Though New Orleans' most visited neighborhoods are a dream to walk around, getting from one to another is not always easy on foot, and if you're traveling anywhere outside the Quarter after dark you'd be better off calling a cab.

The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) runs a network of buses (24-hour information: 504/248-3900). The most useful routes include "Magazine" (#11), which runs from Canal Street in the CBD to Audubon Park; and "Esplanade" (#48) from the edge of the Quarter up to City Park.

You're more likely to use the St. Charles streetcar (a National Historic Monument, dating back around 100 years) that rumbles a 13-mile loop from Canal Street, along St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District, past Audubon Park to Carrollton uptown. The cars trundle along at an average speed of 9 mph and it takes about 45 minutes for a full one-way trip. Though the streetcar runs around the clock, services fall off after dark.

There's a newer streetcar along the riverfront, where trolleys make 10  stops between the Convention Center and Esplanade Avenue. It's a total trip of less than two miles, however, and of most interest for its pretty river views. VisiTour passes, available from the welcome center and most major hotels, give unlimited travel on all streetcars and buses.