New Orleans Travel Tips for First-Timers

New Orleans is unlike any other place I have ever been. No other city can be mistaken for it, as it is in its own category. It pulls from all the different cultures that have thrived in the area, from the French and Spanish to the Cajun and Creole. It all blends together to make a sultry, spicy, flavorful mix of a place that is unapologetically unique. That being said, the sensory overload can be overwhelming when you first visit NOLA! Here are a few tried-and true New Orleans travel tips that I’ve cobbled together over many times visiting this jazzy city.

Beignets at Café du Monde

No trip to New Orleans is complete without sampling a piping-hot serving of deliciousness, also known as beignets.

If you don’t know, beignets (pronounced BEN-YAYS) are square French-style doughnuts served with a load of powdered sugar dumped on them. At least this is how they serve them up at Café du Monde, which is where I recommend you have them. Café du Monde is a New Orleans institution and is open 24/7. Seriously. I once went there at 1AM!

Their website states that “it closes only on Christmas Day and on the day an occasional hurricane passes too close to New Orleans”.

It’s a different type of place, where the tables are packed together and they only serve a few things. They have a few drinks but serve only beignets for food. During busy times, there might be a line for a table. If there is, someone might come and seat you when you get to the front. Or if you see an open table, just go for it. I recommend snagging the table even if it’s dirty, someone is always right behind you to clean it off. It’s an informal sort of place like that.

The only menus can be found on the sides of the napkin containers, and they only accept cash. I repeat: THEY ONLY ACCEPT CASH. Also, don’t wear dark-colored clothes. You WILL make a mess with the powdered sugar, so try to make it less obvious by wearing a light color.

Don’t spend all your time on Bourbon Street

Unless you’re looking to party (hard), Bourbon Street kinda sucks (in my opinion). If you want to drink and drink some more, that’s your place. But…you’ll find everything that comes along with such an adult playground, such as people puking on the street at 2PM, raging techno music, and seedy strip clubs.

There are many other amazing places to eat and drink in the French Quarter, especially if your goal is to actually see the city. One of my best New Orleans travel tips is to see Bourbon Street, but then move on! You’ll get a better sense of the city in the other neighborhoods (or other streets in the French Quarter) anyway.

To find the music, head to Frenchman Street

No list of New Orleans travel tips would be complete without steering you toward Frenchman Street! Not that you’ll need any help finding live music in NOLA, but if music is what you seek you’ll find it on Frenchman Street. This street is teeming with clubs playing the best music the South has to offer. You’ll hear jazz, blues, Zydeco, and brass bands all night long here.

Music is a huge, huge part of the New Orleans culture, and missing out seeing some live means you really didn’t experience the city. My personal favorite is a club called The Spotted Cat Music Club. It’s pretty much standing room only because it’s so popular, but the incredible soul their musicians pour into their music will make you not care.

If you haven’t heard Zydeco music, I highly suggest seeking it out on Frenchman Street. It’s heavy on the accordion and 1000% unique to Louisiana. I guaran-freaking-tee that you will be up on the dance floor with tourists and locals alike, it’s such a fun sound that you won’t be able to resist. Plus, seeing it performed live is a treat!

Keep in mind that these music clubs will either charge a small cover fee or have a drink minimum, so have some cash on hand! Also, I know from personal experience that Café du Monde beignets are best enjoyed after a night of dancing to live music (since they’re open 24 hours).

Try new food; Eat in small portions

The food is one of the BEST things about New Orleans, hands down. It’s one of those things that is pretty unique to this part of the country/world, and should not be missed. Cajun and Creole food can be spicy (although doesn’t have to be), and is nothing if not incredibly flavorful. It will be a big leap for adventurous eaters!! But I promise you will find at least one thing that you like, if not more. And if you like it, you’ll REALLY like it!

Popular dishes include jambalaya, red beans and rice, po’ boy sandwiches, gumbo, beignets, Étouffée, crawfish, anything with alligator (it’s good!), Banana’s Foster, shrimp and grits…the list goes on! And they are all deeeeeeeelicious!

Here’s what I like to do in NOLA: I like to share a dish with Kevin (the hubs), since I know I’ll want to eat more than 3X’s a day. Don’t worry, you’ll walk and dance it all off! This way, it’s a much smaller portion so I can eat more of an assortment. Or you can look for a sampler, I’ve seen places that will give you smaller portions of 3 different things.

Maybe I should write a Food Guide to New Orleans? I dream about doing the research…

Take your drink to go

One of the weirder New Orleans travel tips is that if you have alcohol, you can ask for a to-go cup! That’s right, it’s legal to drink on the street out of a plastic cup. This is why I recommend not spending much time on Bourbon Street haha, you’ll see a lot of drinking there! But if you want to pack up and move to another club/bar/restaurant, just ask for a plastic to-go cup and take it with you! This makes NOLA an exceptional party town, and you will probably see more than one Bachelorette Party roaming around!

Don’t try to drive in the French Quarter

My next item in my New Orleans travel tips is to park it! Your car, that is. In order to make your vacation as relaxing as possible, I would definitely avoid driving in the French Quarter. Streets are narrow, one-way, and packed with tourists walking all over the place.

If it’s at all possible, I recommend booking a hotel that’s right in the middle of the French Quarter, so you can just walk everywhere. French Quarter hotels can be expensive, however, so I completely understand looking elsewhere for accommodation. If that’s what you end up doing, you can either Uber into the center of town or rent a car and park NEAR the Quarter and walk in. Renting a car is fun because you have the freedom to visit some of the other sites in the area, such as the swamps and plantations.

There are plenty of public lots you can leave the car in for a few hours while you explore. A great option is to park and then use the streetcar to get around. Not only is it fun, but it’s cheap! It’s $1.25 per person one way (they only except exact change). If you feel you’re going to ride it a lot, you can buy a Jazzy Pass. It allows unlimited rides for different periods of time.

Hear a good old-fashioned brass band

You should be able to hear music at any time of the day whilst walking around the French Quarter. If you don’t, you’re doing it wrong.

One tried and true way to hear some typical New Orleans music is to head to Jackson Square around 1PM. On any given afternoon, the Jackson Square Allstars will be there entertaining the masses with the sounds of the Big Easy. The band has a rotating lineup, with members from lots of the best brass bands that NOLA has to offer. If you feel the rhythm, make sure to get up and dance!

Also, bring a few bucks cash (you have some change leftover from Café du Monde, right?). You’ll want to tip the band for their wonderful performance, of course.

 

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