Directory A–Z

Directory A-Z

Accessible Travel

New Orleans is somewhat lax in this department. Sidewalk curbs rarely have ramps, and many historic public buildings and hotels are not equipped to meet the needs of wheelchair-users. Modern hotels adhere to standards established by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by providing ramps, elevators and accessible bathrooms.

Red streetcars on the Canal St, Rampart Riverfront and Loyola–UPT Streetcar lines are accessible to riders with disabilities. The green streetcars that run along St Charles Ave are protected by the National Register of Historic Places and have not been made accessible (www.norta.com/Accessibility.aspx). Regional Transit Authority buses offer a lift service; for information about paratransit service (alternative transportation for those who can’t ride regular buses), call RTA Paratransit (%504-827-7433; www.norta.com/Accessibility/Paratransit).

Customs Regulations

US Customs and Border Protection (www.cbp.gov) allows a person to bring into the US up to 200 cigarettes duty-free, and each person over the age of 21 years to bring in 1L of liquor. Non-US citizens are allowed to enter the USA with $100-worth of gifts from abroad. There are restrictions on bringing fresh fruit and flowers into the country, and there is a strict quarantine on animals. If you are carrying $10,000 or more in US and foreign cash, traveler’s checks, money orders or the like, you need to declare the excess amount. There is no legal restriction on the amount that may be imported, but undeclared sums in excess of $10,000 may be subject to confiscation.

Discount Cards

The New Orleans pass (adult/child from $69/49) is a discount card that scores you either free or discounted admission at over 25 sights and tours, including the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Audubon Aquarium and Mardi Gras World. The pass can be purchased and downloaded online (www.neworleanspass.com).

Electricity

The electrical current in the USA is 110V to 115V, 60Hz AC. Outlets may be suited to flat two-prong (not grounded) or three-prong (grounded) plugs. If your appliance is made for another electrical system, you will need a transformer or adapter; if you didn’t bring one along, buy one at any consumer-electronics store around town.

Emergency

Ambulance (%911)

Fire (%911)

National Sexual Assault Hotline (%800-656-4673)

Police (emergency) (%911)

Police (nonemergency) (%504-821-2222)

Health

Excellent medical care is readily available, but the need for medical insurance when visiting anywhere in the USA cannot be overemphasized. Doctors often expect payment on the spot for services rendered, after which your insurance company may reimburse you. US citizens should check with their insurer before leaving home to see what conditions are covered in their policy.

If you need immediate medical attention and you are in your hotel, your first call should be to the front desk. Some of the larger hotels have agreements with on-call doctors who can make house calls if necessary. In really urgent situations, you can call an ambulance (911), which will deliver you to a hospital emergency room.

If you can get to an emergency room, your best bet is the Tulane University Medical Center (%504-988-5263; https://tulanehealthcare.com; 1415 Tulane Ave; h24hr) or LSU’s University Medical Center (%emergency 504-702-2138, main switchboard 504-702-3000; www.umcno.org; 2000 Canal St; h24hr), both located in or adjacent to the CBD. If your kids need emergency medical attention, the best bet is Children’s Hospital (%504-899-9511; www.chnola.org; 200 Henry Clay Ave; h24hr), located Uptown.

PRACTICALITIES

Smoking

Indoor smoking is banned in New Orleans bars, but is still permitted in most outdoor gathering areas, including patios, courtyards and balconies.

Newspapers

Gambit (www.bestofneworleans.com) Weekly publication that covers arts, culture and music.

The Times-Picayune (www.nola.com) Broadsheet news and arts coverage three times a week.

The Advocate (www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans) More broadsheet news and culture writing.

New Orleans Magazine (www.myneworleans.com/new-orleans-magazine) Monthly focus on city society.

The Lens (http://thelensnola.org) Investigative journalism and culture coverage; online only.

Radio

88.3 WRBH Reading radio for the blind.

89.9 WWNO NPR (National Public Radio).

90.7 WWOZ Louisiana music and community radio.

91.5 WTUL Tulane radio.

93.3 WQUE Hip-hop and R&B.

96.3 Classic hip-hop and R&B.

102.3 WHIV Music and community radio with an activist bent.

Insurance

Foreign travelers may want to purchase health insurance before visiting the USA, as the cost of healthcare can be prohibitive (a single hospital visit can run to thousands of dollars). Other forms of insurance can cover the cost of changing tickets in the event of unforeseen developments during your trip.

Worldwide travel insurance is available at www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-insurance. You can buy, extend and claim online anytime – even if you’re already on the road.

Internet Access

Many hotels offer wi-fi and cable internet access. Wi-fi is available in almost every coffee shop in town, and all branches of the New Orleans Public Library (www.neworleanspubliclibrary.org).

