New Orleans Travel Blog & Guide For Digital Nomads
If you’re a digital nomad traveling around the USA, you can’t skip New Orleans. Without a doubt, New Orleans is one of this country’s most cultured and vibrant cities. I ended up spending about a month here working remotely and I can’t wait to go back!
Of all the places I stayed as a digital nomad, the city of NOLA felt very easy to stay a while in, and because of this I put together a guide to share. In this New Orleans travel blog you’ll find info on the best places to stay as someone working remote, where to work including the best coffee shops and coworking spaces, how to get around, work out and play. Enjoy!
- When to Visit New Orleans
- How Long to Stay
- Where To Stay In New Orleans
- How to Get Around
- Where to Work
- Where to Work Out
When Is the Best Time to Visit New Orleans?
New Orleans has great weather year round, and then of course there’s Mardi Gras in the winter/early Spring, and Halloween time in the Fall. There’s also Jazz Fest in late Spring, and dozens of other events that could bring you to the area no matter the season.
Monthly New Orleans Weather
New Orleans has great weather year round, although it’s can be very hot and kinda rainy in the summertime. If you prefer more mild weather, Fall is the best time to visit because Fall also offers the least chance of rain. We visited in the Fall and had beautiful weather almost every day. It was also still very warm.
Mardi Gras, Halloween, Jazz Fest and Other Events
One of the things that makes New Orleans so famous and popular are its parades and celebrations. If you’re into the party scene, don’t mind crowds and would like to see a legendary New Orleans parade, coming during one of these times is a great idea and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Mardi Gras is a wild time in NOLA, while Halloween in New Orleans is more family friendly, but still wild – especially on Halloween night.
As a digital nomad, I thought visiting for the month of October was a perfect time in terms of the amount of events and happenings. I loved how we got one crazy Halloween weekend, which was balanced with a few more calm weekends where there weren’t *as many* crowds. We got the see the New Orleans halloween parade, everyone’s crazy costumes and also a few smaller events on the other weekends.
Visit the New Orleans Tourism’s Annual Event Calendar for the rest of the year for a full line up of events.
How Long Should You Stay In New Orleans?
Because there’s so much to do in New Orleans, there’s really no correct answer for the optimal length of a stay in New Orleans. I stayed in NOLA for a month while working remote with my husband and we loved it. We left having more on our NOLA bucket list than we started with, so you definitely won’t get bored regardless of how long you stay.
I would say make sure to visit for at least a weekend or 2 days, to make sure you can see the best parts of the city without rushing around too much. You can read my 2 day in New Orleans itinerary here.
Where To Stay In New Orleans
There are tons of great options for accommodations that are good for remote work in New Orleans, from hostels, to Airbnbs and hotels. I do recommend staying in the French Quarter or close to it, for convenience and because of the beautiful culture and energy there.
The Western side of the Marigny is right near the edge of the French Quarter, offering somewhat cheaper accommodations in a safe area. This is where we stayed for a month in New Orleans, a few blocks from Bourbon, and I absolutely loved the area! It was far enough from the noise to not be constantly tempted to get out there, while also feeling safe. It was also great to be near Frenchman Street, which is where so much of the NOLA magic happens.
If you’re looking for the absolute safest place to stay, look for accommodations in the Garden District or Uptown.
Best Hostels In New Orleans
New Orleans is one of the few cities with great hostels in the USA, so first I’d like to highlight these as a great place to stay for digital nomads and backpackers. These are the best option for lower budgets and solo travelers hoping to find fellow travelers to hangout with.
Auberge NOLA Hostel
The best hostel in New Orleans is the Auberge NOLA Hostel in the Garden District, close to the French Quarter. I was so impressed with our stay here and I definitely think this is one of the best hostels in the USA, by far! Auberge NOLA feels like an authentic European hostel and we had lots of interesting conversations with people from all around the world while staying here. One thing that makes this hostel unique is that it really has a New Orleans feel, since it’s placed in a historic New Orleans mansion.
