Lafayette to New Orleans Distance: Driving, By Plane, Train or Bus

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Transport solution providers like the Enterprise Holdings offer hassle-free car rental options that lets you choose a car of your choice and drive away to your destination. The option to choose between a round trip and one-way trip offers you with a choice of dropping the vehicle at your preferred destination. Hiring a car to drive at your own pace is an excellent idea to stop over at places during your journey. While driving on your own and going off the beaten path, the odds of getting lost on a road journey outweigh the fun and adventure you will encounter! Visitors have agreed the drive on 90 offers stunning Louisiana scenery which is an unforgettable experience.

Car rental charges from Lafayette to New Orleans start from an average of $36 to $75 per day depending on the type of vehicle you choose. Choose from a basic economy car to more spacious minivan as you embark on a self-steered road trip from Lafayette to New Orleans.

Just outside of New Iberia, 30 miles southeast of Lafayette you will come across Tobasco Factory and Avery Island. The factory offers free tours and has small shops offering various Tobasco products. Further along the route, you will come across the Atchafalaya Swamp, a beauty in itself. Plenty of swamp tours will take you in close proximity with nature. At Morgan City you can witness an authentic oil well and the Petroleum Museum is worth a tour.

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One of Amtrak service providers, the Sunset Limited offers trains from Lafayette to New Orleans. Amtrak is United States and Canada’s renowned railways that connect main cities of USA & Canada and these two countries. The Sunset Limited offers Superliner Sleeping cum Dining Car accommodations along with the normal coach seater option. The spectacular views from the popular Sightseeing Lounge Car is a must try for every traveler.

The journey from Lafayette to New Orleans takes around 4.5 hours and the tickets cost as less as $21 upto $109 depending on the seating options. The LFT Amtrak station building is an enclosed waiting area without Wi-Fi, ticketing counter, restrooms, payphones, elevator or passenger lounge for traveler convenience. Whereas the New Orleans (NOL) Amtrak station building is an enclosed waiting area that offers a ticketing office, lounge, restrooms and an ATM for passenger utility.

Via Private Taxi

There are several private chauffeur car service providers that operate 24 hours a day and 7 days a week just to ensure your Louisiana transportation is a great experience. Uber is the world’s favored budding car service provider that can cost you as cheap as $120-$260 to travel from Lafayette to New Orleans. All you need is Uber app and you have earned yourself a cheap ride in someone’s private car. The only drawback is that you do not get to choose the type of car for your travel.

Hiring other private chauffeur driven cars from Lafayette to New Orleans will cost anything from $355 to $935 per vehicle depending on the choice of vehicle. You get to choose from Luxury Sedan, Luxury SUV, 10 Passenger Charter Van, Stretch Limousine (Limo), 47 Passenger Bus and Luxury Limo Bus (15 Passenger) depending on your requirement.

The car journey from Lafayette to New Orleans will take upto 3 hours depending on the route your driver takes - 2.30 hours (135.6 mi) via I-10 E, 2.40 hours (153.3 mi) via US-90 E and 2.38 hours (159.3 mi) via I-12 E and I-10 E.

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Greyhound Lines is one of the largest motor coach service providers in the United States and Canada that runs buses from Lafayette to New Orleans. The bus journey takes about 4.5 hours and the tickets start from $25.

Greyhound fleet of buses offers comfy leather seats and sufficient legroom that enables you to sit comfortably. Their in-bus free Wi-Fi facility lets you surf the internet while on a bus trip. Greyhound follows a first come first serve policy on most trips when it comes to choosing seats since seats are not assigned while you buy tickets. However, you have an option to buy their priority boarding tickets and you get to choose your preferred seat first.

During the road trip from Lafayette to New Orleans, one can witness that the roadways have seen a lot of improvement after Hurricanes Katrina & Rita hit these parts in 2005.

Bicycle Getaways

Google offers three routes for bikers riding their way from Lafayette to New Orleans - via LA-182 S, 158.5 miles - 13.13 hours, via LA-182 S and Mississippi River Trail, 174.1 miles - 14.22 hours and via US-190 E, 174.9 miles - 14.28 hours.

The featured Acadiana Park Mountain Bike Trails in Lafayette is the first single-track mountain bike trail that offers spectacular sight of over 100-year old cypress and live oak trees along the path.

New Orleans based Free Wheelin’ Bike Tours not only offers bikes for rent to explore the city, but also offers guided tours to explore the city on bike.

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The Lafayette Regional Airport (LFR) is located in Lafayette Parish of Louisiana. While the airport does not cater to international flights, it offers flights to several major domestic destinations that offer connecting service to various parts of the globe. More than 500,000 travelers use the LFR every year.

The airport's Business Center and free Wi-Fi service add comfort and convenience to its business travelers from 4:30 am until the last flight for the day. Like any other American airport, the LFR is furnished with a Visitor Information Center that offers aid and assistance towards regional and Lafayette information. The airport offers porter service, fine dining restaurants, convenient parking facility and amenities designed to assist passengers with disabilities along with other conveniences to assist its travelers.

Airlines like American, United and Delta offer frequent flights from LFR to New Orleans with an average ticket price ranging from $ 470. Flights from Houston offer non-stop flights to New Orleans while all flights from LFR have atleast one stop-over on the way. The time taken varies from 4 to 16 hours depending on the layover place and time.

On the other hand, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is located in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. The airport’s international flight operations are limited to Toronto, Panama City, Cancun and Punta Cana as of now. The airport caters to a majority of domestic destinations despite its international airport status. The airport is well-equipped with an array of airport service and facilities from Wi-Fi and airline lounges to currency exchange and post office.

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Lafayette, a culturally rich city in the southwest of Louisiana is nicknamed ‘Cajun Country’ for its French settlers named the Cajuns, the largest French-speaking minority in the United States. Lafayette has a unique culmination of urban life and Cajun traditions held in high repute for their excellent culinary skills. Food is celebrated and it takes center stage in every community event be it live music or social gathering.

The traditional Cajun cuisine coupled with Lafayette’s waterways, villages and roadside taverns will drop you into Cajun way of life. This list of Lafayette attractions will ensure you have had your share of Cajun lifestyle experience in a single trip.

Alluring New Orleans

Louisiana is well-known for its notable culture & history and if this is what you are looking for, the southern part of the state and New Orleans is the right place to start your expedition. Most popular as the birthplace of Jazz music, the city of New Orleans is a zenith of cultural diversities apparent in its people, food, language and music. From Frenchmen Street and French Quarter to museums and city tours, New Orleans has so much to offer for visitors. This list of exclusive New Orleans retreats has a list of attractions that you can visit by walk and streetcars. The horse-drawn carriages sprawling the streets and the City’s historic streetcars will again lure you into the Cajun lifestyle.

New Orleans is a bustling city that hosts an array of festivals all year-long and the place is happening at a regular interval. The city’s night life is yet another charm that is frequented by visitors for Jazz music. The Nola dishes are a derivative of Creole, Cajun and Afro-American cuisines.

From Gumbo and Jambalaya to Mardi Gras and ferry rides, New Orleans is a place for every age group and definitely a family entertainment travel destination.