New Orleans: City transportation
Though New Orleans' most visited neighborhoods are a dream to walk around, getting from one to another is not always easy on foot, and if you're traveling anywhere outside the Quarter after dark you'd be better off calling a cab . The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) runs a network of buses ($1.25, exact fare required; 24hr information 504/248-3900). The most useful routes include "Magazine" (#11), which runs from Canal Street in the CBD to Audubon Park; and "Esplanade" (#48) from the edge of the Quarter up to City Park. You're more likely to use the handsome St Charles streetcar (a National Historic Monument, dating back around 100 years) that rumbles a thirteen-mile loop from Canal Street, along St Charles Avenue in the Garden District, past Audubon Park to Carrollton uptown ($1.25 each way; 25ยข transfers; exact fare). The cars trundle along at an average speed of 9mph; it takes about 45 minutes for a full one-way trip. Though the streetcar runs around the clock, services fall off after dark. There's a newer streetcar along the riverfront , where trolleys make ten stops between the Convention Center and Esplanade Avenue (Mon-Fri 6am-11pm, Sat & Sun 7am-11pm; every 15min; $1.50; exact fare). It's a total trip of less than two miles, however, and of most interest for its pretty river views. VisiTour passes , available from the welcome center and most major hotels, give unlimited travel on all streetcars and buses ($5 per day, $12 for three consecutive days).
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