They of course offer free WIFI and lots of great common areas, along with dorm rooms and private rooms, so working remotely here won’t be any issue. There are also great coffee shops and coworking spaces nearby where you can work.
My favorite part about this hostel is that the social team at the hostel made it really easy to meet people by having a “pregame” each night on the outdoor patio. Afterwards they’ll either have a barbecue / party in the courtyard or go to some of the bars, whether on Bourbon or closer by. This New Orleans hostel is right near one of the St Charles Street car stops, which makes getting into the French Quarter super affordable and no big deal.
Along with the nightly social events, they have a WhatsApp group that is always lively, so meeting people here is super easy. The atmosphere is welcoming, making the Auberge NOLA Hostel a great place to stay as a solo traveler.
My husband and I ended up staying in the private room on the top floor, which was nice in terms of how hostel rooms go and perfect for what we needed with an en suite bathroom, couch, desk and bed.
The dorm rooms vary, as there are several, and include different types of bunk beds with access to clean bathrooms. Each guest also gets access to a locker, free WIFI and free breakfast.
India House New Orleans
The India House New Orleans is another popular hostel in New Orleans. This one isn’t in as great of a location, but it IS located right on the Streetcar, so you can easily get wherever you need to go. Because of its location, I probably wouldn’t stay here over the Auberge NOLA but that’s just me. There is a pool at the India House, so if that’s something you’re looking for, this is the best hostel for you!
Some guests report the WIFI not working well, so make sure if you’re planning on working remotely during your stay that you line up a different form of internet, whether its a nearby cafe or a personal hotspot.
HI New Orleans
The third and final hostel to consider in this amazing city is the HI New Orleans. The HI chain of hostels is generally very impressive and this location is no exception! The dorm beds here are superior to the other hostels in the area, with privacy curtains, outlets and lights, plus in-room lockers.
The best part? 1.) They have work spaces in the hostel, so you won’t have to worry at all about securing a different work space and 2.) the HI New Orleans is located on the edge of the French Quarter.
Guests report there isn’t much of a social atmosphere, so this place is probably not the best as a solo traveler, unless you’re hoping to mainly focus on work or get your socializing in elsewhere.
Airbnb New Orleans French Quarter Options
An Airbnb or vacation rental will be your best bet if you have a little higher of a budget and aren’t worried about meeting fellow travelers!
There are tons of great Airbnbs, lots of which are the classic New Orleans row homes which are adorable and feel very unique to the area. My recommendation is to stay right outside of the French Quarter, so you can benefit from the peace and quiet of living a little bit outside the activity, but not so far that you have to think too much about transportation.
My husband and I stayed in an Airbnb right off of Frenchman Street, which in my opinion is the best location to stay. Here are a few great options in that area that are affordable, with free WIFI and dedicated work spaces. If you want to do a search yourself, just head to Airbnb and search for places on the outskirt of the French Quarter that fit your budget!
📍 Casa de Marigny | 1 Bedroom + 1 Bathroom *The place we stayed! Added bonus, you can work from the beautiful back yard!
📍 Marigny Bungalow | 1 Bedroom + 1 Bathroom
Best Hotels In New Orleans French Quarter
ACE Hotel New Orleans
The ACE Hotel New Orleans is my top pick for a hotel for digital nomads for multiple reasons. One, the lobby doubles as a coffee shop and laid back coworking space in the morning, while turning into a chill lounge with live music at nighttime. Either way, the lobby at the ACE Hotel in New Orleans makes for a great chill space to get some remote work done.
There’s also a separate cafe, a library, and you’ll be within easy reach of everything you need in New Orleans with its French Quarter location. Lastly, many of the rooms have desks or tables where you can easily work, and customers say the WIFI is excellent.
