Canal Streetcar Line

We were set to go see the New Orleans City Park, the Sculpture park and the Botanic gardens, by taking the Canal Streetcar Line from our rented condo deep in the French Quarter.

Got on the trolley at Canal street near the riverfront, and rode up a few blocks, before everyone had to get off. Area around Canal and Rampart cordoned off, truncating the Canal Streetcar Line.

In the distance two blocks away, the remnants of the Hard Rock Hotel building, still standing, ever since a giant crane collapsed on the top floors during construction on October 12, 2019. Also standing, the twisted wreckage of two giant cranes, imploded for safety reasons.

Had to catch a bus to go about 5 blocks around the cordoned off area, and then back onto Canal street, where caught another Canal streetcar line for the ride to the Art Museum, some 3 miles and 20 stops away.

Canal streetcar line ends outside the City Park with the Art Museum a quarter mile away. They don't turn the trolley around, but simply drive from the other end of the trolley, where there is a second set of controls and toll box. Three doors on each side of the trolley.

Meanwhile, the conductor flips each of the seatbacks so that they are all facing forward in the new direction.

Heard that the Hard Rock Hotel, won't be demolished until December 2020, disrupting the downtown Canal Street trolley commute for another year!

Most of our trips were good. But this lady would be a reason I would not come back to visit.

This lady was Horrible, Very Rude when we asked a question. Then told my wife and I seen others to basically get out of her way.

I truly hope I don't Ever See this Lady Again..

Needs a job Far Away from People!!!

Canal Street is rather wide and lined with palm trees, which was a surprise to me since I didn't associate New Orleans with palm trees. (Remember, though, that this was my first time out to NOLA.)

The red trains of the Canal Streetcar Line runs down the center of the street, and sometimes folks bike along the tracks.

Generally, you enter in the front and exit out back. They can take cash for payment of a single ride for $1.25 or a day pass for $3 – no change given, so be prepared.

There are two destinations on this route – the cemeteries, and the city park. Read the signs posted on the trains carefully, and don't just jump on the next passing car like me. Fortunately, however, I had bought myself a day pass…

Nice way of getting around when legs are tired. But it does move very slow sometimes. Especially up and down Canal st. Convenient when it's right there, other times you wait and wait. Nice, different way of seeing the city. I saw some parts I would not have had a chance to see by foot. Some drivers very jovial. Cheap fares and a day pass is valid 24 hours and not just up to midnight.

Jazzy Passes; Air-conditioned streetcars; schedule confusing; Oct 2018 – Since our hotel was centrally located on Canal Street & the streetcars would take us virtually everywhere we wanted to sightsee, I bought Jazzy Passes to last our entire stay ($60). Much easier to flash a pass than come up with singles & change for each trip. However – that proved to be an expensive mistake. 1) The streetcar schedule & routes changed the weekend before we arrived. 2) The drivers were brusque with directions & the timing between streetcars was not constant – often pausing between drops for minutes at a time 3) Which end to exit from was a constant question (signs say exit to the rear but those doors didn't always open if the driver didn't see the need, and 4) the high top step into the streetcar was a bit of a struggle for my aging hips. We used ~ $6 of the $60 tickets.

The fares are very inexpensive and you get to see a lot of the city all all the lines. 2 stars bc the conductors are incredibly rude. Had family visiting and we decided to take the streetcar just for fun. We crossed to different lines and the conductors are so rude. They were rushing (yelling at people) people to get on the streetcars, they were so condescending to other tourists. It wasn't a great experience. Maybe it was a bad day. Hopefully on another occasion we have a better experience.

Great way to get around without walking. All day pass was $3. Took us to all of the hot spots. Got to see more riding the street than driving. When you visit New Orleans park your car and ride the street car!

The Canal Street Streetcar is a lifesaver for my large family while in New Orleans. While riding, you can see the sights until you get to where you need to go. The Jazzypass makes entering a breeze and is well worth it. We will be in New Orleans again on the 23rd and again, will be staying close to a Canal Streetcar stop.

Fun fact: this line was rebuilt in the early 2000s; the original Canal Streetcar Line stopped running in 1964, and was replaced by buses for a long time. The bright red streetcars that run on it today are designed to look like old-school trolleys, but are relatively modern (for example, old-school trolleys weren't air-conditioned or remotely wheelchair friendly!). Fares to ride the streetcars are cheap – plus, if you want to ride multiple times in a day, day passes are even cheaper!

