Before you can even join us on some of our free New Orleans walking tours, you'll have to make it from the airport to the French Quarter.
With that in mind, this post covers each of the airport transfers available in New Orleans. We include details about taxis, rideshares, public transportation, private shuttles, and more.
The French Quarter is approximately 13 miles from the airport, and the journey should take 20-30 minutes no matter which option you choose.
Let's get moving!
- Taxi/Uber/Lyft
- Shared Shuttles
- Public Shuttle Bus
- Private Shuttles
- Car Rentals
- Tips From Locals and Travelers
- How to Ride the Streetcars
Taxi or Uber/Lyft
This is probably the easiest way to get from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to the city, and it’s also one of the most affordable options.
Additionally, you will usually pay less for this type of service than you would for a private transfer.
You might even pay less than you would for a shared transfer!
Taxis
Taxis are almost always available at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
You’ll find them at the Arrivals Curb just outside the Level 1 Baggage Claim near Door 7.
Rides from the Airport to either the Central Business District or the French Quarter have the following flat-rate prices:
- 1-2 Passengers: $36 per person
- 3 or More Passengers: $15 per person
- All taxis are required to accept credit card payments
If you do the math, this is actually cheaper per person than the shared transfers when you’re paying for at least 3 people.
Taxis are also cheaper than any of the private transfers, especially if you’re traveling alone.
Since you don’t have to share a taxi with anyone else, it’s almost exactly like a private transfer.
Uber/Lyft
The minimum fare you can expect from Uber or Lyft is $33 for an airport transfer. It's far more typical to pay between $43-$50.
Prices tend to increase during periods when their service is in high demand.
Depending on which type of vehicle you choose, you might be able to save some money using these rideshare services.
But, you can expect to pay at least $30-$35 for fare between the airport and the French Quarter.
This price is not much lower for an individual than it would be to grab a taxi, so it might not even be worth the extra time to pull up a rideshare app on your phone.
You’ll most likely never need to schedule a taxi ride from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, but you will need to schedule an Uber or Lyft ride.
This extra effort makes sense if you’re going to save a decent amount of money.
But, if you’re only going to save $5 or less, it will probably be easier to just grab a taxi when you get to the airport.
Although Uber/Lyft might not be the best choice in terms of price for an airport transfer in New Orleans, they are an excellent option if you need to get around the city during your stay.
Rideshare services must pick up their customers at the designated area just outside of the Level 1 Baggage Claim at Zone 3.
This location will always be the middle curb, located between doors 7-11.
Shared Shuttles
Shared shuttles are one of the most affordable forms of transportation between the airport and New Orleans, and you can book tickets in advance to save some time.
Shared shuttles include both one-way and round-trip options.
If you want to take care of your transportation to and from the airport all at once, this is one of the best ways to do that.
This type of airport transfer is typically available at least once every half hour, and it takes around 20-30 minutes to reach the city. Travel times depend on where your hotel is located.
Airport Shuttle New Orleans
This is the official ground transportation at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
They currently offer the best individual prices on transfers between the Airport and other areas of the city.
Airport Shuttle New Orleans provides transportation to and from Downtown and Uptown hotels, the French Quarter, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and Cruise Ship Terminals.
Shuttles for arrivals are available every 30 minutes from 9 am - 10 pm, and you can find them outside of doors 3 and 4 near the Baggage Claim area.
If you need a shuttle to the airport for a departure, their services are offered from 6 am - 7 pm.
And they offer pickups at most hotels in the downtown and uptown areas of New Orleans.
Prices:
- Round Trips: $44 per person
- One-Way Trips: $24 per person
- Purchase Tickets or Learn More
Tickets are also available at the Airport Shuttle ticket desks across from baggage claim areas 1, 5, 9, 11, and 12.
Although this is an option, they recommend booking in advance for the most timely departures.
Burton Transit
If you’re looking for an even more affordable airport transfer, this company offers a pretty good deal when you purchase tickets for at least four passengers.
As with their competitors, Burton Transit also provides shuttles between the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and hotels in the Downtown and Uptown areas.
Shuttles are also available between the cruise ports and most New Orleans hotels.
Rides between either the airport or cruise ports and the city typically take around 30 minutes.
Prices:
- One-Way for 4 or More Passengers: $40 per person
- Round Trip for 4 or More Passengers: $80 per person
NOTE: As with other shared shuttle services, bookings may be limited. We recommend booking your tickets well in advance.
As you may have noticed, when you buy tickets for multiple people, prices per person are actually $4 less than you have to pay with Airport Shuttle New Orleans.
This could be a good way to save a few dollars on transportation costs.
Public Shuttle Bus
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority offers a very affordable public shuttle bus between the airport and the downtown area.