Legal Matters

Although it may seem that anything goes, New Orleans has its limits. Common tourist-related offenses include underage drinking, drinking outdoors from a bottle rather than from a plastic go cup, teen curfew violations and (most commonly) flaunting of private parts.

For people aged 21 years or more, the legal blood-alcohol limit for driving in Louisiana is 0.08%, however you can be cited for driving while impaired even when your blood-alcohol content is lower. For those under 21, the legal limit is 0.02%.

The legal drinking age is 21. Curfew laws are strict – if you are under 17, you cannot drive from 11pm to 5am unless accompanied by a licensed parent, guardian or adult who is at least 21.

Most bars will offer your drink in a plastic cup, so accept it if you’re going to wander off with your drink. Bourbon St flashers rarely get in serious trouble for flashing their private parts, but repeatedly doing so in front of the cops is asking for trouble. Don’t grope flashers. That’s a no-no and, we hope, rather obvious.

The legal age for gambling is 21 and businesses with gaming devices (usually video poker machines) out in the open are closed to minors. Even cafes with gaming devices are off-limits to minors, unless the games are contained within private rooms or booths.

Traffic cameras are becoming increasingly commonplace in New Orleans, especially around schools. If they catch you speeding, you’ll be sent a letter with a fine. The city is ruthlessly persistent about this enforcement.

During big tourism events like Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras, the city’s parking enforcement officers get pretty aggressive. At most times of year, parking too close to a stop sign or intersection might get you a fine or warning; during season in New Orleans, your car is likely to get towed.

Money

ATMs are widely available.

Credit & Debit Cards

Major credit cards are widely accepted by car-rental agencies and most hotels, restaurants, gas stations, shops and larger grocery stores. Many smaller restaurants and bars accept cash only. Many recreational and tourist activities can also be paid for by credit card. The most commonly accepted cards are Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Tipping

Hotels A dollar or two per bag carried to your room.

Restaurants Not optional! Standard 18% for good service, 20% for exceptional service.

Cafes A tip jar is often left out by the register, but tipping isn’t expected.

Music It’s good manners to kick in a few bucks when the band passes around a bucket or hat.

Bars A good rule of thumb is to leave a dollar every time you order – more, if it’s a complicated drink or large round.

Taxi Tip 10% or round up the fare.

Opening Hours

New Orleans maintains business hours similar to much of the rest of the USA, except when it comes to bars.

Banks 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, 10am to 5:30pm Friday. Some branches are open 9am to noon Saturday.

Bars Usually 5pm until around 2am on weekdays and 3am or 4am on weekends. Many bars stay open indefinitely, but on the flip side, they’ll often close if business is slow.

Post offices 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday and 8:30am to noon Saturday.

Restaurants 10am or 11am to 11pm (sometimes with a break from 2pm to 5pm); usually closed Sunday and/or Monday.

Stores 10am to 7pm or 8pm.

Post

New Orleans’ main post office is near City Hall at 701 Loyola Ave. There are smaller branches throughout the city, including in the CBD at Lafayette Sq (9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm Monday to Friday) and Uptown Station at 2000 Louisiana Ave (8am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday and 8am to noon Saturday).

There are lots of independent postal shops as well, such as Fedex and the French Quarter Postal Emporium. These shops will send letters and packages at the same rates as the post office.

Public Holidays

Note that when national holidays fall on a weekend, they are often celebrated on the nearest Friday or Monday so that everyone enjoys a three-day weekend. The following are all national holidays:

New Year’s Day January 1

Martin Luther King Jr Day Third Monday in January

Presidents’ Day Third Monday in February

Memorial Day Last Monday in May

Independence Day July 4

Labor Day First Monday in September

Columbus Day Second Monday in October

Veterans’ Day November 11

Thanksgiving Fourth Thursday in November

Christmas Day December 25

Safe Travel

New Orleans has a high crime rate, but the majority of violent crime occurs between parties that already know each other.

AMuggings do occur. Solo travelers are targeted more often; avoid entering secluded areas alone.

AThe French Quarter is a secure around-the-clock realm for the visitor.

AThe CBD and Warehouse District are busy on weekdays, but relatively deserted at night and on weekends.

AThe B&Bs along Esplanade Ridge are close enough to troubled neighborhoods to require caution at night.

ASome areas of Central City can feel lonely after dark. At night, park close to your destination on a well-traveled street.

ABe wary before entering an intersection: local drivers are notorious for running yellow and even red lights.

ADrink spikings do occur.

