Page 214 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New Orleans

212  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Getting Around New Orleans Walgreens, and in a small
number of hotels. Always ask for
Although most of the city’s popular tourist sights in and a transfer when you pay, since
near the French Quarter are easily accessible on foot, this will enable you to change
New Orleans also has a useful public transportation to another bus should your
system, with bus routes covering the city. No visitor itinerary require it.
To indicate that you want to
should miss the opportunity to travel on the oldest get off, pull the cord that runs
streetcar in the nation. A Jazzy Pass allows unlimited along the window, or tell the
travel on RTA buses and streetcars for one, three, five, driver. The “Stop requested”
or 31 days. Riverboats also provide a pleasant way to see sign above the front window
the sights along the basin of the Mississippi River. Taxis will light up. Instructions for
opening the doors are posted
are affordable, convenient, and highly recommended near the exit. Make sure you
for trips after dark to areas outside the French Quarter. look carefully for oncoming
Bicycle and scooter rentals offer a fun and convenient traffic when alighting from the
transportation alternative. bus. If you are unsure where
to get off, ask the driver.
Smoking, drinking, eating, and
Green Travel
bike tours. Scooter rental is playing music are all prohibited
From the airport, there are also available, providing easy on buses. Guide dogs for the
two green options to reach parking and quick access to blind are the only animals
downtown: the Airport Shuttle the entire city. allowed on RTA vehicles. Front
(see p211), which uses propane Note that trips to sites outside seats are reserved for senior
hybrid vehicles, and public New Orleans will require citizens and disabled passengers.
bus services. traditional transport – either
Public transportation is an a car or tour bus.
affordable, safe, and eco-friendly
way to see New Orleans. The
Regional Transit Authority Buses
(RTA) buses (see p211) run Bus stops are indicated by white
on biodiesel, and the electric and yellow signs displaying the
streetcar gives off no emissions. RTA logo. The route numbers
The Jazzy Pass is a good deal of the buses stopping there are
if you plan on using public usually listed at the bottom
transport often. of the sign. All New Orleans
Walking is the greenest buses are equipped for disabled
option in the downtown areas. access and have bike racks
You can easily explore the mounted on the front.
French Quarter, Central Business Buses stop only at desig nated
District, Marigny/Bywater, and bus stops, which are located
Riverfront on foot; in addition, a every two or three blocks,
variety of guided and unguided depending on the area of the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar on
walking tours (see p214) are city. On boarding the bus, put Canal Street
offered in the Garden District the exact change or number
and French Quarter. of tokens in the fare box, or Streetcars
Renting a bicycle is another show your Jazzy Pass to the The Riverfront streetcar line
fun way to experience the city at driver. This pass can be bought travels a distance of 2 miles
a leisurely, intimate pace; some through the RTA offices, at (3 km) along the Mississippi
rental companies offer guided tourist infor mation kiosks, Riverfront, from Esplanade
Avenue, at the far side of the
French Quarter, to the New
Orleans Convention Center in
the Central Business District.
The streetcar runs approx-
imately every 20 minutes
from 7:10am–10:30pm during
the week, and from 8:40am–
10:30pm on weekends.
Pay the driver or swipe your
Jazzy Pass when you board;
you can exit from either the
front of the car or the back,
A biodiesel RTA bus, a green way to travel around New Orleans depending on how crowded

212-213_EW_New_Orl.indd 212 05/08/16 3:50 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.7)
Date 5th March 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm