Car Rentals in Louisiana — New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Bayou
Louisiana car rentals serve New Orleans MSY + Baton Rouge BTR + Lafayette (Cajun country) + Shreveport. PickRV's LA car catalogue spans French Quarter cruise convertibles, plantation-tour SUVs, Cajun-country swamp-boat-launch rentals, and Mardi Gras peak-surge bookings.
Rental classes Louisiana leans on
The body types this state's market is built around — each opens its PickRV hub.
Primary Louisiana car-rental markets
New Orleans (MSY)
Largest LA market; French Quarter + Garden District + plantation tours + Mardi Gras.
Baton Rouge (BTR)
State capital + LSU campus + Mississippi River industrial corridor.
Lafayette (LFT)
Cajun + Acadiana cultural-tour rentals + zydeco trail.
Shreveport (SHV)
NW LA + casino-region + Caddo Lake bald cypress rentals.
Atchafalaya Basin (Houma + Morgan City)
Swamp-tour + bayou boat-launch base; SUVs/trucks favored.
Louisiana state rental rules
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV)- 1
Out-of-state US licenses honored without restriction for tourist rentals.
- 2
International tourists from countries with US driving reciprocity may rent with home-country license + IDP.
- 3
Minimum rental age typically 21; renters 21-24 face Young Driver Surcharge ($15-35/day).
- 4
Louisiana minimum liability 15/30/25 — verify your insurance/credit card meets requirements.
Louisiana rules · last verified 2026-05-10
- State rental tax
- 7% · not collected by PickRV
- Min driver age
- 21+ std · 25+ Class A
- Gravel roads
- Allowed — disclosure required
- Generator quiet
- 22:00-07:00
What the Louisiana DMV doesn't tell you
First-hand context the official .gov pages skip.
- Time and distance
Mardi Gras week (typically February) tightens New Orleans rental supply 8+ weeks ahead; surge pricing 3-5x normal rates.
- What it costs
Jazz Fest (April-May) + Essence Fest (July, every other year) + Voodoo Music Fest (October) all surge regional rentals.
- Lakes and rivers
French Quarter (Vieux Carré) is largely walkable; most renters use cars for Garden District + plantations (River Road) + day trips outside the city.
- What it costs
Hurricane season (June-November) cancellation policy: PickRV honors NHC tropical-storm watch issuance for full-refund cancellation.
- Time and distance
Plantation River Road (Hwy 18 + Hwy 44 between NOLA + Baton Rouge) has 6 major plantation museums — easy day-trip with rental car.
Best season in Louisiana
October-April (dry season). Peak: late February-May. May-September hot + humid; June-November hurricane season.
Where PickRV is active in Louisiana
LA coverage is concentrated in New Orleans (largest cohort). Baton Rouge + Lafayette smaller cohorts. Mardi Gras peak surge.
Louisiana car rental FAQ
Is Mardi Gras week tough for car rentals in NOLA?
Extremely — book 6-12 months ahead. Surge pricing 3-5x normal rates and most categories sell out by 60 days prior.
Can I drive a rental to the swamps for tours?
Yes — most swamp-tour operators (Jean Lafitte, Honey Island, Atchafalaya) have free parking at their launch sites. SUVs preferred for dirt access roads.