Taxes & Refunds

New Orleans’ 10% sales tax is tacked onto virtually everything, including meals, groceries and car rentals. For accommodations, room and occupancy taxes, add an additional 13% to your bill plus $1 to $3 per person, depending on the size of the hotel.

For foreign visitors, some merchants in Louisiana participate in a program called Louisiana Tax Free Shopping (www.louisianataxfree.com). Look for the snazzy red-and-blue ‘Tax Free’ logo in the window or on the sign of the store. Usually these stores specialize in the kinds of impulse purchases people are likely to make while on vacation. In these stores, present a passport to verify you are not a US citizen, and request a voucher as you make your purchase. Reimbursement centers are located in the Downtown Refund Center (%504-568-3605; The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, 500 Port of New Orleans Place; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun) and the Airport Refund Center (%504-467-0723; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat & Sun) in the main ticket lobby in Terminal C at the airport.

Telephone

Area Codes

The area code in New Orleans is %504. In Thibodaux and Houma it’s %985; Baton Rouge and surrounds %225; and Shreveport and the northern part of the state %318.

When dialing a number with a different area code from your own, you must dial %1 before the area code. For example, to call a Baton Rouge number from New Orleans, begin by dialing %1-225. Note that hotel telephones often have heavy surcharges.

International Codes

If you’re calling from abroad, the international country code for the USA (and Canada) is %1.

To make an international call from New Orleans, dial %011 + country code + area code (dropping the leading 0) + number. For calls to Canada, there’s no need to dial the international access code %011. For international operator assistance, dial %00.

Time

New Orleans Standard Time is six hours behind GMT/UTC. In US terms, that puts it one hour behind the East Coast and two hours ahead of the West Coast. In early March, clocks move ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time; clocks move back one hour in early November.

Toilets

A recording by Benny Grunch, ‘Ain’t No Place to Pee on Mardi Gras Day,’ summarizes the situation in the French Quarter. While tour guides delight in describing the unsanitary waste-disposal practices of the old Creole days, the stench arising from back alleys is actually more recent in origin.

Public rest rooms can be found in the Jackson Brewery mall and in the French Market. Larger hotels often have accessible rest rooms off the lobby, usually near the elevators and pay phones.

Tourist Information

Right next to popular Jackson Sq in the heart of the French Quarter, the New Orleans Welcome Center (%504-568-5661; www.crt.state.la.us/tourism; 529 St Ann St; h8:30am-5pm) in the lower Pontalba Building offers maps, listings of upcoming events and a variety of brochures for sights, restaurants and hotels. The helpful staff can help you find accommodations in a pinch, answer questions and offer advice about New Orleans.

Information kiosks scattered through main tourist areas offer most of the same brochures as the Welcome Center, but their staff tend to be less knowledgeable.

Order or download a Louisiana-wide travel guide online from the Louisiana Office of Tourism (www.louisianatravel.com).

In the Tremé, you can pick up a New Orleans map and look at displays about city attractions at the Basin St Visitors Center (%504-293-2600; www.basinststation.com; 501 Basin St; h9am-5pm) inside Basin St Station.

Otherwise, New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB; %504-566-5011; www.neworleans.com; 2020 St Charles Ave; h8:30am-5pm) has plenty of free maps and helpful information.

Visas

Visas are required for most foreign visitors unless eligible for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). If you’re staying for 90 days or less, you may qualify for the VWP; citizens of roughly three-dozen countries are eligible. Note that nationals of waiver countries who have traveled in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen after March 1, 2011, are no longer eligible for the VWP. In addition, nationals of VWP countries who are also nationals of Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria no longer qualify for a waiver.

Apart from most Canadian citizens and those entering under the VWP, a passport with an official visa is required for most visitors to the USA; contact the US embassy or consulate in your home country for more information about specific requirements. Most applicants have to be interviewed before a visa is granted and all applicants must pay a fee. You’ll also have to prove you’re not trying to stay in the USA permanently. The US Department of State has useful and up-to-date visa information online at http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/visit.html.

Volunteering

Literally hundreds of volunteer organizations descended upon New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Some did fantastic work; some acted with arrogance and left a sour taste. Almost everyone agrees that Common Ground Relief (%504-312-1729; www.commongroundrelief.org; 1800 Deslonde St) is one of the better organizations in New Orleans – it works with locals, is committed to best practices and has a good track record in town.

Women Travelers

Drunk men in the French Quarter and along parade routes often catcall or make lewd comments to passing women. This occurs on any Friday or Saturday night, not just during Mardi Gras.

The New Orleans branch of Planned Parenthood (www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/louisiana/new-orleans) provides health-care services for women, including walk-in pregnancy testing and emergency contraception.