MSY · Layover Guide
New Orleans
Stop in New Orleans.
Best layover: 3–36h
LayoverScore™
Base city score. Your route score varies by savings and timing.
Exit realism
Comfortable window
Enough room in New Orleans for a real stop. Keep the buffer at the end anyway.
Landside playbook
If time slips
- Drop the last stop. Go straight to the train, taxi rank, or ride pickup you already chose.
- Add 15 minutes to map ETAs for the return leg at rush hour.
- One ticket for the whole trip protects you when the inbound is late. Separate tickets do not.
Worth knowing
- Do not stack three stops. One solid block in the city beats a rushed loop.
- Do not treat one map time as gospel for immigration lines. Pad on your first pass through this hub.
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Places to stay
Search hotelsLayoverScore™ breakdown
Score 68 · Discover 50 · Ease 16
Why New Orleans scores 68
Getting there
RTA Bus E2 $1.25 · Airport Shuttle $24
min to center
bus- 01Airport Shuttle ($24, 30-45 min to French Quarter)
- 02RTA Bus E2 ($1.25, 45-60 min)
- 03Taxi/Rideshare ($36-45, 25-35 min)
- 01Stroll through the French Quarter and admire Jackson Square
- 02Savor beignets and chicory coffee at Café Du Monde
- 03Explore the Garden District's antebellum mansions on St. Charles streetcar
- 04Sample a po'boy sandwich at Parkway Bakery or Domilise's
- 05Catch live jazz at Preservation Hall or Frenchmen Street clubs
Experiences in New Orleans
Timed tours and tickets for New Orleans are listed on our partner site.
Open listingsOpens in a new tab.
Need a room for your layover? Browse hotels near the airport.
Where to stay →Drop your luggage. Don't drag it around the city.
Bounce Luggage Storage
French Quarter (multiple locations)
$6/bag
5 min walk
Stasher at Canal Street
Near French Quarter
$7/bag
10 min walk
Hotel Monteleone Day Use
French Quarter
$89/day
0 min walk
From the terminal to the good part.
RTA Bus E2
To Carrollton/Canal Street
Runs every 20-30 min, connects to streetcar
50 min
$1.25
Airport Shuttle
Downtown/French Quarter
Shared van service to French Quarter hotels
35 min
$24.00
Taxi
Flat rate to CBD/French Quarter for 1-2 passengers
28 min
$36.00
Uber/Lyft
Variable pricing, pickup at rideshare lot
25 min
$22.00
New Orleans Pass
25+ attractions including swamp tours, museums, walking tours
1-day pass; good value if visiting 3+ attractions
$59
per day
Getting there
Get an Uber from the airportAt the airport
- 01Live jazz performances throughout terminals
- 02Leah's Pralines for authentic New Orleans sweets
- 03Emeril's Table for upscale Louisiana cuisine
- 04Acme Oyster House for fresh Gulf oysters
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