Frenchman Orleans at 519
If you’re like me and you like to cook while you travel to save on costs, the Frenchman Orleans at 519 is a great option. Each room comes with its own kitchen and table where you can work at a really affordable rate, plus you can enjoy the hotel pool and its in a great location just off of Frenchman Street.
How to Get Around
I found getting around New Orleans super easy, and mainly used a combination of walking, biking, using the Streetcar, Uber and driving.
Parking can also be tough in some parts of town, so make sure to look parking up ahead of time if you plan on driving to your destination. In my opinion you won’t need a car unless you plan on staying outside of the walkable areas, or too far off the Streetcar routes. For this reason I’m highlighting the other forms of transportation here!
Walking Around NOLA
One of the things that makes New Orleans so great is its walkability. The French Quarter, a lot of the Marigny and many areas of the Garden District provide really walkable areas that make it super easy to get around and take in the area at the same time.
New Orleans Streetcar
The best way to get around New Orleans is to use the New Orleans Streetcar, which has routes all over the city and is cheap + easy to use. It’s also an experience taking it because it’s unique to the city and historic. Make sure that your accommodation and places you’d like to go are somewhat near the route to make sure it’ll be worth your time, and then download the New Orleans Streetcar App which allows you to pay right from your phone!
Biking In New Orleans
Surprisingly, biking in New Orleans was easier than I thought it would be and a great form of transportation in most areas of the city! We saw people biking around constantly. You’ll find plenty of bike rental shops around as well as Blue Bikes, which can be used by downloading the Blue Bikes NOLA app.
Ubers, Lyfts and Taxis
Ubers and Lyfts are really easy to get in New Orleans at all times of day, and a great way to get around if you don’t mind spending a little more. Taxis were more expensive than Uber and Lyft in our experience.
Where to Work
New Orleans makes a great travel destination for digital nomads because there’s great infrastructure in terms of WIFI and finding places to work, eat and stay. When it comes to working remotely in New Orleans you can of course work from your accommodation, but in case your accommodation doesn’t have great WIFI or you like to switch it up, I’ve put together a list of the best places to work remotely from in the city.
Best Coffee Shops In New Orleans For Working Remote
French Truck Coffee
I was really excited when I tried out French Truck Coffee and loved it, since it’s a local shop with plenty of locations throughout New Orleans. Working remotely from here worked great, with fast WIFI and plenty of places to sit. Within an hour of them opening the cafe did fill up, but it seemed like people were in and out fairly often.
The Orange Couch
Another local coffee shop that serves as a great coworking spot is The Orange Couch in the Marigny area right outside of the French Quarter. Added bonus: There’s lots of cozy seating!
Coworking Space New Orleans Guide
The Warehouse
Marigny’s coworking space, The Warehouse, is my top pick for places to work remote in NOLA. They offer private offices, semi-private desks, dedicated desks, as well as monthly memberships, day passes and punch cards, plus conference rooms and private telephone booths (which I love!).
Their day pass is the cheapest I’ve found in the area, and it includes access to the space’s coworking tables, 9:00-5:00 access and the communal spaces, but the best deal is actually their monthly coworking pass. With this type of access you get 5 hours in a conference room per month along with 24/7 access and printing + copying.
As an added bonus there’s a bunch of plants and there’s a great vibe to the place!
The Shop at CAC
The Shop is a coworking space located within the Contemporary Arts Center and the best in the French Quarter by far, complete with a rooftop and complimentary beer + coffee on tap. What more could you want in a remote office?! Of course they also offer 20,000 sq ft of communal areas, coworking spaces, private phone booths and conference rooms.
This one is in the French Quarter making it a little more expensive, but with the added perks it’s worth it if you can swing it.
The Greenhouse
The Greenhouse calls itself a botanical coworking space which caught my attention right away and is perfectly aligned with what I look for in a coworking space. The native plants and indoor/outdoor lounge and coworking spaces create a natural more healthy atmosphere (which is quite the opposite of a lot of of offices I know). It’s a little farther away in Mid City, but right along the Lafitte Greenway so you can easily get there via bike.
