Coach & Minibus USA

Charter Bus Rental in New Orleans

New Orleans has tight rules on where buses can go, and they depend on the length of the vehicle. We book a licensed operator and the right size of vehicle for your stops, with one quote that includes the driver.

Charter bus rental and the French Quarter rules

In the French Quarter, a bus under 31 feet must keep to signed bus routes. At 31 feet or longer, a bus needs a Public Works Oversize Load permit, obtained in advance. A full-size motorcoach falls in the second group. Tell us early if the Quarter is on your list, so the operator has time to apply.

Loading in the Quarter is limited to 15 minutes, and idling to 10. Have the group ready at the curb with bags in hand. For hotels inside the Quarter, send the exact address so we can check whether the vehicle is allowed on that block.

MAN Lion's Coach 49-seat touring coach, front three-quarter view
MAN Lion's Coach 49-seat touring coach, front three-quarter view

The Garden District needs a smaller vehicle

Buses over 20 seats are banned in the Garden District, apart from limited permitted exceptions. For a Garden District tour, a Sprinter van or a small minibus is the practical choice. If the group is larger, split it, or drop outside the district and walk in.

Airports serving New Orleans

  • Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) — about 15 miles

Stadiums and arenas

  • Caesars Superdome — New Orleans Saints (NFL), Sugar Bowl
  • Smoothie King Center — New Orleans Pelicans (NBA); beside the Superdome

Day trips and intercity runs from New Orleans

  • Whitney Plantation (Wallace) — about 46 miles, 1-1.5 hr
  • Oak Alley Plantation (Vacherie) — about 53 miles, 1-1.5 hr
  • Baton Rouge — about 81 miles, 1.5-2 hr
  • Biloxi, MS — about 90 miles, 1.5-2 hr
  • Lafayette — about 135 miles, 2.5-3 hr

Rules for buses in New Orleans

  • French Quarter: buses under 31 ft must use signed bus routes only.
  • Buses 31 ft or longer need a Public Works Oversize Load permit in advance.
  • French Quarter loading limited to 15 minutes; no idling over 10 minutes.
  • Garden District bans buses over 20 seats, with limited permitted exceptions.
  • Designated motorcoach lots include Convention Center Lot J.

Morial Convention Center and the Superdome

The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center sits on the Warehouse District riverfront. One of the designated motorcoach lots is Convention Center Lot J, so the bus has somewhere to wait. Hotels in the CBD and Warehouse District keep shuttle loops short.

The Smoothie King Center stands next to the Caesars Superdome. For Saints games, the Sugar Bowl or a Pelicans night, agree a pickup point away from the main crowd.

Airport runs and plantation day trips

Downtown is about 15 miles from Louis Armstrong International. Give us flight numbers and the pickup tracks the actual landing. A group arriving across the afternoon may need two runs rather than one long wait.

Whitney Plantation and Oak Alley are each about an hour out, so one day covers both. Baton Rouge and Biloxi are about two hours at most.

Questions

Can a full-size coach go into the French Quarter?

Only with a Public Works Oversize Load permit, arranged in advance. Otherwise drop at the edge and walk.

Can we tour the Garden District by bus?

Not in a bus over 20 seats, except under limited permits. Use a smaller vehicle or walk in.

Where does the bus wait during a convention?

At a designated motorcoach lot such as Convention Center Lot J. It does not idle at the curb.

What about Mardi Gras?

Parade days change everything. See our Mardi Gras page and book early.

Trip types we arrange

Vehicles

Send the New Orleans plan

List the stops, dates and group size. We check vehicle length against the rules, book a licensed operator and send one quote with the cancellation terms on it.

Request a quote or call 15722344442