but that is true for any American city. I agree with others that you might not want to spend the entire two weeks there. I would recommend Memphis as an additional city to visit; be sure to eat at Central Barbecue.

We're off to the US in April, flying in to Birmingham, Alabama and traveling down to Mobile, then New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Gatlinburg and Chattanooga. I can't wait! I've been to New Orleans before, 20 years ago but DH hasn't been and wants to go. We've booked a hotel in the French Quarter for 3 nights. It's not a place I'd take children but I've been to less desirable places in the US!

I wouldn't spend all my time there but I really think it's worth a visit.