The Canal Streetcar Line isn't actually very long (I believe it runs for about 5.5 miles total) but it can still be a handy streetcar to hop onto if you're in New Orleans. Its first few stops alone can make it easier for you to access the aquarium, Bourbon Street, and a number of local shops in the Business District. When I visited the city, my mother and I ended up walking almost everywhere – but it's nice to have a backup option if you need a break nonetheless! You can also use this streetcar line to get to the New Orleans Museum of Art (you'll need to catch the City Park line) or to a number of cemeteries (on the Cemeteries line).

That said, I personally don't recommend this line for a casual day of sight-seeing. You may find yourself waiting a while for a ride, particularly if you ride to the end of the line (my mom and I did). And, well, there admittedly isn't a lot to see outside of the business/tourist hub where the line begins. Unless you have a specific destination in mind, and you have the time to meander to it, AND you want to use the streetcar to save on parking, I say don't feel obligated to hop on board this particular streetcar line. At least, not for long. It's still an interesting and integral part of New Orleans, so it's worth riding down main street if nothing else!

The streetcar system in New Orleans and transit in general is pretty limited. The ones I've ridden, however, have been worthwhile in their own right. You can get from the heart of the city to the art gallery at the edge of the very large city park in an eminently reasonable amount of time. And at least given that the transit system isn't much, they don't charge much for an all-day ticket.

The cars look historic and all but aren't particularly comfortable, and while there is an elevator for wheelchairs, people with mobility issues may struggle. The operators I've met weren't overly helpful or friendly. All told, I think this streetcar has some uses, but I don't see the city investing in better transit any time soon.

We got a day pass – $3 – and just rode where we liked, hopping on and off along the route. You can see some wonderful architecture and some very individual neighborhoods. Many different trolley lines, easy to use (color coded) and very inexpensive. Great way to get around the city! I'm so glad we used this as a main travel source for site seeing. The area can be crowded and hard for finding a place to park. Takes the stress out of the faction. The street car was clean, comfortable, affordable, and very historic. I highly recommend.

The streetcar is one of the iconic images of New Orleans. Some think of it as a tourist attraction but a lot of locals ride the streetcar too. Either way, it's a fun and unique way to experience the city.

We hopped on at Canal Street and Convention Center and rode half a dozen stops to Bourbon Street. The car was half full when we got on and filled to standing room only as we continued up the street.

This streetcar passes (or travels very close to) several of the city's popular destinations:
Aquarium of the Americas
Audubon Insectarium
Bourbon Street/French Quarter
Cemeteries (on the Cemeteries line)
City Park (on the City Park line)
Fairgrounds Racetrack/Jazz Festival (on the City Park line)
Harrah's Casino
Mississippi River
New Orleans Museum of Art (on the City Park line)
The Riverwalk
Saenger Theatre
Shops at Canal Place

At $1.25 per person (exact change for a one-way fare) it's a bargain by almost anyone's standards. If your pockets are deeper you can even charter a private streetcar of your own (http://www.norta.com/Business-Center/Streetcar-Charters). If not, hop on the Canal Streetcar stop nearest you and check this mode of transport off your bucket list.

Historical and charming. It's great that for $3.00 you can do s hop on hop off. No more confusing than any other public transportation. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because I took the Cemetery street car down canal street. At the end of the line near Harrahs, I asked the driver about the HISTORICAL St. Louis Cemetery. She told me all of the dead were at the other end of the route……do people who tourist trust really not know there own city? This happened twice. My advice is become somewhat familiar with were you are trying to go.

There were other cemeteries and lots of them, but not the historical one and oldest one in the city.

If you are from the Westbank, this is the streetcar that you can hop on and travel to Mid City. Or, if you are in Mid City, this streetcar will take you downtown.

I don't have a ton of experience when it comes to riding the rails, but this streetcar line has always served me well. Of course, it gets packed on busier days- a few years back riding from Mid City to downtown on Halloween was cramped, to say the least. It usually runs on time with few delays and the cars are in good shape.

I like that the cars have ac, so you're not sweating to death on hotter days and it's a dependable alternative if you want to travel throughout the city and not have to worry about parking.

Take the Canal Street street car line to go up and down Canal Street from the river to the restaurants in the Central Business District. These street cars are air conditioned!

You can transfer to the St. Charles line here too.

Stick $1.25 into the fare box to ride the line one way, or buy an all day or three day pass from the conductor and just show the pass to the next conductor as you board for your next ride. Get off the street car in the back door – just push hard on the rear doors.

We did this just to say that we did. We were originally going to take it into the French Quarter and then back but it took so long to get there and there was such a crowd we decided to walk. We ended up beating the car to the next stop.

