Austin & New Orleans

Combine the ‘Big Easy’ with a taste of Texas with a multi-centre itinerary featuring stays in Texas’ up-and-coming city of Austin and Louisiana’s premier destination, New Orleans.

This trip is packed with sights to see, people to meet and American traditions to experience. From the lively locals of Bourbon Street to a wander through Austin’s ‘weird’ strips of suburbia, you will find so much to keep you entertained.

If you choose to start this adventure in Austin you will be greeted by a young, liberal city, with friendly locals and a love of independent restaurants, shops and bars. What makes Austin special is its wealth of options during the day and night.

Few chain restaurants, and bars major business thrive in Austin because its locals treat it as an extension of small-town America, rather than a modern metropolis. This means you will be spoilt for choice when out and about, with so many places famous for their in-house produce.

The Tex-Mex food is astounding and is lapped up by locals and food alike, the music bar scene is also growing by the month, with so many small artists keen to make an impression at Austin’s many intricate venues.

As for sights, look no further than the Texas State Capitol building, built in the 1800s, which is surrounded by historical monuments to take a look at. The Bullock Texas State History Museum is equally fascinating, telling the comprehensive tale of the rise of the republic of Texas.

Anyone with a keen interest in motorsport will enjoy Austin too, with Circuit of The Americas close to the city centre. CoTA is home to the F1 and MotoGP US Grands Prix, as well as rounds of other major championships, and features some of the most spectacular spectator viewing areas of any circuit in North America.

Once your time in Austin is up, it’s time to move on to New Orleans. It’s a melting pot of cultures, cuisine and music, New Orleans will entice you with its southern charm.

Exploring the narrow streets of the historic French Quarter and take a trolley ride through the beautiful Garden District are musts when you first discover the ‘Big Easy. Few cities in the USA have such an outward facing set of values and traditions. Spicy Cajun cuisine and the sounds of blues and jazz bring it to life.

Paying the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park a visit is a highlight, as is the New Orleans School of Cooking. Both will give you a better understanding of the city that surrounds you and will leave you wanting more.