The best road trip stops on the New Orleans to Mobile AL drive are Gulfport MS, Biloxi MS and Pascagoula MS. The distance from New Orleans to Mobile is 144 miles, with a 2h8m driving time.
Planning a New Orleans to Mobile road trip itinerary
The New Orleans to Mobile drive connects Louisiana’s most exciting city to the Alabama coast.
5 great experiences in New Orleans to book today
- 🎷 Steamboat Natchez jazz cruise – Go for a jazz cruise aboard the Steamboat Natchez.
- 🍤 French Quarter food tour – Take a French Quarter food tour and discover Louisiana’s distinctive Cajun and Creole cuisine.
- 🐊 Swamp and bayou boat tour – Enjoy a swamp and bayou boat tour with a quieter boat for better wildlife sightings.
- 👻 New Orleans’ dark side – On a tour of New Orleans’ dark side, uncover ghosts, vampires, crime and voodoo.
- 🏛️ Whitney Plantation tour – Hear the true stories of slavery on a Whitney Plantation tour with transport from New Orleans.
New Orleans resolutely refuses to feel like any other American city. From the raucous hedonism of Bourbon Street to the European-influenced charm of the French Quarter, New Orleans is mesmerizingly unusual to hang out in.
Those wanting to explore the city’s heritage can visit historic home museums, such as the BK House, Gallier House and Hermann-Grima House. The Cabildo, St Louis Cathedral and Old Ursuline Convent also ooze historic grandeur.
Big hitter attractions include the World War II Museum and Audubon Zoo, but there’s a more distinctively NOLA flavour at Mardi Gras World and the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
Top New Orleans experiences include French Quarter food tours, haunted pub crawls, jazz cruises aboard the steamboat Natchez and cemetery walking tours.
The Alabama Gulf Coast port city of Mobile has a perhaps unexpected party spirit. This is best explored in the bars, or at the Mobile Carnival Museum.
You can also head on board the USS Alabama battleship or visit the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf. The latter includes a ship simulator, where you can have a go at steering a ship through the Gulf.
Elsewhere, Colonial Fort Conde is the top historic attraction and the Exploreum Science Center has plenty of button-pushing for kids.
Mobile experience options include a downtown food tour and a cruise around the port.
Top Mobile accommodation picks include the personality-packed Fort Conde Inn and the riverside Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza.
New Orleans to Mobile AL distance and driving time
By car, the distance from New Orleans to Mobile is 144 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and eight minutes. The quickest route is along the I-10.
The best stops to add to a New Orleans to Mobile road trip itinerary are Gulfport MS, Biloxi MS and Pascagoula MS.
Best stops between New Orleans and Mobile: Gulfport MS
Gulfport is the second biggest city in Mississippi, and the best reason to visit is the boat trip out to Ship Island. This barrier island has the best beaches in the state. However, there’s plenty of fun to be had in the city itself. The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center allows children to learn through play, the Gulf Islands Water Park has a great collection of water slides and Traintastic is an oddly-endearing model railroad museum.
To track down Gulfport accommodation bargains, look here.
New Orleans to Mobile road trip attractions: Biloxi MS
Biloxi on the Mississippi coast is best known as a casino destination, but there’s plenty to keep non-gamblers interested. The Biloxi Lighthouse opened in 1848, and is now open for public tours. The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum covers the region’s history, and looks at just how big a business fishing is. You can also take a cruise on one of the schooners moored outside the museum.
Also in Biloxi is Beauvoir, the lavish home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. The mansion is open for tours.
For Biloxi accommodation, try the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort for entertainment and the South Beach Hotel and Suites for beachside location.
New Orleans to Mobile drive: Pascagoula MS
For most visitors, Pascagoula MS is mainly about the beach. But you can also venture inside the Round Island Lighthouse, which has been standing since 1859.
Even more historic is the LaPointe-Krebs House, which was built in 1757 and is the oldest building in the state. For bigger thrills, head to the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch. Here, airboat tours head over the alligator-filled swamps.
Find Pascagoula accommodation deals here.
More Louisiana and Alabama travel
- Getting to Mobile: Where to stop on the Atlanta to Mobile drive, Tallahassee to Mobile drive, Houston to Mobile drive and Birmingham to Mobile drive.
- Road trips from Mobile: The best stops on the Mobile to Pensacola drive.
- Getting to New Orleans: The best stops on the Atlanta to New Orleans drive, Baton Rouge to New Orleans drive, Houston to New Orleans drive and Tallahassee to New Orleans drive.
- The best stops on the Dallas to Lafayette drive and Houston to Lafayette drive.
- Where to stop on the Atlanta to Baton Rouge drive, Austin to Baton Rouge drive, Dallas to Baton Rouge drive and Houston to Baton Rouge drive.
