To get from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) into the city, you have a few options. They are listed here in decreasing order of both cost and convenience:
Fare for a cab to the Quarter or Downtown from the airport is a flat rate $28 for 1 or 2 people, or $12 per person for 3 or more; plus a $2 fuel surcharge per trip (not per passenger). Plus tip. It should take 20-25 minutes.
This airport flat rate applies to or from anywhere in the City of New Orleans, except New Orleans East (east of Elysian Fields) or the West Bank.
Shared ride shuttles are available from the airport and cost $15 per person (one way); they do take advance reservations, but I've never needed one, even during Fest. Look for the "Airport Shuttle" booths opposite baggage claim on the lower level. You may sit for a little while at the airport while they wait t fill the van. Once you leave, expect the ride to take anywhere from 25-45 minutes, depending if you're the first one dropped off, or (somehow much more likely) the last.
Unless you're travelling alone, the shuttle will end up costing at least as much money and taking more time than a taxi.
You can take the E-2 express city bus, operated by Jefferson Transit. It's a 40 minute ride. Fare is $1.60. The schedule is here. Note that the last bus that goes Downtown leaves the airport at 7 p.m.; later buses terminate at Tulane, where you would you transfer to the #39 and pay $1.25 more.
I'm going straight from the airport to the festival. Where can I check my bags?
There's nowhere at the Fairgrounds to check bags, and you certainly won't want to schlep them around all day. There is a manned baggage check at the airport, on the lower level between bag claims 5 & 6. I'm not sure of the cost, and there's the hassle of returning back out to the airport to retrieve it later.
In this case, you may want to rent a car after all, just so you can leave your stuff in the trunk. But don't leave bags in sight, and don't leave any valuables in the car.
Otherwise, stop at your hotel on the way to the Fest to check your bags there.
Leaving from the Fest directly to the airport?
One trick is to rent a car the morning of your last day. That avoids hotel parking fees. Stash your bags in the trunk (again, out-of-sight, and don't leave any valuables), drive to Fest, and from Fest straight to the airport. Several rental companies have downtown locations, so you can pick up the car downtown and drop it at the airport. There's usually no extra charge for this, plus since you are renting "off-airport", you avoid all the airport-related rental car taxes and fees. Besides being more convenient, you may even find that the cost of the car, plus parking at the fest, plus a little gas all comes to less than the cost of taxis from the hotel to fest, back to the hotel, and then to the airport.
Page last updated July 24, 2008