Here there is an affordable monthly coworking space pass, which is probably the best deal, plus memberships for fixed desks and offices.
Work under the Trees
One day while I was exploring City Park I saw a couple hanging out under one of the beautiful Oak trees, and one of them had a lounger chair like the ones below while working on a laptop. I bought some so I could do the same on nice days! You’ll find tons of Oak Trees that will give you enough shade to work in both City Park and Audubon Park, and you’ll need a hotspot in order to make this work. You can find chairs like this on Amazon for less than $50. Working outside in nature makes a work day that much better.
Where to Work Out
If you stop in New Orleans as a digital nomad you’ll more than likely stay for a good amount of time because it’s just that cool of a city. I was there for about a month, so I had to find somewhere to get my workouts in while I was there. There are tons of great options, from hot yoga, to gyms in New Orleans and so many great running and biking paths.
Running or Biking
The best way to workout in NOLA is to bike or run along the many trails in the city, especially if you have aasy access via your hotel, hostel or AIrbnb. Make sure to go out during daylight hours, to be extra safe! The best place to run or go for a bike ride is in the beautiful Garden District.
An insider tip is that many locals will run along the Streetcar tracks, against the direction of the route to make sure you’ll see the train as it comes. You can do this right closeby to the Auberge NOLA Hostel.
Audubon Park is also a great place to walk or bike, as is the Lafitte Greenway and City Park.
Best Gyms In New Orleans
New Orleans Athletic Club
If you’re looking for the best gym in New Orleans, the New Orleans Athletic Club is the one you’re looking for. This fitness center is located in a historic building with beautiful architecture, giving it a really cool and unique feel.
The building may be old but the equipment is not, and inside you’ll find state-of-the-art cardio machines, weight-lifting equipment, outdoor equipment on the patio, fitness classes, basketball and other recreational activities, plus a cold plunge and the best part, a beautiful heated indoor pool.
Downtown Fitness Center NOHC
The Downtown Fitness Center is a super affordable option for a small gym near the French Quarter, just a few blocks off Bourbon in the Marigny, with basic cardio and weight training equipment. This place is perfect for getting a quick workout in after or before the work day.
Hot Yoga New Orleans
Yoga is my work out of choice and thankfully there were tons of opportunities for hot yoga New Orleans. I’m going to highlight two of the best studios in town.
Free to Be Hot Yoga
The best hot yoga in New Orleans can be found in the French Quarter, called Free to Be Power Yoga. Aside from it being super convenient to get to, this studio offers a welcoming atmosphere, a variety of invigorating classes taught by friendly instructors and set to all types of music, and spaces that are heated to 90-95 degrees.
Fire Flow Yoga
This studio caught my attention right away. Fire Flow Yoga offers heated classes taught in low light in an atmosphere similar to a club, to switch it up and create a more intense setting. I did find it a little harder to balance in the dimly lit room, but I thought that made it more fun, challenging (but not too challenging) and I really enjoyed the playlist also! This studio isn’t best for beginners, since it’s a little harder to hear and see the instructors.
Looking for Ideas on Things to Do In New Orleans?
Now that you have all the info you need to work as a digital nomad in New Orleans, you’ll want to find all the best things to do in the city to enjoy once the work day is done. For more things to do you can see my other blogs for suggestions about the best spooky things to do in New Orleans and the best things to do in NOLA for couples.
Lauren Kessel
Lauren Kessel is the author of this blog post and the creator of the Inspired Backpacker travel blog. She is a passionate digital nomad, with the mission to make slow travel a more accessible way of life for everyone. Lauren believes travel is an important means of education and more importantly, a way for people of different cultures to come together and understand each other better. She has a BS in Tourism and has planned countless domestic and international trips for herself, her family and friends, having visited over 12 countries and 30 states so far.
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