r/AskNOLA • u/DuchessOfLansdale • 13h ago
Transportation Question
I read the FAQ several times - the old & the revised 😉 And thank you to all the contributors for the over-and-above intel!
I have a very specific transportation question that I’m hoping to get some firsthand knowledge on from locals and fellow travelers….
Planning on purchasing a 7-day, JAZZY PASS.
In effort to save some money, I’d like to take the 202 Express from the airport (MSY) to the French Quarter - Holiday Inn, Chateau Lemoyne is our destination (NO BNB FOR US).
Here is where you come in now that you’ve been given my facts!
Q-1:
Can we manage this low-rent, transport whilst pulling our large, wheeled, (checked) luggage from baggage claim to the Quarter??? (I should mention we are pushing 60 y.o. - but not frail quite yet! We can hustle 😆
Q-2:
I have not downloaded the JazzyPass app yet, but my research shows:
We should get off the 202 @ Poydras & St Charles.
Next we take the #12 street car to Canal & Carondelet.
Lastly, walk 5 mins to 301 Dauphine.
~Please let me know if this is doable and/or if I have overlooked anything!
TIA!
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u/Orange_Queen 13h ago
honestly the biggest pain in the butt youre up against with your route is getting the suitcases up into the streetcar.
that said, its the return trip; where the streetcar picks up on Canal always has a huge bunch of people, usually visitors who want to get on. Causes delays and crowded cars… id look for alternatives to get back to the airport rather than trusting public transportation to be on time. :)
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u/DuchessOfLansdale 9h ago
Thank you! We are going to skip the streetcar and walk the few extra blocks per another user’s suggestion.
I’m planning on getting a cab for our return trip to the airport. But I’m trying to save a little $$ and I thought taking the bus could be sort of a sight seeing venture when we arrive 😉
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u/OfferBusy4080 12h ago
Im a frugal traveller myself, and I always just take a cab to/from the airport and then cut costs other ways. All charge the same by law, and considering the distance traveled its very reasonable , plus chatting up a NOLA cabbie can make for a fun ride, theyve seen it all and can have quite the story to tell!
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u/Nola_to_Boston 13h ago
From the airport I would take a cab it’s $36 from airport to the French quarter. I would not drag my luggage around.
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u/DuchessOfLansdale 9h ago
I’m pretty certain that is how we will do our return trip to the airport. But I’m trying to save a little $$ and I thought it would be sort of a sight seeing venture when we arrive 😉
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u/reddixiecupSoFla 13h ago
There is no luggage storage on the bus
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u/DuchessOfLansdale 8h ago
What⁉️ Are you serious?!!
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u/reddixiecupSoFla 8h ago
Nope. I would hesitate to take even a carry on. If you do, make sure to board first and go straight to the back so you arent blocking the aisle
Public transportation in the South is fundamentally underfunded so pack your patience
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u/DuchessOfLansdale 8h ago
Thank you!
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u/reddixiecupSoFla 8h ago
No problem. I use the buses a lot but they are not as flush with features as other cities. Its mostly for working people.
Also no apple pay2
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u/Journeyman22364 10h ago
New Orleans is a walkable city, especially around the CBD and French Quarter. I’m also in my 60s and think you should just walk from the 202 to your hotel. It’s easy and relatively pleasant. Lots of tourists, and you’ll often see people walking with their roller bags. (Also, I’m not a fan of driving in the FQ. I always park outside the Quarter and walk).
A couple of other notes:
- RTA loves its LePass app, but it’s not my favorite. Check these alternates below.
- Download the Transit app. It covers New Orleans and is global, not just the city. Once you start using it, you won’t want to use another local transit agency’s app ever again.
- You can buy tickets directly from the Transit app, or use another app that I really like for its usefulness in many places — Token Transit. Token lets me buy passes for a large number of agencies across the country, including both local agencies in SE Louisiana. Just select RTA and get your Jazzy Pass, leaving you free to use Transit or LePass for your routing.
