New Orleans on a Budget – the Comprehensive Guide
This is the ultimate guide to a vacationing in New Orleans on a budget – and still having a blast!
With its posh restaurants, pricey hotels, and world famous tours you can easily go broke in New Orleans – but it doesn’t have to be that way! We’ve learned the tricks of the trade to a New Orleans vacation on a tight budget.
This is a super-comprehensive guide to visiting New Orleans on a budget, so feel free to click on a link below and skip to a specific section.
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How to save on Accommodations in New Orleans – Where to stay
Hotel stays can often be the biggest expense on any vacation, and in New Orleans the sky is the limit with hotel pricing. Finding ways to save on New Orleans hotels is your key to keeping the trip under budget!
Stay Central – Save BIG!
If you take no other advice from this article, at least remember this: book your stay in the French Quarter. As long as you’re staying in the French Quarter, most sights will be walkable or easily accessible by streetcar for a few cents.
Sure, you may find a cheaper hotel across the river or further away, but you’ll waste all those savings and more (not to mention your precious vay-cay time) on taxis/Uber/Lyft rides. More on this later…
HOT TIP: Book early to make sure you have plenty of affordable accommodation options. New Orleans can really book up – especially around events like Jazz Fest, Mardi Gras, or Spring Break. Plan about 3 months in advance, or 5 months in advance during big events.
Hostel
Best for: couples, small groups, and solo travelers
For low-maintenance travelers, The Quisby hostel is the best value you can find for your New Orleans stay! If you’ve never stayed in a hostel before, don’t be intimidated! This hostel is known for being clean, stylish, comfortable, and conveniently located in the French Quarter near the streetcar.
A stay at The Quisby includes free breakfast, complimentary check-in cocktail, high-speed wifi, ensuite bathrooms, and access to The Quisby’s 24-hour bar.
Bonus – the hostel environment is much more social, so you can meet new friends!
Airbnb Rental
Best for: larger groups with 4+ travelers
If you’re traveling with a larger group, you’ll find the most value in renting from Airbnb instead of booking multiple hotel rooms. Just enter your dates and the number of people in your party. View the map to see options in the neighborhood you want to stay.
Airbnb is a great option for group trips because you can stay together in one space and the price per person will usually end up cheaper than hotels.
How to Save on Transportation in New Orleans
It’s so easy to over-spend on transportation during any vacation! Fortunately, the areas of New Orleans you’ll be most likely to spend your time are easy to navigate at little to no cost!
As long as you’re staying in the French Quarter (you should) most sights will be within a short walk. For anywhere you can’t walk, here’s the low down on getting from A to B.
Skip the Car Rentals
First and foremost, let’s talk about car rentals in New Orleans. This one is easy: don’t do it! There’s very little parking available in the area, any parking you find will be expensive, and in the end you’ll barely (if ever) use the car!
If New Orleans is just one stop in a longer road trip, then consider waiting until you leave NOLA to start your rental.
Streetcar Public Transportation
Best for: a day trip to the Garden District
Aside from your own two feet, the streetcar is the cheapest way to get around New Orleans. $2.50 takes you round trip from the Canal Street stop in the French Quarter to the Garden District!
Keep in mind: New Orleans Streetcars do not have change and only accept cash – so just remember to bring exact change.
Uber & Lyft
Best for: transportation to/from the airport, tour meetings (like Bayou or plantations) that don’t provide pickup.
If you’ve got a bit further to go, Uber & Lyft are your best transportation options. Both are prevalent in New Orleans with lots of drivers – so go with whichever you prefer. With either choice, they’ll take you exactly where you need to go and (in my experience) are happy to chat and share recommendations for your stay.
For airport arrivals: The New Orleans airport only allows Uber/Lyft drivers to pickup from a specific lot. After picking up any bags in baggage claim, look for signs for Ground Transportation and exit the airport. As you exit the airport look for signs for the “Ground Transportation Center”. You should see a sign for “App Based Ride Services”. Once there, you can request your ride and be picked up.
How to Save on Drinks in New Orleans
The prospect of spending $15+ per cocktail for a night out in New Orleans bars would intimidate anyone looking to stay on a budget. We’ve learned lots of tricks to saving on drinks in New Orleans so you can just say no to the pricey cocktails!
BYOB
The first and easiest way to drink on a budget in New Orleans to buy your own at a grocery or liquor store rather than the bar. New Orleans allows open containers, so you can buy your own for much less and then take it with you as you walk around.
