You can make Houston to New Orleans in about 5.5 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 350 miles on I-10, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Houston
Aim to clear Houston before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 221 miles to Lafayette.
The headline stop on this route is Cajun food in Lafayette. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Lafayette, the last stretch
Lafayette sits about 221 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Atchafalaya Basin Bridge is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Rolling into New Orleans
The final 129 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Baton Rouge capitol; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Cajun food in Lafayette, Atchafalaya Basin Bridge and Baton Rouge capitol, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Lafayette, LA is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along I-10 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
