If you’re planning a trip to the one and only New Orleans within the near future, you might be wondering about some of the best destinations for your nights out. Of course, Bourbon Street and all its glitz and glamour is a must during your time in the Big Easy, but for the ultimate date night, we suggest taking advantage of some of the magic that can be found in the French Quarter.

It’s no secret that combating traffic and trying to find parking can kill the mood of a romantic date night. That’s why we always advise the reservation of a chauffeured car for your evening in the French Quarter. Your chauffeur will handle all of the navigation and parking, so all you’ll have to worry about is enjoying yourself.

In case you don’t know where to start on your date night in New Orleans, take a look at our list of date night ideas and restaurants for your romantic evening in the French Quarter.

The Most Romantic Restaurants in the French Quarter

It’s an age-old theme that still applies today: a central part of a romantic night out is a great dinner at an atmospheric restaurant. In the French Quarter, you have several options to choose from.

Consider Galvatoire’s, which has been serving traditional French dishes with fresh and innovative twists since 1905. Still housed in the same historic building and providing patrons with the same charming, historic elegance as ever, leaving the dinner portion of your romantic night out to the chefs at Galvatoire’s is one of the best decisions you can make while visiting the Big Easy.

Another of our favorite restaurants in the French Quarter would have to be Antoine’s, your perfect destination for world-renowned French-Creole food in a classy and intimate atmosphere. With 14 dining rooms, all of which possess a unique historic charm, you can choose your perfect dining environment. And with a menu as expansive as Antoine’s, your appetite is sure to satisfied by the time you’ve finished up.

Date Night Activities in the French Quarter

For after-dinner drinks, consider stopping in at the dimly-lit, eternally romantic Napoleon House. The Napoleon House has a long list of cocktails and historic atmosphere like you wouldn’t believe; the cocktail bar and café is housed in a property that dates all the way back 1797. Classical music, great service and an air of romance makes the Napoleon a great place to imbibe after a wonderful dinner in the French Quarter.

If a carriage ride around Jackson Square in the French Quarter sounds like your kind of romantic night out, consider stopping off at the 700 Block of Decatur Street next time you’re in town. Carriage rides run from 8:30 pm until midnight so you have plenty of time to experience the architectural and historical wonder that is the French Quarter, up close and personal.

With a chauffeured car, reservations at the perfect restaurant and the right after-dinner activities lined up, your French Quarter experience can be as close to perfection as possible.

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Whether you are visiting New Orleans for business or pleasure, its impossible not to take in the unique culture that the Big Easy has to offer. New Orleans’ food is as well know as it’s Mardi Gras celebration, with one-of-a-kind flavors and creations. We have compiled some of the best restaurants in New Orleans that you absolutely must visit on your next trip.

Café du Monde

Multiple Locations

What started as one small coffee stand, has now become a New Orleans staple with locations across town. What made this restaurant famous, and still attracts customers, are the beignets, which are French-style doughnuts. The sugary treats are the one food item you definitely can’t miss out on the New Orleans.

Broussard’s Restaurant

819 Rue Conti

This restaurant has a long history in New Orleans, with the doors opening in 1920. Broussard’s menu features creations with French and Creole influences. Inside of Broussard’s is the Empire Bar which has a wide selection of premium cocktails and beverages.

Johnny’s

511 St. Louis St.

Po-Boy sandwiches are another classic New Orleans food item, and Johnny’s Po-Boys makes some of the best. This sandwich shop opened in 1950 and has been in the French Quarter of New Orleans ever since.

Domenica

123 Baronne St.

The restaurant’s name means “Sunday” in Italian and was chosen to reflect the warm and inviting feeling of a traditional Italian Sunday dinner. Domenica offers gourmet-style pizzas as well as many traditional Italian dishes. The restaurant also runs a happy hour every day of the week.

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant

2 Poydras St.

Drago’s is another restaurant that has a long standing history in New Orleans, established in 1969. The restaurant features charbroiled oysters and a wide selection of other seafood dishes. Drago’s also include many local favorites with a variety of po-boys.

