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New Orleans Travel Guide
New Orleans is a budget travel bargain if you avoid Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. The rest of the year, the French Quarter is walkable and free to wander, live jazz on Frenchmen Street has no cover, a muffuletta at Central Grocery is $18 and feeds two, and hotels in the Marigny or Warehouse District run half of French Quarter rates. Southwest flies MSY cheap from Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and Nashville. This guide covers the exact weeks to skip (Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest, Sugar Bowl), the neighborhoods to stay in, and the cheap-eats stops that turn a New Orleans trip into a two-meals-a-day food tour.
Quick tips
- Avoid Mardi Gras (Feb/Mar), Jazz Fest (late Apr), and the Sugar Bowl (Jan 1) — rates 3x normal.
- Stay in the Marigny or Warehouse District — walk to the Quarter, half the rate.
- Live jazz on Frenchmen Street has no cover; tip the band.
- A po' boy or muffuletta is a $12 meal and a New Orleans requirement.
- The streetcar is $1.25 — cheapest sightseeing in the city.
Frequently asked
When is the cheapest time to visit New Orleans?
Late August through early October and December (except New Year's) — hotels drop 40% and the humidity is finally manageable.
Is Bourbon Street worth it?
Once, for the walk — but Frenchmen Street is where locals go for real live music, and it's free to wander.
How many days do you need in New Orleans?
Three nights is ideal — a French Quarter day, a Garden District/streetcar day, and one music-and-food night in the Marigny.