Taxicabs

Be sure to bring cash to pay for any taxi ride, as credit card machines may or may not be available, and also have different denominations of bills to make exact change. Taxi rates are $3.50 plus $2 per mile. Rates may increase during peak visitor times, but should be posted. A taxicab ride from the airport to the Central Business District (CBD) costs about $33 for one or two passengers, and $14 for each extra person. The CBD is just north of the Warehouse District, the hotel and convention center area, about a 24-minute drive.

Shuttles at The Rental Show

Two shuttle bus routes will run to and from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and select American Rental Association (ARA) show hotels. Route 1 includes Doubletree New Orleans, Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Loews New Orleans and Wyndham Riverfront. Route 2 includes Astor Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn French Quarter and New Orleans Marriott.

The remaining ARA show hotels include the Courtyard Convention Center, Embassy Suites New Orleans, Hampton Inn and Suites Convention Center, Hilton Garden Inn Convention Center, New Orleans Marriott Convention Center, Residence Inn New Orleans Downtown and Springhill Suites Convention Center. These are within walking distance of the convention center and shuttle bus service will only be provided for these hotels on the evening of Feb. 7 for the Crescent City Carnival event at Mardi Gras World.

Buses

Fares for buses in New Orleans are $1.25 and include several routes around the city. The Magazine route is circuitous to the convention center. For more information, go to norta.com.

Streetcars (not trolleys)

Streetcars — complete with mahogany seats, brass fittings and exposed ceiling light bulbs — are another way to get around New Orleans. New Orleans has three different streetcar lines: St. Charles, Canal Street and the Riverfront. One-way fares are $1.25 and can be paid with exact change when you board. One, three- and five-day unlimited passes are available for $5, $12 and $20, respectively, from ticket vending machines at Canal Street and N. Peters St., or at Canal and Bourbon streets. For a complete list, check norta.com. Passes are nonrefundable and nonreplaceable.

The St. Charles line forms a 13.2-mile crescent from Carondelet at Canal Street in the Central Business District (CBD), through uptown New Orleans, around the Riverbend to Carrollton at Claiborne Avenue. This line passes dozens of antebellum mansions, historic monuments, Loyola and Tulane universities, the Audubon Zoological Gardens, as well as shopping, restaurants and hotels.

The Canal Street line travels a 5.5-mile route from the French Market, along Canal Street through the CBD and into the Mid-City area. The line ends at City Park Avenue and the historic city cemeteries. A spur along North Carrollton Avenue then connects Canal Street to City Park at Beauregard Circle. The final stop is the New Orleans Museum of Art.

The Riverfront Line runs from Esplanade Avenue, along the river to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, passing by the French Market, the Aquarium of the Americas and the Riverwalk along the way.
Both the Canal and Riverfront streetcars are ADA compliant. For fare and route information, visit the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority on the web at norta.com.

Did you drive?

Try to park in your hotel lot. Street parking rules are different in every neighborhood, according to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, and fines are heavy. For instance, an expired meter ticket will cost you $20 and parking too close to a corner can result in a $40 ticket. Parking your car for the duration of the show and taking public transit may be the best option.