New Orleans stands proudly apart from the rest of the USA. It's an intoxicating, addictive city, the product of a dizzying jumble of influences, a place where people dance at funerals and hold parties during hurricanes, where some of the world's finest musicians make ends meet busking on street corners, and where fabulous cooking is dished up from hole-in-the-wall dives. It really has more in common with the Caribbean than with the rest of the USA - and that includes its weather. Mardi Gras, in the spring, is unmissable, but fall is probably the best time to visit: still hurricane season, but mild and sunny.

New Orleans DIRECTIONS has a full menu of suggestions and practical details to help you get the most out of the city: the sights not to miss, the coolest bars, the best places to stay in all price brackets. . . in short the best New Orleans has to offer.

Browse our ideas section before you go, for inspiration on what to do, 24 hours a day. Check out the details in the places section, and you can explore the whole of New Orleans, from the French Quarter to Uptown, with every sight, restaurant, bar and shop located on the easy-to-use maps.

It's like having a friend from the city help plan your trip.