Firstly, decide whether or not you would like for your trip to remain entirely in the French Quarter or if you'd like to discover the rest of the city! This will help you to decide on the best location for your hotel. The French Quarter has a decent number of historically beautiful hotels but they come at a price. However, if you book at LEAST 6 months in advance there are a large number of historic bed and breakfasts right in the middle of all the action. When booking in the French Quarter you MUST remain on the following streets: Bourbon, Royal, Chartres, and parts of Decatur. AVOID being close to or on: Esplanade Ave, Rampart, Canal and any other road more than a block from the streets mentioned above. These areas are ill lit and not heavily populated and can become dangerous at night. If you decide to just visit the quarter, then the Garden District may be a better area for you to stay in. Staying in this area will allow you to visit the quarter via a quick trolley trip, along with many other areas such as parks and the Audubon Aquarium (AMAZING by the way). When deciding on a place to stay, ensure that you've done the research on the parking situation (if the hotel has it) or a parking garage nearby that is gated with a guard or surveillance.
Ok, so now that we've gotten your sleeping arrangements aside, it's time to talk travel options. One of the lesser known methods of travelling to New Orleans is via train! You can take an Amtrak train via most major cities for as long as it would take you to drive, or less, and at a reasonable price. If you are not a fan of such a long trip of course you can fly into the major airport at NOLA. Lastly, depending on your location you may choose to just drive, although this is when you'd need to consider parking when making arrangements.
Alright, now we've gotten the travel arrangements done and you need to budget for entertainment and food, souvenirs, potentially alcohol.... The great news for buying souvenirs is that there is sooo much competition in this area that a little bit of walking can find you an amazing price on just about anything you can imagine. If you decide to drink in the quarter, try to hold off until the evening when every bar on Bourbon street must compete to get you in their doors with anything from free cover to drink specials like 3 for 1. For the most part you will remain fairly entertained by street performers and artists throughout the day and night, but if you would like something more there is an amazing zoo and aquariam, insectarium, and other museums and tours that will cost a bit extra but will definitely meet your needs. Finally, FOOOOOD, the best part of your vacation to New Orleans~ Most restaurants in the quarter will cost you a pretty penny but the best way to discover the reasonably priced places is to walk around until you discover a hole in the wall.. Almost everything is delicious in the quarter and the real dives normally have AMAZING food, too. And of course there is always the famous square fluffy donut topped with mounds of powdered sugar... THE BEIGNET! There are a few places that offer these and they are very cheap... I will not name a favorite because it all depends on how you like them but I've been frequenting Cafe Du Monde since I was a little girl, and still have to have chocolate milk with mine!
Overall, New Orleans is an amazing place to visit and I hope you can enjoy my hometown as much as I have over the years.
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