A private driver in New Orleans is a car and chauffeur at your disposal for a set number of hours, waiting while you eat, tour or meet, and moving you between parts of the city that are a long walk apart. Elly8.net books one at a fixed hourly rate, from US$95 an hour in a Business Sedan to US$190 an hour in an Executive Sprinter, with a three-hour minimum, or a full day from US$700, all-in.
New Orleans is also a city where you do not need a car for everything. The French Quarter is best on foot, and a lot of a visit happens within it. This guide is about the rest: the Garden District, City Park, the WWII Museum, a dinner Uptown, a River Road plantation, a working day between the CBD and Metairie. 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.
How much does a private driver cost in New Orleans?
A private driver in New Orleans costs US$95 an hour in a Business Sedan, US$120 in a Business SUV, US$145 in a First Class SUV, US$155 in a First Class Sedan and US$190 in an Executive Sprinter, three-hour minimum. A full-day chauffeur runs from US$700 to US$1,400, all-in.
Every figure includes the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls, parking and time beyond your booking are billed at cost. If you know the shape of your day, a package can be simpler than the hourly rate: the private city highlights tour, the evening out package and the six-hour River Road plantations trip are all on the New Orleans price list.
See New Orleans prices and reserve
When a private driver is worth it, and when it is not
Start with the honest part. If you are staying in the French Quarter and your plans are bars, restaurants, Jackson Square and the riverfront, walk. Many Quarter streets are narrow, some close to cars at busy times, and a car spends more time looking for a legal stop than you would spend on foot.
A private driver earns its cost when:
- The day crosses the city. The Garden District, City Park and the WWII Museum are in three different directions from the Quarter. With a car waiting, that is one easy day instead of three separate journeys.
- You are visiting out of town. River Road plantations, such as Oak Alley Plantation, are well outside the city and impractical by public transport.
- You are working. Client meetings between the CBD, the convention centre and offices in Metairie or across the river are easier when the car stays with you.
- The group has mixed mobility. Older relatives, young children or anyone who cannot walk long distances in the heat.
- It is a big night. A dinner Uptown followed by music on Frenchmen Street, or a Saints game, with a car waiting at an agreed corner rather than an app queue.
The neighbourhoods, as a car sees them
The French Quarter. Grid streets, many one-way, narrow and busy. A chauffeur will use your hotel's driveway or loading zone if it has one, and otherwise picks you up at the edge of the Quarter, often on Canal Street, Decatur Street, Rampart Street or Esplanade Avenue. Agree the corner before you walk off.
The Marigny and Frenchmen Street. Just downriver of the Quarter, with live music clubs along Frenchmen Street. Late at night the street is crowded, and the cleanest pickup is a block or two away.
The CBD and Warehouse District. Most convention hotels, the Caesars Superdome, the convention centre and the National WWII Museum. Easy for cars on most days, slow before and after Saints games and big events.
The Garden District and Magazine Street. Historic houses on shaded streets, and a long run of boutiques, galleries and restaurants along Magazine Street. The chauffeur can drive slowly past the mansions or drop you to walk a few blocks and meet you at the other end.
Uptown and St. Charles Avenue. The grand avenue, the universities and Audubon Park. During Carnival, St. Charles Avenue is a parade route and closes to traffic for long stretches.
Mid-City and City Park. City Park is home to the New Orleans Museum of Art and its sculpture garden, and it sits on the way to the lakefront. It is also near the Fair Grounds, where Jazz Fest is held.
Metairie and Kenner. The suburbs west of the city, with offices, shopping and the airport. A car here is the default, not a luxury.
Traffic peaks to plan around
New Orleans traffic is less about daily gridlock and more about events.
- Weekday rush hours on I-10 between the city and Metairie and the airport, morning and evening.
- Saints games and big events at the Superdome, when the streets around Poydras Street fill before kickoff and after the final whistle. See the Caesars Superdome calendar before planning a CBD day.
- Carnival season. According to New Orleans & Company, the 2027 season runs from January 6 to Fat Tuesday, February 9, 2027. Parades close their routes for hours, and crossing the city during a parade means detours.
- Jazz Fest weekends, usually late April into early May, when roads around the Fair Grounds in Gentilly are congested and parking is very limited.
- Convention opening and closing days at the riverfront convention centre.
A private driver does not make traffic disappear, but a chauffeur who knows which streets close and when, and who is already waiting rather than driving to you, saves most of the time an app ride loses.
Popular routes and how long to book
These are the bookings we see most, with the hours and vehicle that usually fit. The figures use the New Orleans price list.
| Day or evening | Typical hours | Vehicle | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden District, Magazine Street and lunch Uptown | 3 hours | Business Sedan | US$285 |
| WWII Museum drop-off and pickup, then City Park and NOMA | 4 hours | Business SUV | US$480 |
| Private city highlights tour | package | Business Sedan to Executive Sprinter | US$380 to US$760 |
| Dinner Uptown, then music on Frenchmen Street | package | Business Sedan to Executive Sprinter | US$475 to US$950, evening out package |
| River Road plantations day trip | 6 hours | Business Sedan to Executive Sprinter | US$525 to US$1,050 |
| A working day: CBD, convention centre and Metairie meetings | full day | Business Sedan to Executive Sprinter | US$700 to US$1,400 |
The highlights tour covers the Garden District, the lakefront and City Park, and suits a first visit where you want to see the city beyond the Quarter without planning every turn.
