Comming to Louisiana due to last min personal problems. Need Help! (New Orleans: hotels, home)

[palmtrees_are_kool]

So I have to drive 14 hours to Lafayette for last min problems. My questions are, how easy is driving past new orleans traffic? Also can anyone suggest hotels in Lafayette?

[WestbankNOLA]

I think New Orleans would be out of your way but if you do decide to come through the N.O. you would probably want to take I-12 to bypass the city to Baton Rouge. If you have to come through NOLA or BR try to avoid them at peak/rush hour. in NOLA I-10 from City Park to Metairie is a parking lot as well from 610 to the Hi-Rise.. Baton Rouge i hear is complete hell at rush hour.

[darylwi]

Coming from Cincy? You shouldn't have to go through NOLA unless you just really want to. But it would be out of your way. BTR is hell during rush hour. The traffic here has really been messed up since Gustav. Everyone has changed their cycle or something because the whole traffic pattern has changed. I used to be able to ride in easily on the interstate between 6:30-7am, but now I'm forced to take surface streets again because the interstate through the city turns into a parking lot. And I hear it's worse coming along I-12 from Livingston. Afternoons have been bad as well. It seemed years ago that traffic was easy to gauge in this city. In the afternoons, everyone went home so that meant that traffic was bad eastbound and then across the bridge. But now, there are people going everywhere, so traffic is backed up everywhere.
My suggestion, plan to come through BTR either in the middle of the day (and before 2 or 2:30pm) or after 7pm and before 6am the next morning.
If it's Friday, you can hang it up. No time is a good time.

[palmtrees_are_kool]

Yes comming from cinci, I just put it on mapquest and thats where it told me to go lol. So should I try a diffrent way then? Yes when I come it will be around morning-noon hours 11-2 ish

[jguillot]

From Cincinnatti, drive southwest down to Louisville, KY. From Louisville, take I-65 south to Nashville, TN. From Nashville, take I-40 west to Memphis. From Memphis, take I-55 south through Mississippi and into Louisiana. Near Hammond, LA, I-55 and I-12 cross. At that point, take I-12 west into Baton Rouge, LA. I-12 runs into I-10. From that point, take I-10 west all the way to Lafayette, LA.

There is no need to go through New Orleans. If you do, you'll be going out of your way and adding traveling time, plus buring more gas.

I hope this helps. Have a safe trip.

[Rosinante]

Originally Posted by jguillot

From Cincinnatti, drive southwest down to Louisville, KY. From Louisville, take I-65 south to Nashville, TN. From Nashville, take I-40 west to Memphis. From Memphis, take I-55 south through Mississippi and into Louisiana. Near Hammond, LA, I-55 and I-12 cross. At that point, take I-12 west into Baton Rouge, LA. I-12 runs into I-10. From that point, take I-10 west all the way to Lafayette, LA.

There is no need to go through New Orleans. If you do, you'll be going out of your way and adding traveling time, plus buring more gas.

I hope this helps. Have a safe trip.

Agreed; I've taken this route north several times. Don't forget to stop in Tennessee for some of that great barbecue they make up there.