New Orleans French Quarter parking is easiest when you pick one spot and walk everywhere else. City meters in the Quarter cost $3 an hour and run from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and they’re free on Sundays. For a full day, Canal Place Garage charges $22 on weekdays and $25 on weekends for up to eight hours. Coming from an RV park? Leave the rig at your site and drive the truck in.
That last tip saves more headaches than any parking app. Fireside RV Resort, up in Ponchatoula, is close enough for city days without dragging the camper downtown: the rig stays parked on a quiet site while you explore. It’s a setup we’d pick every time over squeezing a camper onto narrow streets.
The short version:
- Meters: $3 an hour, enforced 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, free on Sundays and on eight city holidays.
- Garages: Canal Place Garage at 333 Canal St. runs $22 on weekdays and $25 on weekends for up to eight hours.
- Tall trucks: check clearance first. Rampart Garage tops out at 6’6″, and the 911 Iberville St. valet garage at 7 feet.
- RVs: don’t bring them in. The Quarter’s streets are narrow, and its interior is off-limits to trucks over 36 feet.
- Transit: a streetcar ride is $1.25, or $3 for a 1-Day Jazzy Pass.
Which parking garages near the French Quarter work best?
The best parking garages for the New Orleans French Quarter sit on its edges, because the Quarter’s own streets are narrow and busy. Canal Place Garage at 333 Canal Street, Rampart Garage at 200 N. Rampart Street and the French Market District’s lots on St. Peter and Decatur streets all let you park once and walk in.
Canal Place Garage is the easiest to budget for, because its rates are posted on the garage operator’s Canal Place page. Canal Place Garage charges $15 for up to three hours on weekdays ($18 on weekends), $22 for up to eight hours ($25 on weekends) and $35 for a full 24 hours ($38 on weekends). The Canal Place garage is open 24/7, but it has no in-and-out privileges, so leaving and coming back means paying again.
The French Market District points visitors to three Premium Parking lots: the Riverfront lot (P407) at 433 St. Peter Street, the Farmers Market lot (P408) at 2150 Decatur Street and the Annex lot (P409) at 2135 Decatur Street. As the French Market’s visitor page puts it, “For parking rates and contract parking information visit Premium Parking.” Those rates are set in the operator’s app, so check them before you pull in.
Is there free parking in the French Quarter?
There is, if you pick the right day. Free parking in the French Quarter mostly means Sunday, because City of New Orleans meters only run Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. New Orleans meters are also free on eight city holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Mardi Gras, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
There are two catches. Some French Quarter blocks are residential permit zones, and without a permit you can’t park there for more than two hours. And a broken meter isn’t a gift. New Orleans & Company says it bluntly: “broken meters are not free passes.” Read every sign on the block before you walk off.
How much do French Quarter parking meters cost?
French Quarter meters cost $3 an hour, the same rate the city charges in the Marigny, the CBD and the Warehouse District. Most meters take dollar bills and credit cards, or you can pay by phone with ParkMobile, the city’s official meter app. Skip paying a New Orleans meter during enforcement hours and the fine is $30.
Meters work for a quick stop. For a whole day, a garage beats watching the clock, and posted rush-hour zones on major streets make some meters off-limits during the morning and evening commute anyway.
Can you park an RV in the French Quarter?
No, and you really don’t want to try. Trucks longer than 36 feet are prohibited in the interior of the French Quarter, according to the French Quarter Management District, and the city’s parking rules single out trailers, campers and 18-wheelers parked on residential streets as a ticketable offense.
The city’s official tourism group says it plainly: “Because our streets tend [to] be narrow, you might feel more comfortable leaving your RV at the park and finding other ways to get around town.” We couldn’t agree more! Unhook at your site, lock up, and take the tow vehicle or truck into town.
Pickup drivers have one more thing to check: garage height. Rampart Garage says vehicles over 6 feet 6 inches aren’t permitted, and the valet garage at 911 Iberville Street allows up to 7 feet, according to its ParkMobile listing. If your truck is lifted or carries a rack or topper, a surface lot is the safer bet.
How far is the French Quarter from Fireside RV Resort?
Plan for around sixty minutes behind the wheel from Fireside RV Resort’s gate to the Quarter, with downtown New Orleans roughly 50 miles off. The usual way in takes I-12 toward Hammond, drops down I-55, then follows I-10 east into the city, where the Orleans Avenue and Vieux Carré exit (235A) points you toward the back side of the Quarter.
You can also head east on I-12 and cross the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which its operator describes as 24 miles over the lake. Causeway tolls are only collected on the North Shore side: $6.00 cash or $3.40 with a toll tag for a two-axle car or pickup under 7 feet, per the Causeway’s toll page. Either way, you’re parked and walking before lunch if you leave camp after breakfast.
When is French Quarter parking hardest this fall?
Parking gets tight on big event days, so check the calendar before you choose a date. The Saints play home games at the Caesars Superdome on Monday, Oct. 5 (7:15 p.m. against Atlanta), Sunday, Oct. 11, Sunday, Nov. 8, Sunday, Nov. 15, Sunday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 27, according to the New Orleans Saints’ 2026 schedule. A Sunday home game can wipe out the free-meter advantage fast. Heading in for a game anyway? Our guide on where to stay for Saints games covers the game-day plan.