The Bombay Club

830 Conti St.

This restaurant has an intimate setting and is located in New Orleans’ French Quarter. The Bombay Club offers live musical entertainment, as well as dinner by candle light. This venue has an bar with a very extensive selection and many happy hour specials.

Crescent City Brewhouse

527 Decatur St.

The building this restaurant resides in was built in the 1700s and still stands in the French Quarter today. Crescent City Brewhouse opened its doors at the location in 1991. The restaurant has a selection of four house beers and has a Special Brew each month of the year. The venue also features live jazz music performances.

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If you’re planning a trip to New Orleans soon, there are probably a few staple activities on your list of to-dos: seeing the French Quarter, visiting some of the famous landmarks, and probably going to Bourbon Street to see exactly what all the fuss is about. If you like a good time and want to mingle with locals and other tourists alike, Bourbon Street is probably the perfect place for you during your trip to the Big Easy.

The first step to having a great time on Bourbon is to make sure you have reliable transportation for the duration of your night. Not only will it be safer for both you and your company, but it’ll also be much easier. You won’t have to worry about parking and navigating the often crazy streets, and a ride home is only a short phone call away the second you get too tired or think you’ve had your fill. For the rest of your night, finding great things to do is certainly not hard. Here’s a list of our favorite places to stop while you’re on Bourbon Street.

Galatoire’s

You can’t very well say you’ve been to Bourbon Street without at least mentioning a knowledge of this century-old staple, a restaurant which has entertained guests from all over the world for over 100 years. The restaurant specializes in traditional French recipes with a sophisticated twist, and is the perfect center piece for a dinner date on Bourbon Street.

Cat’s Meow

Considered by many to be the “World’s Best Karaoke Bar,” Cat’s Meow on Bourbon Street is the place to go if you want a more fun-filled and high-energy experience in the Big Easy. Whether you dream of taking the stage yourself or simply want to sit back with a beer and watch the craziness unfold as the night wears on, the Cat’s Meow will definitely provide you with an experience that can only be had on Bourbon Street.

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop bar and Pub

If you find yourself looking for the perfect bar experience on Bourbon Street, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop and Pub. The building where the bar is housed is reputed to be the oldest structure housing a bar in the entire United States, and features an impressive list of cocktails, drinks and spirits so your Bourbon Street experience has no chance of disappointing.

However you experience Bourbon Street, make sure you do so safely and respectfully. Getting chauffeured car service for your night out is the first step to making it to Bourbon Street and home again safely. Don’t take on the responsibility of driving after a night out; leave it to a transportation company that specializes in making every night out a great memory with no blemishes.

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Business travel comes with plenty of stresses, from not being able to find suitable transportation to not finding the right restaurant for an important business dinner. In addition to often being overscheduled and overworked, business travelers also have to deal with being away from home and thus their daily routines, an issue that can put quite the kink in their productivity and happiness while on the road.

The first step to creating a more agreeable corporate travel experience is to book chauffeured car service to shepherd your commutes; from not having to worry about hailing cabs to being able to depend on your chauffeur to know exactly where you’re going and how to get there, car service simply makes corporate travel easier and more effective.

The next step to a better corporate travel experience is to know which hotels in your destination city cater to corporate travelers and provide the amenities and environment you need to be at your very best throughout your trip. If you have a business trip to New Orleans scheduled in the near future, we’ve got a few hotels that you should definitely check out.

The Roosevelt

Situated conveniently on Canal Street within short distance of the French Quarter, the Roosevelt Hotel offers corporate travels great location and an even better variety of amenities. Their deluxe rooms come with a variety of bedding options for the even the pickiest of corporate travel sleepers. They have completely hypo-allergenic rooms for those travelers who have more distinct needs from their hotel rooms, and the hotel offers a huge array of dining and bar options, as well as fitness center and gorgeous views of the city.

Dauphine Orleans Hotel

The heart of the French quarter is a great place for corporate travelers, mostly due to the convenience and close proximity to plenty of important centers and areas of interests. The Dauphine Hotel is a boutique hotel experience in the French Quarter that gives corporate travelers a relaxing place to escape to after a long day of presentations and meetings. With complimentary deluxe continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi and parking and impressive rooms with exceptional bedding and all the amenities you could need, the Dauphine is a corporate travelers dream in the heart of the French Quarter.

