How to Travel to the New Orleans Jazz Fest

The New Orleans Jazz Fest is a heritage festival celebrating Louisiana culture, but it gets travelers all over America, and all over the world. If you live in LA, you’re lucky, it’s in your backyard. Other people need to fly, boat, drive, bus, or swim to get there.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Jazz Fest tickets

1. Check the Jazz Fest website (www.nojazzfest.com) for airline deals to New Orleans for the festival. Airlines include: American, Continental, Northwest, and United.
2. Drive, bus or train to New Orleans. Go with a group of people from your area who are traveling down to the festival. Make travel a party, not just the Fest.
3. Once you’re in town, take the Jazz Fest Express—Grayline Tours will run a shuttle from the Sheraton Hotel, Gray Line Lighthouse, and Marconi Meadows (City Park) throughout the day, from 10 in the morning to 7:30 p.m. The Express costs $16, or $14 for City Park, where you can park your car (easier than parking at the Fair Grounds). Check out http://www.graylineneworleans.com/jazzfest.html for driving directions and ticket info.
4. Take the Canal Street streetcar from downtown towards City Park/Museum. Not quite door-to-door service, but it will let you off in walking distance to the Fair Grounds.
5. A cab’s a good way to go too: not too expensive and you don’t have to hassle with parking. During the festival, cabs have special rates.

Tips & Warnings

• Grayline Tours have a lot of different tours available—cruises, haunted tours, bayou tours, and more. Don’t just stop with the Fest.
• Parking is $20 at the Fair Grounds so taking the Grayline Express is less expensive.
• Get a hotel room at a hotel that has shuttle service to the Jazz Fest.
• If you do drive and park, don't keep any valuables in the car and keep the car locked up tight.