RV arrival guide · Louisiana

RV rental in New Orleans, Louisiana

Arriving in New Orleans with a rented RVNew Orleans does not let RVs near the French Quarter. Under the 2015 amendment to the city traffic code, vehicles, trucks, or truck-tractors 36 feet or longer are prohibited in the Vieux Carré without a special Department of Public Works permit — first-offense fine is $500, second is $1,000.

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Quick answer

What should an RV traveler know about New Orleans?

We have not yet quoted New Orleans's own parking, dump or propane pages, so this guide states no unverified figures for those. The Louisiana guide carries the facts we have checked for the state, plus what is live to rent there.

Parking, dump and propane in New Orleans

We have not yet quoted New Orleans's parking rules, dump stations or propane stops from their own pages, so this section prints no figures. The guide's field notes further down keep what we could match to a live page. The Louisiana guide has the figures we have checked.

Coming to New Orleans? Tell us the nights.

Owners in Louisiana can submit listings for review. Give us the window you want — you get one email the day a rig covers it, and nothing else.

Pick-up

Drop-off

Around New Orleans

More for Louisiana: Louisiana RV laws · Events in Louisiana

Road trips from New Orleans: Florida Keys Overseas Highway

Frequently asked about New Orleans

Can I rent an RV in New Orleans now?

No RV is available to book here yet. Owners in Louisiana can submit listings for review. Tell us your dates on this page and you get one email the day a rig covers them.

When is the best time to bring an RV to New Orleans?

Best: Late October through early December. Skip: July through early September.

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The long reads

The New Orleans guide

That removes the entire historic core from your route map before you even cross the parish line. Layer on top: the citywide zoning rule banning RV, travel trailer, boat, or boat trailer parking on any public thoroughfare in residentially zoned districts, and you are effectively limited to private RV resorts inside Orleans Parish or state parks across the river. Two arrival windows define the city.

Mardi Gras 2026 climaxes Tuesday February 17, with parade-route street closures starting two hours before each roll and a hard rule that campers, box trucks, and trailers cannot park within two blocks of any parade for four hours before or after — Bourbon Street is closed 24/7 from 5pm Feb 9 through 5am Feb 14. Bayou Segnette State Park's 100 hookup sites open 14 months out and Mardi Gras weekend books out the day reservations release.

Hurricane season (June 1 – Nov 30) brings mandatory contraflow on I-10, I-55, and I-59 — every inbound lane reverses outbound, and a 40-foot rig in that traffic is a 12-hour problem.

Your first hour in New Orleans

Before you leave the lot

Reserve Bayou Segnette State Park 12+ months ahead for any Feb-May arrival via reservations.gooutdoorslouisiana.com (facID=37) — Mardi Gras weekend books out the day it opens
Book any Jazz Fest stay (Apr 23 – May 3 2026) before Feb 1 2026 at French Quarter RV Resort or Pontchartrain Landing — both sell out by mid-Feb

Before you leave town

Dump tanks at Bayou Segnette or St. Bernard State Park before any city-center day trip — there is no public-utility dump station inside Orleans Parish

Also worth doing

If you arrive on a Sunday and need propane, drive to U-Haul Michoud Blvd (4449 Michoud Blvd) — open 7 days and the only NO location with pull-through clearance for 40+ ft rigs
Do NOT route any rig over 36 ft into the French Quarter — $500 ticket and tow. Park at Pontchartrain Landing (6001 France Rd) and rideshare to Decatur St
From Jun 1 onward, sign up for NOLA Ready alerts (ready.nola.gov) and pre-stage 100+ gal diesel — contraflow can trigger with 48-72 hrs notice
Avoid I-10 Claiborne/Vieux Carré exits in any rig — narrow overpass clearances and the 36-ft FQ ban combine into a tow risk. Use I-10 → US-90 Crescent City Connection to West Bank

The mistake renters make

Trying to drive a 40-ft motorhome into the French Quarter to drop off a passenger at a hotel on Bourbon, Royal, or Decatur Street. The 2015 ordinance bans any vehicle 36 ft or longer from the Vieux Carré without a DPW special permit, and the narrow streets are actively patrolled by NOPD because oversized trucks routinely clip wrought-iron balconies and street lamps. First-offense fine is $500; second offense is $1,000. Add a $200-$400 NOPD-authorized tow plus daily storage fees if you block traffic. Worse: damaging a French Quarter balcony triggers historic-property restitution under Vieux Carré Commission rules, which can run into five figures.

The guide's field notesParking, campgrounds, propane and events, each matched to its own page

From this guide's research, compiled Jun 4, 2026. On Sep 24, 2026 we opened each linked page and kept only the entries it names and the figures it prints; a quoted line is the page's own words. Confirm hours and fees there before you drive.

Parking rules

New Orleans Code of Ordinances, Ch. 154, Art. VIII, Div. 5 (Parking Generally), §154-876 vehicle parking in zoning districts
No recreational vehicle, travel trailer, boat, or boat trailer may park on a public thoroughfare in any district zoned for residential use. You cannot street-park your RV overnight anywhere in Uptown, Marigny, Bywater, Mid-City, Lakeview, Algiers Point, or any residential block. Plan campground arrival before dark — no curbside Airbnb-driveway workaround.
library.municode.com · page opened Sep 24, 2026

Campgrounds that take rigs

Pontchartrain Landing / New Orleans RV Resort & Marina
With furnished villas (including 3 floating villas) and deluxe waterfront RV sites, swimming pool, convenience store & souvenir shop, restaurant, and long-term or short-term storage options, New Orleans RV Resort & Marina redefines the Lake Pontchartrain marina vacation lifestyle.
neworleansrvresort.com · page opened Sep 24, 2026
French Quarter RV Resort
Rigs up to 60 ft · $120 a night
Walking distance to Treme; rideshare to FQ.
fqrv.com · page opened Sep 24, 2026

Propane and diesel

U-Haul Moving & Storage at Tulane
2801 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119
uhaul.com · page opened Sep 24, 2026
U-Haul Moving & Storage at Michoud Blvd
4449 Michoud Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70129
Best East-NO propane stop.
uhaul.com · page opened Sep 24, 2026
U-Haul Moving & Storage at St Claude Ave
2936 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117
Avoid with toad or trailer.
uhaul.com · page opened Sep 24, 2026

Events that fill campgrounds

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2026
Fair Grounds (1751 Gentilly Blvd) has zero general RV/auto parking.
nojazzfest.com · page opened Sep 24, 2026

Road trips from New Orleans

Natchez Trace Parkway
Natchez Trace Parkway terminates 165 mi north — natural northbound exit from New Orleans toward Natchez MS, Tupelo, and Nashville on a no-commercial-traffic scenic federal route ideal for RVs.
Florida Keys Overseas Highway
I-10 East to I-75 South puts you on a 14-hr drive to Key Largo — pair Cajun country exit with the Keys' Overseas Highway as a 10-14 day Gulf Coast circuit.

Sources behind this guideCompiled 2026-06-04

Louisiana rental rules

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

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