When we left the Quarter we were more patient to get on. The car was quite clean and the seats were comfortable. Fun thing to do if you've got some time.

We rode on the street car as a way to kill time and try to see the city. We ended up almost being late and not really seeing any of the city. It took forever to go to one end back to the beginning. The streetcars are incredibly slow and there were so many stops. Unless you are needing to use it for actual travel I don't recommend taking it.

4-5 days on vacay and I don't have to drive! $3 got me an all day pass anywhere I wanted to go. Up to the cemeteries, Garden District, Uptown, Downtown, the River Front, Jackson Square or Marigny. Take me right at the footsteps of Cafe Due Monde or a quiet romantic walk along the great ole Mississippi river. Street musicians at sunset playing a sexy saxophone or a hopeless romantic violinist pouring more salt on my broken heart making me miss my ex even more. Oh c'est La vie ! I'm in the French Quarter falling more in love with this town and its people. How lucky am I? To have had loves, travel in Canal Street cars that are preserved wooden cars full of nostalgia through a town full of culture and beautiful Antebellum homes. Partake in the ruckus of Bourbon street & more. Than experience 5 Krewe's for Mardi Gras while my devoted adversaries are in cubicles talking sh*t coz they're stressed. Ha! I'm having the time of my life flirting w/the Fleur de Li's and this town is flirting back. Plus it's Mardi Gras baby! Hell ya! I met some awesome folks on Canal & the street cars

Great way to get around, but boy, can it be slow! If you're in a rush, I advise against. It took me nearly 30 minutes to go less than two miles.

Still – how cool are streetcars?! I love watching the driver conduct them.

$3 for a day pass, which is a bargain!

PS: This line is air conditioned, but I honestly prefer the St Charles line W/O air conditioning..

Great deal, $1.25 for one way which takes you up and down Canal Street all the way to The Riverbank. Driver was very informative and sweet, and he redeemed my faith back into the locals after dealing with horrible staff at Royal St. Charles Hotel.

This is a fun way to travel. We wanted to get to Jackson square and Cafe Du Monde. It was nice to take these streetcars instead of walk there in the middle of the day.

These are a little nice than the St. Charles streetcars. Maybe a little larger and air conditioned.

We missed our streetcar to Poydras, so the Riverstreet controller got us caught up to the right one. Very kind!

For festival season in the French Quarter there's no better way to get downtown than the Canal Streetcar Line from my neck of the woods in Mid City. Don't plan on getting from Point A to Point B at an exact time. It's a good mosey through the city though there are times online for a schedule if you want to try to guesstimate a time. I like being at one end of it because it tends to be easier to find a seat.

Last time I rode I sat next to a visitor to our city whose wife was in conferences so he had decided to make a day of it on his own. I don't even think he knew there was a festival downtown where he had originally ridden the streetcar from. I would say by the time we go to the French Quarter it was pretty packed, so be mindful of where you're picking it up at.

It's a $1.25, I think exact change is always preferred. Why the one less star? Well…I'm the kind of a girl that likes a Bloody from Parkview Tavern before a big day down in the French Quarter. Alas, the drive wouldn't let me ride with it. I don't know if she was imaging a Carrie-esque moment on her streetcar that'd she have to clean up later or what. It was fine because I was able to finish my Bloody before she made her way back from the turn in front of City Park. Don't know if it was because there was no lid because I've heard of other people getting on streetcars with daqs, so if you want to test the driver, be my guest.

Hey, a trip to NOLA is not complete unless you ride on this street car. A great way to get from the French quarter to the Garden District and points beyond. Tourists and locals utilize this transportation. It is great way to do some sightseeing outside the French Quarter.

I love my streetcars, especially when they are old, preserved relics from the 1920's still with their wooden benches and stop pulls wires intact. Since we weren't too far up Canal and never made it to Mid-City, we only rode this cable car partway to our hotel and didn't take full advantage of the whole ride. Some nights we walked from the riverfront to our hotel, faster than taking the streetcar with the wait. It was a delightful convenience on one hot, super muggy Nola day. Like the other Yelpers said, good , cheap fun and a nice way to see some neighborhoods you may or may not want to walk in. It is also very safe.

Yes, and get the all day $3 pass that lets you hop on and off and ride the other lines.

Cheap fun, gets you to some of the best sights and they are so nice! Just a warning…..meteirie cementary is a hike down a major road that leaves much to be desired. Take a cab or you look like a way lame tourist walking down the side of the highway.

PS buy the all day pass for $3.00. Unless you know you won't be taking it home, it's so worth it.