The River Road trip is the one most visitors would not attempt without a car. The six-hour package is US$525 in a Business Sedan, US$665 in a Business SUV, US$805 in a First Class SUV, US$860 in a First Class Sedan and US$1,050 in an Executive Sprinter. Book your plantation tour time first, then send it to the desk and the chauffeur plans the drive around it, waiting while you tour.
The evening out package keeps the car with you through dinner and a night of music. Your chauffeur follows local rules on alcohol in the vehicle; plan the drinks at the bar, not in the back seat.
Which vehicle fits which trip
| Vehicle | Seats and bags | Hourly | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Sedan | up to 3, 2 bags | US$95 | couples, solo business days, a quiet dinner |
| Business SUV | up to 6, 6 bags | US$120 | families, small groups, shopping days on Magazine Street |
| First Class SUV | up to 6, 6 bags | US$145 | VIP guests, executives, a group that wants more space |
| First Class Sedan | up to 3, 2 bags | US$155 | client hosting, anniversaries, special occasions |
| Executive Sprinter | up to 12, 12 bags | US$190 | groups, wedding parties, festival crews |
For two people, a Business Sedan covers almost everything. A family of four with a stroller wants the Business SUV. For more than six, the Executive Sprinter keeps everyone together, though it is a large vehicle for the Quarter's narrowest streets; our New Orleans Sprinter van rental guide explains where it works best. The fleet page shows every class.
A sample day with a private driver
Here is a day we book often for couples and small families on a first visit, using a Business SUV at US$120 an hour.
- 9:30 a.m. Pickup at the hotel, or the agreed corner at the edge of the Quarter.
- 10:00 a.m. The National WWII Museum. The chauffeur drops you at the entrance and waits nearby.
- 1:30 p.m. Lunch on Magazine Street, then a slow drive and a short walk through the Garden District.
- 3:30 p.m. City Park and the sculpture garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
- 5:00 p.m. Back to the hotel to change for dinner.
That is seven and a half hours, US$900 on the hourly rate, so the full-day chauffeur package at US$885 in the Business SUV is the cheaper way to book the same day. The desk will always point that out.
For locals and regular visitors
Not every private driver booking is for a visitor. Residents and frequent travellers book a car for:
- Airport runs with a fixed fare in either direction, from US$170 to US$445 between MSY and the French Quarter; see our New Orleans airport transfer walkthrough.
- Hosting out-of-town clients, with a First Class Sedan waiting outside dinner.
- Roadshow and multi-meeting days, priced from US$855 in a Business Sedan to US$1,710 in an Executive Sprinter on the corporate roadshow day package. See our roadshow chauffeur page.
- Monthly invoicing through a corporate account, with saved traveller profiles and NDAs on request.
How booking works
- Pickup and plan. Enter the first pickup address, the date and the hours, or choose a package. Add stops you already know in the notes.
- Vehicle. Choose the class that fits your group and bags; child seats are available on request.
- Reserve. Pay with Reserve now on the price list or in the web booker. Confirmation arrives by email, and the chauffeur's details follow before pickup.
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. Our hourly chauffeur and private city tours pages explain both booking styles in more detail. Driving on to another city? We book Houston, Memphis and Atlanta at fixed prices as well.
Frequently asked questions
Is a private driver in New Orleans worth it?
For a day that crosses the city, a trip out to River Road, a working day or a big night out, usually yes. Inside the French Quarter, walking is quicker than any car. Many visitors book an airport transfer, walk the Quarter, and add one hourly day or a package for the Garden District, City Park or the plantations.
What is the minimum booking for a private driver?
Three hours on the hourly rate, from US$95 an hour in a Business Sedan. Packages such as the private city highlights tour, the evening out package and the six-hour River Road trip are priced as a single fixed figure, and the full-day chauffeur runs from US$700.
Can the driver pick me up inside the French Quarter?
If your hotel has a driveway or loading zone, yes. Otherwise the chauffeur meets you at an agreed corner on the edge of the Quarter, such as Canal Street, Decatur Street or Esplanade Avenue, because many streets inside are narrow or closed to cars at busy times.
Will the chauffeur wait while we tour or eat?
Yes. That is the point of an hourly or package booking: the car stays with you and waits at each stop. Tell the chauffeur when you expect to be back and where to meet you, and they will be there. Time beyond the booked hours is billed at the hourly rate.
Can we book a private driver during Mardi Gras?
Yes, and it is one of the best ways to move around, but book early for the final weekend and Fat Tuesday, February 9, 2027. Parade routes close for hours, so the desk plans drop-off and pickup points a few blocks away from the routes and confirms them on the day.
Are child seats available?
Yes, on request. List each child's age or weight when you book, and the seats are fitted before pickup. A Business SUV, US$120 an hour, is usually the most comfortable choice for a family with seats, a stroller and a day's worth of bags.
