A NOLA party bus works when three numbers are right: the people on board, the hours the night will really take, and what that costs each person. On Elly8.net, party buses are priced in the web booker for your exact route, date and hours, all-in, and the fixed-price alternative, a 12-seat Executive Sprinter, is US$190 an hour in New Orleans with a three-hour minimum, or US$950 on the evening out package.
New Orleans nights have their own shape. The best music is in small clubs, the French Quarter is built for walking, not buses, and big nights at the Superdome or during Carnival close streets for hours. This guide works through the numbers for the nights groups actually book here. Rides in New Orleans are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk.
What does a party bus cost in New Orleans?
On Elly8.net, a New Orleans party bus is priced in the web booker for your route, date and hours, including taxes and standard gratuity. The fixed-price alternative is a 12-seat Executive Sprinter at US$190 an hour with a three-hour minimum, or US$950 on the evening out package, about US$79 a person for twelve.
Smaller groups have exact figures on the New Orleans price list: a Business SUV for up to six is US$120 an hour or US$600 on the evening package, and a First Class SUV US$145 an hour or US$725 for the evening. Every price is per vehicle, with tolls, parking and extra time billed at cost.
See New Orleans prices and reserve
Number one: how many people
Count the people who will be in the vehicle at its fullest point of the night. That means the group at dinner plus anyone joining at the second stop, minus nobody, because the friend who says they will "meet you there" usually wants a ride home.
Then size the vehicle with a little slack:
- Up to 6: a Business SUV or First Class SUV on the fixed price list.
- 7 or 8: a Stretch Limousine, quoted in the web booker, if the look matters; otherwise the Sprinter.
- 9 to 12: the Executive Sprinter on the fixed list, or the Party Bus on our fleet page, which also seats up to 12, quoted in the booker.
- 13 to 16: a Stretch SUV Limousine, quoted in the booker.
- 17 or more: two vehicles timed together, or a larger bus if a local partner can supply one on your date. The desk confirms that rather than promising a size it cannot.
If the group sits right at the top of a vehicle's range, go up a size or split it. Twelve adults in going-out clothes on a humid New Orleans night will thank you for the space.
Number two: how many hours a New Orleans night takes
Here is the honest part about New Orleans: a party bus is the wrong tool for the middle of the French Quarter. Many Quarter streets are narrow, and Bourbon Street and others close to vehicles at busy times. A bus or Sprinter drops you at the edge of the Quarter and collects you at an agreed corner. So build the hours around the legs where a vehicle helps, not the hours you spend walking between bars.
The legs that eat time:
- Pickups. A group spread across a CBD hotel, a Marigny rental and an Uptown house can spend the first hour on pickups alone.
- Dinner. Two hours at a restaurant is two hours of the vehicle waiting outside.
- Getting into and out of the Quarter or Frenchmen Street. Allow time to walk to and from the agreed corner, and for the group to gather at the end.
- Events. A Saints game, a concert or a Carnival parade closes surrounding streets before and after. The vehicle stages a few blocks away.
- The drop-offs. Late at night, every extra address adds time.
Three New Orleans nights, priced
These use the New Orleans price list. A party bus quote in the booker follows the same all-in rule, so compare totals, not hourly rates.
The Frenchmen Street night, ten people
Pickup at a CBD hotel at 7 p.m., dinner Uptown, then live music in the clubs on Frenchmen Street in the Marigny, with the Sprinter collecting a block off Frenchmen at 1 a.m. That is six hours: US$1,140 on the hourly rate, or US$950 on the evening out package, which is the better line here. At ten people, that is US$95 each.
Game day at the Superdome, twelve people
The streets around the Caesars Superdome fill before kickoff and after the final whistle. Pickup at a Metairie address two hours before kickoff, a drop a few blocks from the stadium, then pickup at an agreed point after the game and back to Metairie. Plan on six to seven hours with the game itself, so the evening out package at US$950 in the Sprinter, about US$79 each, is the simplest booking for an evening kickoff. For a day game, book the hourly rate for the hours you need. Our sports event transportation page explains how we stage cars on game days.
The wedding after-party, eight people
The wedding party leaves the reception at 10 p.m. for a late night in the Quarter. A Stretch Limousine for the look, quoted in the booker, or two Business SUVs at US$120 an hour each so half the party can leave early. Four hours in two SUVs is US$960, US$120 each. One Sprinter for the same four hours is US$760, US$95 each, if everyone stays together. If the wedding is still being planned, see our wedding limousine page.
A Carnival ball evening, six people
Formal wear, a ball at a hotel or event hall, and parades closing streets across the city. A Business SUV on the evening out package, US$600, or a First Class SUV at US$725, keeps the car near the venue while the chauffeur plans a drop-off and pickup a few blocks off any parade route. At six people, that is US$100 to about US$121 each. Gowns and tuxedos travel better in an SUV's higher seats than in a low stretch limousine.