Omni Royal Orleans

This hotel is a kind of throw-back experience for corporate travelers who are looking for the charm of old New Orleans housed simultaneously with the kind of modern convenience and amenities that every corporate traveler needs. The hotel is situated on the most vibrant corner of the French Quarter and boasts over thirty years of receiving the four-diamond luxury award.

New Orleans is a place where business travelers can go and enjoy their downtime, as well as their hotel stay, especially if they select a hotel that specializes in the needs of business travelers. With car service and a great hotel on the docket for your corporate trip to New Orleans, it will likely be one of the most enjoyable trips of your corporate travel life.

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If you have visited New Orleans and haven’t tried their world-famous culinary invention, the muffaletta, then you’re certainly missing out. The delicious dish, which has its origins in the French Quarter area of New Orleans, consists of a delectable Sicilian sesame bread and any number of Italian meats and provolone cheese. Those who have enjoyed one aren’t usually quick to forget the experience, and those who are planning on visiting New Orleans are usually on the lookout for a great muffaletta so they can say they experienced a true New Orleans original.

We’ve compiled a list of the best muffaletta stops in the Big Easy, so you can get a taste of the French Quarter the next time you stop by.

Napoleon House

You can’t mention the muffaletta in New Orleans without mentioning the Napoleon House, which also houses one of the best-known bars in the area, as well. The menu is a regular round-up of some of New Orleans’ most famous dishes, including a huge variety of salads, Poor Boy sandwiches, and of course, their specialty muffaletta, which features ham, salami and pastrami and two types of Italian cheese and comes with their house made Italian olive salad. For a mere $14.50, you can get a whole muffaletta, which can feed two people. Talk about experiencing the Big Easy for steal.

500 Chartres Street, New Orleans, LA

Cochon Butcher

This sandwich shop is one of the best-rated in the city, and it’s easy to see why. An impressive combination of sandwich shop, butcher shop and wine counter, there’s a ton to choose from and all for a reasonable price. Their muffaletta, which comes with house meats and an Italian olive salad on the side, goes for around $12, which is a steal considering you could probably make it count for two meals.

930 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA

Central Grocery

Many visitors to New Orleans agree that Central Grocery is simply one of those places in NOLA that visitors cannot miss. Located in the heart of the French Quarter, where the muffaletta originated, Central Grocery is affordable and delicious. The kind and welcoming duo behind the counter offer an impressive deli spread and produce a muffaletta that is absolutely one-of-a-kind.

923 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA

DiMartino’s Famous New Orleans Muffulettas

The name says it all; this shop specializes in muffalettas and produces one incredibly delicious “Star of Show,” their in-house made muffaletta with an Italian olive salad and dressing. They even offer a muffaletta platter than consists of the giant sandwich and a side, for those of you who are absolutely starving.

3900 General De Gaulle Drive, Algiers, LA

Making the most of your time in New Orleans wouldn’t be complete without booking a chauffeured car to get you around town. Just hop in the back seat, tell your chauffeur you want a traditional New Orleans muffaletta, and he’ll likely whisk you away to a destination that offers a great muffuletta and even better atmosphere.

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New Orleans is known for its street festivals and parades, namely the annual Mardi Gras celebration. Though Mardi Gras season has already passed, there are still many upcoming events and festivals in New Orleans to be excited about. The fall season is full of festivals that celebration traditions and local culture. Below we have compiled some of the major festivals coming to New Orleans soon, so you can mark them down on you calendar

Oktoberfest

Dates: Each Weekend in October

Already underway, Oktoberfest in New Orleans continues each weekend until the end of October. Hosted by the Deutsches Haus, the festival celebrates German beer, food, and culture. The streets of Rivertown are flooded each weekend with locals and tourists enjoying the music, beer, and food. Each weekend is full of special events, contests, and performances. This historic festival is held in locations all over the world, but New Orleans celebrates unlike any other city.

Halloween in New Orleans

Date: October 31

Halloween is arguably the second biggest annual event in New Orleans, with only Mardi Gras being bigger. The city goes all out for this holiday, with decorations and creative costumes. A Halloween night in New Orleans could range anywhere from a family-friendly night for children, haunted tours in the French Quarter, or large street party. Like Mardi Gras, locals and tourists pack the streets for Halloween along with elaborate decorations, unique costumes, and Halloween-themed spirits.

