Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette - info please

Hi

I am travelling from England to the US in April and want to spend a few days
at the Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette.
A group of family and friends are staying in Orlando and I am making the
long trip to Lafayette on my own.

I need some information on accommodation during the festival. I don't want
anything fancy, just a place up to a couple of miles from the centre of the
city for around $50-60 per night or less. Do I need to book in advance or
will I be able to find a place when I arrive? I can book a Motel 8 place
about 2 miles out but I'd prefer to find something when I arrive if they're
not all full for the festival.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Conrad

Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette.
I need some information on accommodation during the festival. I don't
want anything fancy, just a place up to a couple of miles from the
centre of the city for around $50-60 per night or less. Do I need to
book in advance or will I be able to find a place when I arrive?

I think you should book it in advance--you can do a general search at
www.travelocity.com or www.expedia.com or www.orbitz.com and compare hotels,
prices, and locations. Then if you narrow down a couple that sound good,
you can either book there, or go directly to hotel websites and see if they
offer anything less. Most of the time, you will need to book with a credit
card (though unless you choose some special arrangement you will not have to
pay in advance, and check the cancel policies but you should be able to
cancel either by 6pm on the day of arrival or a day or two earlier if need
be).

If you book at a place with a decent cancel policy you will be in good
shape. To wait till the last minutes promises either hassles,
disappointment, or at least a little fretting.

Lafayette is a great place for touring--if you rent a car you can take a
fascinating morning drive and be back in Lafayette, having soaked up some
unique and original atmospheres, by early afternoon. But the surrounding
towns might even bring more enduring memories than the festival itself.
Not to mention the food. Boiled hot boudin for breakfast, and creole
cuisine the rest of the day--no matter where you travel--will help make it a
trip you WILL enjoy for a lifetime. This is definitely an area where
researching the out-of-the-way options will lead to enchantment.

I think you should book it in advance...

Update: I had a look at www.biddingfortravel.com and got the Comfort Inn
for my next trip to Lafayette for $35 on Priceline.

This was actually a booking gaffe, because I was shooting for a 2.5* hotel
(Hilton or Courtyard) for $33, and then increased the bid to $35 adding the
2* category, and then GOT the 2* Comfort Inn instead of the Hilton or
Courtyard when I might have bid lower if I had known that 2*s were actually
in the mix (and should have waited three days to try again for a 2.5 star).

At prices like these, I go ahead and book the nonrefundable hotel even if I
might lose it all if the trip get cancelled (although there is cancel
insurance, I never get it).

Hi Douglas

Thanks for the advice. It was always my intention to spend the mornings in
the area around Lafayette anyway.
I've booked a Motel 6 for around $34/night just off the I-10 on the
outskirts of the city so I can hopefully get out easily in the morning -
I'll just get a cab into the city centre when needed.

I'm planning a few hours in Baton Rouge on the way to Lafayette anyway so
I'll probably head off the Interstates out north and west towards Ville
Platte and Oakdale just to see some of the countryside and maybe Lake
Charles one day (just because it's the title of a song by my favourite
singer, Lucinda Williams).

This is my first visit to the US and I'm looking forward to the drive from
Orlando as much as anything. Theme parks and the like do not interest me at
all, I'd rather get out into the towns and countryside in the less touristed
areas.

Conrad

"Douglas W. Hoyt" wrote in message
...
Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette.
I need some information on accommodation during the festival. I don't
want anything fancy, just a place up to a couple of miles from the
centre of the city for around $50-60 per night or less. Do I need to
book in advance or will I be able to find a place when I arrive?

I think you should book it in advance--you can do a general search at
www.travelocity.com or www.expedia.com or www.orbitz.com and compare
hotels, prices, and locations. Then if you narrow down a couple that
sound good, you can either book there, or go directly to hotel websites
and see if they offer anything less. Most of the time, you will need to
book with a credit card (though unless you choose some special arrangement
you will not have to pay in advance, and check the cancel policies but you
should be able to cancel either by 6pm on the day of arrival or a day or
two earlier if need be).

If you book at a place with a decent cancel policy you will be in good
shape. To wait till the last minutes promises either hassles,
disappointment, or at least a little fretting.

Lafayette is a great place for touring--if you rent a car you can take a
fascinating morning drive and be back in Lafayette, having soaked up some
unique and original atmospheres, by early afternoon. But the surrounding
towns might even bring more enduring memories than the festival itself.
Not to mention the food. Boiled hot boudin for breakfast, and creole
cuisine the rest of the day--no matter where you travel--will help make it
a trip you WILL enjoy for a lifetime. This is definitely an area where
researching the out-of-the-way options will lead to enchantment.

Conrad wrote:
Hi Douglas

Thanks for the advice. It was always my intention to spend the
mornings in
the area around Lafayette anyway.
I've booked a Motel 6 for around $34/night just off the I-10 on the
outskirts of the city so I can hopefully get out easily in the
morning -
I'll just get a cab into the city centre when needed.

I'm planning a few hours in Baton Rouge on the way to Lafayette
anyway so
I'll probably head off the Interstates out north and west towards
Ville
Platte and Oakdale just to see some of the countryside and maybe Lake

Charles one day (just because it's the title of a song by my
favourite
singer, Lucinda Williams).

