Getting to New Orleans.

Flights land at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), 1 Terminal Drive, Kenner, the city just west of New Orleans. The airport is open 24 hours a day, and its own site, flymsy.com, carries live parking availability, flight information and its ground transportation pages, which are the source for the fares and pickup points on this page, checked 1 November 2026.

Taxis pick up in a dedicated loading zone on the arrivals curb outside Level 1 Baggage Claim, Door 7. The ride to the Central Business District or the French Quarter (west of Elysian Fields) costs a flat $36.00 for up to two passengers; for three or more passengers the fare is $15.00 per passenger. Taxis are required to accept credit card payments, so there is no cash problem at the curb.

Ride app services pick up outside Level 1 Baggage Claim on the middle curb. For Lyft, exit Doors 7 to 9, cross the walkway to the middle curb and join the queue; Lyft Fast Match runs at MSY. For Uber, exit Doors 9 to 11 to the same middle curb: UberX works on a six-digit PIN you show the first available driver, and other Uber requests meet at Zone 3 on the middle curb. The airport's advice is the standard one: check the plate, the car and the driver's photo against the app before you get in.

Bus service leaves from Level 1 Baggage Claim, outside Door 2, Zones B4 and B5. The RTA's Airport Express (202) runs into New Orleans to Elk Place at Cleveland and the Union Passenger Terminal (Bus Bay 2), and the fare is $1.25. Jefferson Transit's Veterans-Airport (E1) runs to City Park Avenue in New Orleans at $2.00 ($1.50 for a stop inside Jefferson Parish). One pass note from the airport: only the Regional Ride day pass, the Le Pass, can be used on both the Jefferson Transit and RTA systems.

Every rental company at MSY works out of one Rental Car Center at 600 Rental Boulevard, Kenner, reached by the airport's rental car shuttle, which boards in front of the Long Term Parking Garage: exit Level 1 Baggage Claim and walk towards the garage. Allow for the shuttle ride when you time a pickup or a return.

Hotel courtesy shuttles and other pre-arranged vehicles work through the airport's Ground Transportation Center. If your hotel runs one, book it with the hotel before you fly and confirm the pickup point on the day; shared shuttle services are arranged in advance rather than hailed at the curb.

Driving in to collect someone, or leaving a car at the airport: the airport publishes four facilities plus valet, and takes reservations for all of them on its site. The maximum daily rates are Short Term $26, Long Term $22, the Surface Lot $20 and the Economy Garage $12 (credit card only); valet is $36 a day, available 6 am to midnight. The first half hour is free in the Short Term garage and the Surface Lot.

The streetcar is the city's own way of getting around, and half the pleasure. The St. Charles line runs from Canal Street through the Garden District to Carrollton, on this route since 1835, the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world; the Canal line runs up to City Park and the cemeteries. A single ride is $1.25 with exact change; a 1-Day Jazzy Pass at $3 covers unlimited rides and is easiest to buy in the RTA Le Pass app. The attractions guide carries the streetcar card with the fare source, and the family page works through the pass arithmetic for days with children.