Holiday Autos a Travel Essential for New Orleans

The Independent on Sunday on the 1st April 2012 ran a story "New Orleans: Where every building tells a story - The French Quarter of the city was moulded by its history of piracy, slavery, royalty – and ghosts"

A very interesting article by The Independent on Sunday's correspondent Adrian Mourby. It was reporting on the fact that French Quarter Festival starts on the 12th April features some 800 local musicians and is a little bit less lively than Mardi Gras that happened earlier in the year.

Apprarently you don't want to visit it there in mid summer as the temperatures are very hot. I spent a week there last May, towards the end of the month. The temperature was perefect and staying in the Hotel Chateau Bourbon in the French Quarter was excellent. If you do stay there try and book  courtyard room as the ones facing out towards Bourbon Street can be noisy. The hotel has an outside swimming pool (and according to the website is currently closed till the 15th May).

Under Travel essentials in the article, they were suggesting Holiday Autos. Apparently they offer a week's car hire from £216. You need to check their website HERE.

You won't need a car for just wandering around central New Orleans listening to Jazz being played in bars, clubs and out in the street. Everything is very compact, however if you want to go further out of the area (past the Streetcar routes) you can go exploring the Plantations and even the Swamps in Louisiana.


Do make sure you take plenty of sun protection cream as many of the boats on the tours have no roof or shade.

Finally a trip to New Orleans has to include a trip on the Mississippi River in a traditional paddle steamer.

Talking of the Mighty Mississippi River a new ITV 3 part documentary series with Sir Trevor McDonald starts next Tuesday April 10th on ITV1.