Houston to New Orleans

Hi - This is my first post on Trip Advisor although I have been reading lots of hotel reviews recently for NOLA and have settled on the Place D%26#39;Armes Hotel mainly based on its location and everyones reviews ;o)

We are visiting my cousin in early September who live at Katy, Houston and my friend and I will be driving to NOLA for 3 days - not sure if you would class this as a road trip as its only a few hours travelling but as we%26#39;re driving I suppose you would!!

I have a few questions that hopefully you could help me out with -

Can anyone recommend any good places to eat along the way - I will try anything so am open to sugggestions of roadside diners or places in towns.

Also are there any sights or places worth seeing along the way, we are planning to leave early on a monday morning and would like to get to NOLA I guess by late afternoon early evening. We are already planning a swamp trip whilst in NOLA and may take in the plantations as well time permitting.

Finally - what route would people recommend, looking oni a map it seems the I-10 is the main one, although from what I have seen it gets very busy round Baton Rouge - would it be worth turning off at Lafayette and taking the US-90?

Sorry to ask so many questions but it seemed easier to put them all on one post!!

Thanks - Kozzer ;o)

Houston to New Orleans

We make the trip from SA to NO or Lafayette often. I-10 is the quickest way, though we have often taken the more scenic route. Lafayette is a great place to eat. I can give you a week%26#39;s worth of restaurants.

Prejans www.prejeans.com

Pat鈥檚 Atchafalaya Club http://www.patsfishermanswharf.com/

Cafe des Amis http://www.cafedesamis.com/

Nash%26#39;s

Blue Dog Cafe

T-Coons

Dwyer%26#39;s Cafe

Hub City Diner

Poor Boy%26#39;s Riverside Inn

Porpot%26#39;s Bakery

Best Meat Company

Don%26#39;s Meat

to name a few

Houston to New Orleans

I would definitely add a few of the Old South plantation homes to visit in south Louisiana while on the way to New Orleans - namely Oak Alley oakalleyplantation.com (which has been used in some movies) and Nottoway plantation home www.nottoway.com - you can research these online. They have directions on how to get there on their websites but they are not very far out of the way.

there are many others worth seeing but these two are my favorites

Thanks Octoboy - great help - I am now spoilt for choice!! Can%26#39;t wait ;o)

Thanks for the tips about the plantations - I had thought about adding them to a swamp tour but it looks like it might be more cost effective to call at one on the way to NOLA, so thank you ;o)

There are also swamp tours in Lafayette.

You didn%26#39;t ask about Place d%26#39;Armes but I will caution you: amongst all of the glowing reviews, there are a few not so good ones- mine was one. There is a section of rooms (ours was 224) that are not the pretty, look out on the courtyard kind, I think saved for those of us who booked cheaply through Expedia and that sort of thing. Be cautious about where they put you and be prepared- here%26#39;s a link to my review

tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60864-d1119鈥?/a>

Hi Poodleone - thanks for the note about the hotel - I%26#39;m hoping it will be OK as we booked a room with a balcony and through the hotel website as it was actually cheaper to do it that way than with expedia or similiar sites - I guess because the dollar rate is working in our favour at the moment, but thanks for the headsup!

I look forward to your trip review- sounds like you are planning a really good time! We love NOLA, such an interesting and fun place.

spots