Where to shop for drinks in the French Quarter:
- Compac Grocery – 731 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130
- Brothers Food Mart – 148 Carondelet St, New Orleans, LA 70130
- CVS – 620 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Things to keep in mind:
- Put your drinks in shatter-proof containers (think aluminum beer cans or cocktails in water bottles) rather than glass bottles. No matter how careful and balanced you may be, things can get rowdy in the French Quarter! So play it safe and carry something that won’t shatter and hurt someone if you accidentally get bumped.
- You can’t bring your own drinks into bars or most other businesses. This is both because they only intend space for paying customers and because it helps them monitor whether people are being over-served under their watch.
Here are a few tools of the trade that make BYOB in New Orleans a lot easier:
This clutch + flask combo that enables you to carry spirits hands-free!
This reusable bottle can be filled with your to-go beverage. When you’ve finished your drink, it rolls up so you can fit it into a pocket or purse.
Happy Hours & Drink Specials
While the BYOB option is great for saving money in New Orleans, you’ll understandably want to actually GO IN to some of the NOLA hotspots and enjoy your trip. The best way to keep your New Orleans trip on a budget is to look for happy hours and drink specials!
Here are a few Happy Hour specials you can’t miss:
SouBou – 3-6 pm daily
- $6 Tom Collins and sazeracs, $4 glasses of house wine, prosecco, well hi-balls
- $3 Abita Amber drafts
- delightful “happier hour” food menu all $3-6
Dickie Brennan’s Tableau – 2-5 pm daily
- Second-floor balcony with a view of Jackson Square
- $5 calamari or truffle fries
- $5 select wines, beers, and classic cocktails
Vacherie – 3-7 pm daily, must sit at the bar
- $5 bar menu includes dishes like spicy chicken poppers, gator sausage, slider-of-the-day, or a cup of seafood étouffée
- $5 Palomas, rum punch, mixed well drinks, house wines, or a draft beer flight
How to Dine in New Orleans on a Budget
The noteworthy cuisine of New Orleans means you’re in for some truly exceptional meals. It also means that these tasty delights can come with a hefty bill.
I’m a firm believer that food is half the joy of traveling, so I’ll never be a proponent of skipping those incredible meals out. With this guide and some thoughtful decisions, you can easily enjoy the best of New Orleans cuisine on a budget.
Breakfast & Brunch:
- Cafe Beignet – If you go to New Orleans and don’t have a beignet, did you really even go? I’d say not, and Cafe Beignet is a classic for a reason! You can easily order a hearty breakfast, a side of beignets, and the obligatory Café Au Lait all under $15.
- Stanley – Perched on Jackson Square, Stanley is known for their incredible all-day breakfast & brunch menu. With unique takes on simple dishes, you’ll be dreaming of your meal at Stanley every morning long after you’ve returned home.
Check this out next: The Best Brunch Places in New Orleans
Lunch & Dinner:
- Gumbo Shop – You don’t have to spend $30+ a dinner plate for quality gumbo in New Orleans! Simply and aptly named, Gumbo Shop offers killer servings of Chicken Andouille Gumbo (my fav), Po’ Boys, or other NOLA staples under $10. Check out the courtyard!
- Cafe Amelie – With an adorable courtyard and delicious menu, Cafe Amelie is one of my favorite dinner spots in all New Orleans. While I’ll note that Cafe Amelie prices lean a bit on the higher end among others on this list, it’s worth every penny!
- Felipe’s Mexican Taqueria – You may not think of tacos when you think of New Orleans, but stay with me here. Felipe’s offers made-to-order tacos, burritos, or nachos, notorious margaritas, and daily drink specials.
Flights to New Orleans on a Budget
Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport isn’t a major hub, so flight prices are usually on the higher end. Still, there are a few tricks you can use to keep the prices down and keep your trip to New Orleans on a budget.
Travel Off-Season
Traveling off-season offers many perks: fewer crowds, shorter wait in restaurants, easier reservations for tours & dining. But the biggest perk has got to be the lower flight prices!
For your best chance at finding cheaper plane tickets, try to plan your trip between August and January.
Check this out next: The Best Kept Secrets to Traveling on a Budget
Use Hopper to Track Flight Prices
Tracking flight prices is a HUGE hassle. You’re searching different airlines, checking different dates and airports and wasting lots of time. Skip the hassle and download the Hopper app (it’s free!)
With Hopper, you enter your destination and dates once. The app will track prices, notify you about changes, and advise you when it’s the best time to buy with complex predictive algorithms.
Read this next:
- The Top 5 Brunch Places in New Orleans
- The Top 10 Things to Do in New Orleans
- New Orleans Bachelorette Party Itinerary