This is my first visit to the US and I'm looking forward to the drive
from
Orlando as much as anything. Theme parks and the like do not interest
me at
all, I'd rather get out into the towns and countryside in the less
touristed
areas.

Conrad


I'm glad to hear you were able to find a room. Usually things fill up
fast, but I guess this is far enough in advance.

Regarding Lucinda Williams, she tends to be a regular performer at the
Jazz Festival in New Orleans. You can check the website to see which
weekend she's performing (if she is this year) and plan your trip
accordingly. Honestly, when I saw her there a few years ago, she was
obviously drunk/stoned and definitely not at her prime.

Also, on the drive from Orlando, if you should be near Mobile when you
get hungry, go visit Wentzell's Oyster House (on Dauphin St. I think).
Neat place.

Hi Dan

Thanks for the info. I'll be staying overnight near Mobile on my way to
Lafayette - a 500 mile drive from Orlando is enough for one day. Trouble is
I'm allergic to shellfish! - not the allergy to have in this part of the US,
I guess. Anyway, as long as there is a good steak to be had, I'll survive.

Conrad


"Dan" wrote in message
oups.com...

Conrad wrote:
Hi Douglas

Thanks for the advice. It was always my intention to spend the
mornings in
the area around Lafayette anyway.
I've booked a Motel 6 for around $34/night just off the I-10 on the
outskirts of the city so I can hopefully get out easily in the
morning -
I'll just get a cab into the city centre when needed.

I'm planning a few hours in Baton Rouge on the way to Lafayette
anyway so
I'll probably head off the Interstates out north and west towards
Ville
Platte and Oakdale just to see some of the countryside and maybe Lake

Charles one day (just because it's the title of a song by my
favourite
singer, Lucinda Williams).

This is my first visit to the US and I'm looking forward to the drive
from
Orlando as much as anything. Theme parks and the like do not interest
me at
all, I'd rather get out into the towns and countryside in the less
touristed
areas.

Conrad


I'm glad to hear you were able to find a room. Usually things fill up
fast, but I guess this is far enough in advance.

Regarding Lucinda Williams, she tends to be a regular performer at the
Jazz Festival in New Orleans. You can check the website to see which
weekend she's performing (if she is this year) and plan your trip
accordingly. Honestly, when I saw her there a few years ago, she was
obviously drunk/stoned and definitely not at her prime.

Also, on the drive from Orlando, if you should be near Mobile when you
get hungry, go visit Wentzell's Oyster House (on Dauphin St. I think).
Neat place.

Conrad wrote:
Hi Dan

Thanks for the info. I'll be staying overnight near Mobile on my way
to
Lafayette - a 500 mile drive from Orlando is enough for one day.
Trouble is
I'm allergic to shellfish! - not the allergy to have in this part of
the US,
I guess. Anyway, as long as there is a good steak to be had, I'll
survive.

Conrad



In that case, the Pillars is one of the nicer restaurants in town. I
think the Dreamland BBQ crew has a place in Mobile, too. Also, while
you're in Lafayette, if you don't mind travelling a little north of
town for dinner, Paul Prudhomme's sister runs a restaurant called Enola
(or something like that, I think). I haven't been there yet, but I've
heard people claim that she's the better cook in the family. I think
it's supposed to be in Carencro or Opelousas - I really can't remember.

An even worse allergy to have in Lafayette. There even the fish & beef
comes with a sauce containing shellfish.



Conrad wrote:

Hi Dan

Thanks for the info. I'll be staying overnight near Mobile on my way to
Lafayette - a 500 mile drive from Orlando is enough for one day. Trouble is
I'm allergic to shellfish! - not the allergy to have in this part of the US,
I guess. Anyway, as long as there is a good steak to be had, I'll survive.

Conrad


"Dan" wrote in message
oups.com...

Conrad wrote:

Hi Douglas

Thanks for the advice. It was always my intention to spend the

mornings in

the area around Lafayette anyway.
I've booked a Motel 6 for around $34/night just off the I-10 on the
outskirts of the city so I can hopefully get out easily in the

morning -

I'll just get a cab into the city centre when needed.

I'm planning a few hours in Baton Rouge on the way to Lafayette

anyway so

I'll probably head off the Interstates out north and west towards

Ville

Platte and Oakdale just to see some of the countryside and maybe Lake

Charles one day (just because it's the title of a song by my

favourite

singer, Lucinda Williams).

This is my first visit to the US and I'm looking forward to the drive

from

Orlando as much as anything. Theme parks and the like do not interest

me at

all, I'd rather get out into the towns and countryside in the less

touristed

areas.

Conrad


I'm glad to hear you were able to find a room. Usually things fill up
fast, but I guess this is far enough in advance.

Regarding Lucinda Williams, she tends to be a regular performer at the
Jazz Festival in New Orleans. You can check the website to see which
weekend she's performing (if she is this year) and plan your trip
accordingly. Honestly, when I saw her there a few years ago, she was
obviously drunk/stoned and definitely not at her prime.

Also, on the drive from Orlando, if you should be near Mobile when you
get hungry, go visit Wentzell's Oyster House (on Dauphin St. I think).
Neat place.