Voodoo Music Festival

Date: November 1-3

The 15^th annual Voodoo Music and Arts Experience is bringing a weekend of music and arts to New Orleans’ City Park. The festival features big-name artists from a variety of musical genres, including Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Kid Rock, Calvin Harris, and Macklemore. Attendees have the option to camp on festival grounds for the weekend or they can stay at a nearby hotel. There are also options for tickets to either purchase weekend-long passes or a single day ticket.

Mirlton Festival

Date: November 9

This festival celebrates its 24^th year this November at the Brickyard. The Mirliton Festival features music, art, and food in celebration of the Bywater area’s rich culture. The Bywater Neighborhood Association puts on the event each year to show their pride in their home. The day long festival is a perfect event to bring your family to, with a variety of foods and arts.

All of these events are quickly and easily accessible from the French Quarter and Downtown New Orleans. Due to the large crowd sizes and safety concerns, using a car service for transportation to and from these events is a smart option. We are happy to provide you with transportation to any of these festivals or any other upcoming events in New Orleans.

Oak Street Po-Boy Festival

Date: November 24

This single day food festival celebrates a local food favorite and gives local restaurants a chance to show of their best po-boys by winning awards in different categories. Attendees will have an abundance of flavorful creations to try out as they enjoy live music in the historic Carrollton neighborhood. Through the day-long event, people in attendance will also be able to visit the many shops along Oak Street.

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Personal security is one of the most important aspects of business travel and the ironic aspect is that so few business professionals plan for it. While you are away on company travel, you need to make sure that your home and identity are safe while you are away.

We’ve compiled a list of expert security tips below:

1. Make Sure your Home is Taken Care of

Whether or not you have family who live at your house or if you are a single traveler, it is extremely important that your home maintains the look of an occupied household. This means not letting mail accumulate, having lights turned on, and ideally having someone stop by periodically.

The statistics show that the most common time for a burglary to happen is between the hours of 6 am and 6 pm. That means that it’s more important to have your house appear to be busy during the day than it is overnight.

Personal alarm systems are a great way to thwart crime. Buying an alarm system is only the first step. The second is making sure that you utilize the signs/stickers your alarm company provides and most importantly—you must utilize the alarm system.

2. Protect Your Digital Identity

In an article by Shivani Vora at Forbes, they highlight one of the sneakiest ways that hackers can steal your identity, which is by creating dummy wireless hotspots. Once you log in to one, they can access your computer and steal your personal information.

You can keep your digital identity safe is by making sure you only do business with companies you know and trust. The digital landscape changes literally daily. By the time this article has been written and posted there will be several new ways that hackers are trying to steal identities. Staying on the cutting edge is difficult, but doing some research before every trip is a good way to stay in touch with modern security.

3. Keep Your Valuables Safe

That lockbox in your hotel room is for more than midnight snacks. Keeping your valuables in a safe place is an absolute necessity when it comes to business travel. No matter how experienced of a traveler you are, out of town visitors are targeted because of their inexperience with the city and the amount of valuables that travelers carry.

A great way to boost your personal security is to have a personal chauffeur when you’re visiting a city. Professional drivers are more trustworthy and reliable than public transportation.

4. Plan for Airport Security

By far the most complicated part of any business transportation is air travel. Airport security is more intense now than ever before. Make sure that you unpack your entire carry-on to check for any restricted items the day before your trip. If you accidentally leave a restricted item in your carry-on and try to get through airport security with it, that can drastically impact your time at the airport.

Another important component of getting through airport security is to dress for the airport security line. Wearing shoes that are easily slipped on and off, carrying a bag with a laptop case that can be easily removed, and searching your clothing for metallic items before traveling are great ways to cut down on travel time and increase your personal security. Also, here’s an article by USA Today on airport security trips.

It’s also extremely important to lock your luggage when possible. If you are checking bags, it’s important to think about how many different people will handle your luggage by the time that it gets back to you.

What Business Travel Security Trips do you use?

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