Party bus or Sprinter for a New Orleans night?
Both seat up to twelve on our fleet page, so the choice is about the cabin and the city.
- Choose the party bus when the ride between stops is part of the celebration: lounge seating, lights and music for a birthday or a bachelor or bachelorette night. It is quoted in the web booker.
- Choose the Sprinter when the vehicle is mainly the way to get there: a game, a concert, dinner and music. Forward-facing seats and a high roof make it quick to load at a crowded corner on Canal Street or a block off Frenchmen, and it is on the fixed price list at US$190 an hour.
- Choose two SUVs when the group will split up, because in New Orleans someone always wants to stay out later than everyone else.
The per-head table
| Booking | Executive Sprinter | 8 guests | 10 guests | 12 guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours (minimum) | US$570 | about US$71 | US$57 | US$47.50 |
| 4 hours | US$760 | US$95 | US$76 | about US$63 |
| Evening out and event night | US$950 | about US$119 | US$95 | about US$79 |
| 6 hours, hourly | US$1,140 | US$142.50 | US$114 | US$95 |
Every figure includes the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes and standard gratuity. Extra time beyond the booking is billed at US$190 an hour in the Sprinter. If the group is flying in, add the airport: MSY to the French Quarter is US$445 in the Sprinter, about US$37 each for twelve, and the same fixed fare applies back to the airport.
Number three: the season
The hours and the price are the same any night on the fixed list, but availability is not. Book early for:
- Carnival. According to New Orleans & Company, the 2027 season runs from January 6 to Fat Tuesday, February 9, 2027. The final weekend is the hardest time of year to find a large vehicle, and parade routes, including St. Charles Avenue, close for hours.
- Jazz Fest. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is usually held over two long weekends in late April and early May at the Fair Grounds Race Course, and the city fills.
- Big Superdome weekends and conventions. Check the stadium and convention calendars before fixing a date.
For Carnival nights, an hourly booking or the evening package keeps the vehicle near you, with drop-offs a few blocks outside the parade route. See event transportation for how we plan big nights.
Rules on board, briefly
Alcohol rules for passengers differ by city and vehicle type. Your chauffeur follows local rules throughout, and we never plan a ride around drinking on board. New Orleans' street culture is famous, but the vehicle is not a bar. Ask the desk before the trip if you are unsure what applies, and ask any operator about decorations, glitter and cleaning fees before the night.
For a full checklist of what to ask before you pay, including how quotes are built and how to check an operator is permitted, read our companion guide to New Orleans party bus sizes, prices and booking without surprises. If your group is under twelve and wants a calmer ride, our New Orleans Sprinter van rental guide covers the Sprinter in depth.
How booking works
- Addresses and hours. Enter the first pickup, the stops you know and the final drop-off, with the date and the number of hours.
- Vehicle. Choose the class that fits your real head count. SUVs and the Sprinter are on the fixed price list; party buses and limousines are quoted in the booker.
- Reserve. Pay with Reserve now or through the web booker, and confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, refunded to the original card; see our cancellation policy. Our party bus rental page compares the bus and the Sprinter in more detail. Groups continuing on can book Houston or Memphis at fixed prices.
Frequently asked questions
How many people fit in a NOLA party bus?
The Party Bus on our fleet page seats up to 12, the same as the Executive Sprinter. A Stretch SUV Limousine seats up to 16. For larger groups, the desk books two vehicles timed together or confirms whether a local partner can supply a larger bus on your date.
Can a party bus drive down Bourbon Street?
No vehicle should be planned around that. Bourbon Street and other Quarter streets are narrow and close to vehicles at busy times. The chauffeur drops you and collects you at an agreed corner at the edge of the Quarter, such as Canal Street or Esplanade Avenue.
How many hours should we book for a New Orleans night out?
Most nights out run five to six hours once pickups, dinner, walking to the Quarter or Frenchmen Street and drop-offs are counted. A three-hour booking suits a single event with one pickup and one drop-off. For longer nights, the evening out package, US$950 in the Sprinter, is usually simplest.
Is the gratuity included?
Yes. Every Elly8.net price includes the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls, parking and time beyond your booking are billed at cost. There is no tip to collect from the group at the end of the night, which also makes splitting the cost in advance much simpler.
Can we use the party bus during Mardi Gras?
Yes, with planning. Book early for the final weekend and Fat Tuesday, February 9, 2027. Parade routes close for hours, so the chauffeur stages the vehicle a few blocks off the route and confirms drop-off and pickup points with you on the day.
Can we drink on the party bus?
Rules on alcohol in vehicles differ by city and vehicle type, and your chauffeur follows local rules throughout. We never plan a ride around drinking on board, and the vehicle is not treated as a bar. Ask the desk before your trip if you have questions about what is allowed.