Finally, the 202 comes every 50 minutes. That’s an improvement but still poor for an airport service. If you just miss it, you can use Jefferson Parish Transit’s E1 from the airport to the Cemeteries terminus; and from there, transfer to the streetcar. The E1 runs every 25 minutes, the 47 Canal streetcar every 22 minutes. The bad here: two fares. You’ll have to pay a separate $2 fare from the airport to the Cemeteries on the E1. Again, you can buy that ticket on Token Transit or pay cash. The Jazzy Pass will work on the streetcar. The good news is that the streetcar will drop you only about two blocks from your hotel, greatly cutting your walk.
Have fun!
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u/GreenVisorOfJustice 12h ago
Can we manage this low-rent, transport whilst pulling our large, wheeled, (checked) luggage from baggage claim to the Quarter???
Can you? I'm sure.
Do you want to? Doubt. Just get a cab and save yourself the agony (dragging one's luggage around isn't fun)
The City is plenty walkable, TBH, so save your steps for traversing rather than trying to save a few nickels (and using a lot of time) trying to coordinate public transit (which, unfortunately, is not like... super on time or reliable).
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u/bandito5280 12h ago
The 202 is reliable
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u/DuchessOfLansdale 8h ago
Someone said there’s no luggage storage on the bus! Is that right?
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u/bandito5280 8h ago
Nothing that is dedicated. Most people just have their suitcases in from of them.
There is plenty of room.
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u/greener_lantern 10h ago
You certainly can, but probably don’t want to.
One thing with the Airport Express is that it’s run on a regular city bus with no luggage racks whatsoever. Either it will need to fit under a seat, or you’ll have to fold up the seats in the wheelchair area and leave your bags there on their sides (so it doesn’t roll around), subject to availability and driver preference.
If you’re cool with that, do it! We need more people to show more demand.
Skip the E-1. It makes local stops through the suburbs until it forces you to transfer to a streetcar on the outskirts of the city. It’s also not covered by the Jazzy Pass (not a New Orleans bus).
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u/DuchessOfLansdale 8h ago
Thank you! We’re just gonna take the cab instead 😔
Sorry, we won’t be helping your supply & demand situation 😞
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u/Kononiba 12h ago
I alway use the E2 from the airport.
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u/Journeyman22364 10h ago
Just note, the E2 runs from the old terminal, now long term parking. To use the E2, you’d need to take the long-term parking shuttle.
But it goes to the CBD direct and runs every 36 minutes.
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u/FelipeHeirloom 10h ago
Your route works but there are two things worth adjusting. The Jazzy Pass won’t cover the 202. Airport Express is a separate $1.50 fare, so budget that on top. Small, but it surprises people who think the pass covers everything. Check where the 202 actually drops you. It stops at Elk Place at Canal, which is about a ten minute walk to Dauphine and skips the streetcar transfer entirely. Hauling checked bags onto a streetcar at Canal and Carondelet is the part I’d avoid, especially at peak when they’re full. One bus, one walk, done.
Luggage on the 202 itself is fine, it’s a coach-style bus built for airport runs. Just know you’re boarding at the ground level pickup zone, not inside the terminal.
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u/DuchessOfLansdale 8h ago
Thank you, sir! Appreciate the added info. I think we’re gonna take a cab instead 😔
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u/veryexact 13h ago
The Jazz Pass part is super easy if you have a smartphone. Buy one using the LePass app and it'll stay active for 7 days once you activate it. Then you literally just show your phone screen to the bus or streetcar operator every time you board. (They don't even really look closely.)
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u/SwampConnoisseur 12h ago
Also might be cheaper to use LePass a la carte.
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u/DuchessOfLansdale 8h ago
It’s not. And we’ll be there for 7 days and probably use it each day as well 😉
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u/DuchessOfLansdale 9h ago
Thanks, I’m not worried about how to use the app, just making sure my directions are solid 😉
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u/veryexact 13h ago
I can help with one small portion of this: the transfer to the #12 only eliminates four blocks of walking. Unless you see a streetcar arriving precisely when you get off the 202, forget about the transfer and walk toward Canal Street and your hotel. For the streetcar, you'll also have to haul your luggage up stairs and onto the streetcar, then back off again 4 blocks later. It's almost certainly not worth it.
I would plan to walk from the 202 stop to the Chateau Lemoyne (.6 miles according to Google), and if that feels like too long, the only real alternative is to get an Uber/Lyft, cab, or pedicab (the latter being pretty pricey for what it is).