New Orleans is one of the most popular tourist destinations in America. the Big Easy has allured people from all over the world for hundreds of years. With New Orleans having a reputation for amazing, unique restaurants and decadent nightlife, many tourists expect to spend many dollars while staying in New Orleans. However, this doesn’t always have to be the case. Here’s some tips to save money while visiting the city that care forgot:
1.) Don’t spend all your time on Bourbon Street. Certainly, no New Orleans trip is complete without a sojourn down Bourbon Street, but there are many reasons why you will want to make sure you venture out to other areas of the city. Everything on Bourbon Street is expensive and mostly marketed towards tourists. Even the fam
Famous New Orleans landmarks, like Pat O’Brien’s and Galatoire’s, will burn a hole in your pocket before you can realize it’s there. See all you need to see on Bourbon Street in one night. If you want to get an idea of more genuine New Orleans nightlife, check out Frenchman Street. Frenchman Street is home to many of the famous New Orleans jazz clubs, and drinks are usually a little cheaper. The attitude is far more relaxed than on Bourbon. If you want to get really crazy, check out some of the bars in the Uptown and Garden District Areas. Bars around Tulane University have cheap drinks and good specials. sometimes these bars get wilder than even the wildest bars on Bourbon. A good place to visit is Ms. Mae’s/The Club, on Magazine Street. Ms. Mae’s is a favorite among New Orleans locals of all walks of life. It isn’t the prettiest bar, but it has the cheapest drinks in the city and usually a decent crowd any time of the day. It’s impossible to list all the great New Orleans bars here, so there’s no excuse for partying on Bourbon every night of your trip.
2.) Good food in New Orleans is everywhere, and it’s cheap. All the staples of New Orleans cuisine, such as Jambalaya, Red Beans & Rice, and Po Boy sandwiches were all created to provide a hearty, filling meal while costing very little money to make. Some of the most delicious food in the city comes from homely-looking establishments. It’s perfectly reasonable to spend under 30-40 dollars a day on food, while still gorging on generous amounts of authentic Creole and Cajun cuisine. A good number of New Orleans delis are inside convenience stores (such as the famous Central Grocery, birthplace of the Muffaletta sandwich), so be curious and explore.
3.) If you need to do any shopping, get out of the French Quarter. There are a few supermarkets and a Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas Street not that far from downtown. Most grocery stores in New Orleans sell beer, wine, hard alcohol, and cheap souvenirs. If you visit the shops along Canal Street or around the French Quarter, you will always spend too much money.
