New Orleans City Tour Now Accessible

St. Louis Cemetary #3 in New Orleans
Photo by Charles Pannell

The Gray Line Super City Tour is an old staple for visitors for New Orleans; however until recently you could only join this tour if you could walk a few steps and transfer to a coach seat. All that has changed now, thanks to the full implementation of the final ADA regulations for over-the-road buses.

Today, lift-equipped bus service is available on this popular city tour, and you can remain in your own wheelchair for the entire tour. Passengers should call (504) 569-1401 or (800) 535-7786) at least 48 hours in advance to request a lift-equipped bus. It should be noted that accessible reservations are only accepted by phone, and cannot be made in person at the Gray Line Tours kiosk in the French Quarter.

And the tour itself is excellent. It offers a good overview of the city and includes the French Quarter, the Garden District and a stop at St. Louis Cemetery #3. Here you can get off the bus and have a close look at the above ground burial method used throughout New Orleans. There are paved paths through the cemetery and it's really quite accessible. The whole tour lasts two hours and at $24, it's well worth the price. For more information on the Gray Line Super City Tour visit www.graylineneworleans.com/supercity.shtml.

Travelers should also note that as of October 2002, all tour operators are required to provide accessible services if they operate their tours in over-the-road buses. In this case accessible services means either a lift equipped bus or a separate ramped or lift-equipped van. An over-the-road bus is defined as a bus with an elevated passenger deck located over a baggage compartment. Many tour companies such as Gray Line use this type of a vehicle for their day tours, so it pays to check this out as an accessible option wherever you travel.

New Orleans is a great place for a vacation getaway. Access upgrades abound, even in the historic French Quarter. Visit www.neworleanscvb.com for New Orleans tourism information; and read the Summer 2003 issue of Emerging Horizons for details about accessible tourist attractions, accommodations and transportation in the Big Easy.