A few other dates to circle:
- The Krewe of BOO! Halloween parade rolls Saturday, Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m., and its route passes right through the French Quarter.
- The Bayou Classic kicks off at the Superdome on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 1:00 p.m.
- Caroling in Jackson Square is Sunday, Dec. 20, from 7 to 8 p.m.
On parade days, the city treats cars on a parade route within two hours of the start as eligible for towing. The upside, according to New Orleans & Company: “There are enough commercial lots in the French Quarter and the CBD to accommodate visitors even during the busiest of times.” Get there early and you’ll find a spot. The weather’s on your side this time of year, too. The average high in New Orleans is 80.6°F in October and 71.2°F in November, per the National Weather Service, which is prime walking weather.
Should you take the streetcar instead of parking downtown?
If you’d rather park once and ride, the streetcar is cheap. A single ride on RTA buses and streetcars is $1.25, and a 1-Day Jazzy Pass is $3.00, according to the RTA’s fare page, and you can buy passes in Le Pass, the RTA’s official app. The Canal Street and Riverfront lines are the handiest for Quarter visitors, and the Rampart-Loyola line runs along the back side of the neighborhood.
Truth is, most folks don’t need it once they’re inside the Quarter. New Orleans & Company notes that in the French Quarter, Marigny, CBD and Warehouse District, “most attractions sit within a 20-minute walk of each other.”
What can you see in a day once you’re parked?
More than you’d guess. Founded in 1718, the French Quarter is, in New Orleans & Company’s words, “New Orleans’ oldest and most iconic neighborhood.” Expect company, too. In 2025 alone, 19.46 million people visited New Orleans and spent $10.8 billion, according to New Orleans & Company’s 2025 results. A simple park-once loop from the Canal Street end:
- Café Du Monde, 800 Decatur St. Beignets first, because that’s the rule.
- Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. The square is right across Decatur Street, with the cathedral on its far side.
- The Historic New Orleans Collection, 520 Royal St. Admission is free, though you’ll need a ticket.
- The Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave. It houses the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
That loop starts near Canal Street and finishes at Esplanade Avenue, so if you parked at Canal Place, a stroll back along the riverfront or a Riverfront streetcar ride closes out the day. Parking once is SO much easier than circling for a closer spot every stop.
Where should you stay for a French Quarter day trip?
Stay somewhere you won’t have to move the RV. Fireside RV Resort has 165 RV sites, each one a full hookup with water, sewer, and power you can run at 30 or 50 amps. You’ll find a picnic table at your spot, too, and the fire ring pulls double duty as the BBQ pit for burgers after a long city day. There’s free Wi-Fi throughout the resort, too, which comes in handy for checking garage rates the night before. You can browse RV sites at Fireside by size and type.
What should a good home base for New Orleans day trips have? Easy interstate access, room to spread out, and a bill without surprises. There’s no resort fee at Fireside, no charge to lock in a specific site, and no “community impact fee” either. Fireside’s rates page lists Standard RV sites at $65 a night and Premium sites at $75 from April through October, then $55 and $65 from November through March, and every rate covers up to four guests per site. In September, November and December, Fireside’s Standard sites drop to $35 and Premium sites to $45 every Sunday through Wednesday, holidays excluded.
No RV? Fireside’s cabins run $165 per night in every season, and the standard cabins sleep six.
Visiting in October? Plan the city day around a Saturday back at camp. Every Saturday in October brings our Halloween Spooktacular (that’s the 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st), with a costume contest, live music, bingo, hay rides, trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving and a jambalaya cook-off. The events page has the full lineup. Trust us, beignets in the morning and a hayride that night make for a pretty great weekend.
Frequently asked questions
It is at the meters. City of New Orleans parking meters are enforced Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., so metered spaces cost nothing on Sundays. Residential permit zones, posted limits and tow-away rules still apply, so read the signs before you leave the car.
At Canal Place Garage, 333 Canal St., up to 24 hours costs $35 on weekdays and $38 on weekends, with no in-and-out privileges. For an overnight stay in the city, a garage like Canal Place beats hunting for a street spot.
The easiest answer is outside the city. Trucks over 36 feet are prohibited in the Quarter’s interior, and the city’s parking rules treat trailers and campers parked on residential streets as a violation. Leave the RV at your campground, like Fireside RV Resort about an hour north, and drive your tow vehicle in.
Call the City of New Orleans at (504) 658-8100 to confirm the tow. Towed cars go to the city’s Auto Pound at 400 N. Claiborne Ave., where you’ll settle the towing and storage fees before you can drive out.
Go on a Sunday, when city meters are free, or park once and ride the streetcar for $1.25 a trip or $3.00 for a 1-Day Jazzy Pass. On a weekday, Canal Place Garage’s posted rate is $22 for up to eight hours, which beats feeding a $3-an-hour meter all day.
You sure can. The drive runs about an hour each way, and downtown New Orleans is roughly 50 miles from the resort, nearly all of it interstate. Take I-12 toward Hammond and I-55 down to I-10, or use the 24-mile Lake Pontchartrain Causeway instead.
Want to turn the day trip into a weekend? Fireside RV Resort sits near Exit 47 of I-12 in Ponchatoula, roughly sixty minutes by car from those French Quarter garages, with about 50 miles of mostly interstate between us and downtown. See which sites are open for your dates, or reach our team by phone at (985) 277-1059.