Named the 202 Airport Express, this is the cheapest way to get from the airport to the French Quarter, with ticket prices at $1.50 per ride.
As you can imagine, this is anything but a private transfer, and you can expect to be riding with several other people.
Another factor to consider is the departure times for this bus, as it only leaves and arrives at the airport 9 times each day.
Between the hours of 8:20 am - 2:10 pm, there are no buses available from the airport. There is only one bus between the hours of 3:45 am - 6:10 am and 2:10 pm - 4:05 pm.
Learn more about the schedule here.
These hours are clearly intended to serve the most common arrival times, but if you happen to arrive outside of those time periods, you’ll have to wait a while for the next bus.
In other words, if this is how you plan to reach the city, we recommend planning out your trip so that you arrive in time to catch the public shuttle bus.
If you don’t plan this out, you might be in for a long wait.
However, if you do make plans accordingly, you could save $15-$20 or more of the cost of transportation to New Orleans.
The 202 Airport Express services stops at Loyola + Howard and Loyola + Perdido, both located near the French Quarter.
While this might be close enough for most people, it will be a long walk away from some hotels.
If you need to take another bus or streetcar to reach your hotel, you can expect to pay either a quarter for transfers or $1.25 for a new ticket.
Private Shuttles
If you’d rather get a private airport shuttle to-and-from New Orleans, you can expect to pay a much higher price.
That being said, you won’t have to worry about sharing the ride with anyone else!
Although prices for these services are higher, if you’re going to need multiple tickets for a shared transfer, a private transfer probably won’t cost much more per person.
That being said, there might be more affordable services you can use which are similar to a private transfer. We’ll go over these options in later sections.
Talixo Services
This company focuses on one-way private transfers.
The main difference between this and a shared transfer is that you get more personal attention and you can pick which vehicle you want them to use.
Your driver will meet and greet you at your starting location, and drop-offs are available at any point between the airport and the city.
You can expect a 45-minute wait for transfers from the airport and a 15-minute wait for city pick-ups.
All taxes and fees are covered in the fixed price for this service.
Prices:
- One-Way Private Transfer by Sedan: $133.50 for 3 people
- Price per person: $44.50
- One-Way Private Transfer by Business Sedan: $137.50 for 3 people
- Price per person: $45.83
- One-Way Private Transfer by Van: $199 for 3 people
- Price per person: $66.33
- Not currently available.
Taxi2Airport
As with their competitors, this company also offers one-way private transfers between the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and almost any location in the city.
They currently provide transportation via either a sedan or a minivan. Prices are for multiple passengers, so we recommend that single individuals consider another option.
Once again, taxes and fees will be covered by the fixed price listed below.
Prices:
- One-Way Private Transfer by Sedan: $163.50 for 3 people
- Price per person: $54.50
- One-Way Private Transfer by Minivan: $178.80 for 3 people
- Price per person: $59.60
- Not currently available.
Read our post on how to ride streetcars in New Orleans.
Car Rentals
The last option is just to rent your own car and drive it around New Orleans on your own.
Prices for car rentals are anywhere from $37-$85 per day on average.
While this might be a good idea if you’re planning to visit locations like the Barataria Preserve or one of the many Plantations near New Orleans, visitors who plan to spend most of their time in the French Quarter might not want to rent a car.
As we pointed out in our list of tips for avoiding tourist traps in New Orleans, the streets of the French Quarter are much better for walking than for driving.
Tips From Locals and Travelers
If you're having trouble deciding which service to use for transportation from the Louis Armstrong Airport to the French Quarter, it might help to see the opinions of others who have traveled to the Big Easy in the past.
Thankfully, we have a Facebook Group called New Orleans Travel Tips where members often discuss subjects such as this one.
Here are a few of the more helpful comments we found related to transfers from the New Orleans airport.
If you're wondering which option to choose when you're arriving early in the morning, most people recommend getting a cab.
Some insist that your hotel might even be willing to set up the entire process for you ahead of time!
Paula also notes that cabs are capped at $36 and they are usually vans, so there should be plenty of room for your family and your luggage as well.
It's also worth noting that you probably won't have any trouble getting a cab, as most of the time there are more than enough to meet the needs of travelers flying into Louis Armstrong Airport.
Although taking a cab is one of the most popular options, it's worth noting that those who use the bus do not report any major issues with that service.
The main problem with the bus is that they don't drop you off right in front of your hotel like an Uber or Taxi would do.
If you prefer Uber or Lyft instead of a cab, most travelers report that it's quick and easy, meaning it's another great option if you don't feel like waiting for a bus.
For more helpful suggestions, or if you want to ask a different question, consider visiting our New Orleans Travel Tips group on Facebook!
