Friday: arrive and settle in
Self check-in with a smart lock means you can arrive without meeting anyone. Unpack, then walk into Old Town for dinner. Restaurants, galleries and shops are an easy walk.
From New Orleans
An easy weekend getaway from New Orleans to Bay St. Louis
About 60 miles and roughly an hour from New Orleans: Old Town's galleries, harbor sunsets and a cottage that sleeps 9.
The drive
New Orleans to Bay St. Louis: about 60 miles
Bay St. Louis is about 60 miles from New Orleans, mostly on Interstate 10. Plan on roughly an hour to an hour and a quarter in normal traffic.
- Distance, New Orleans to Bay St. Louis
about 60 miles (the City of Bay St. Louis lists 60 miles; Travelmath lists 59)
- Typical drive time
about 1 hour 3 minutes in typical traffic (Travelmath), to the New Orleans area
- Old Town to the French Quarter
about 61 miles and about 75 minutes without traffic (our OpenStreetMap routing check, Oct 28, 2026)
- Old Town to the airport (MSY)
about 90 minutes without traffic (OpenStreetMap routing)
- Route
Mostly I-10, according to the routing check
Real trips vary with traffic, events and construction, and these are not exact door-to-door times from the cottage. The exact address is sent with your booking confirmation.
By train
Skip the drive: Amtrak Mardi Gras Service
Amtrak's Mardi Gras Service runs between New Orleans and Mobile and stops at Bay St. Louis. Amtrak restored this service on August 18, 2025.
- New Orleans to Bay St. Louis
Morning train: Train 24: leaves 7:35 a.m., arrives 8:59 a.m.
Evening train: Train 26: leaves 5:31 p.m., arrives 6:57 p.m.
- Bay St. Louis to New Orleans
Morning train: Train 23: leaves 8:23 a.m., arrives 10:13 a.m.
Evening train: Train 25: leaves 6:26 p.m., arrives 8:13 p.m.
Times are from Amtrak's timetable dated October 28, 2026, daily service. Check Amtrak for current schedules and fares. The Bay St. Louis station is at 1928 Depot Way, next to the historic depot in Old Town's Depot District. We have not measured the walk from the station to the cottage, so ask us or check a map once you have the address. Amtrak Mardi Gras Service
A sample weekend
A weekend away, step by step
One way to use a Friday-to-Sunday stay. Adjust it to your group.
Saturday: coffee, galleries, the harbor
Start at Mockingbird Café on South Second Street, browse Main Street's shops and galleries, and finish with dinner and a sunset along Beach Boulevard. If it is a second Saturday, Old Town businesses host special events and live music. See the walkable Old Town guide.
Sunday: one more stroll
Walk or bike the bay bridge path (about 2.1 miles long), or visit the Alice Moseley Folk Art Museum and the Depot District. 100 Men Hall's Blues Brunch is on a Sunday; the chamber's calendar lists April 11, May 9 and June 13, 2027. Checkout is 11:00 AM.
Day trips from Old Town
Waveland beach and the lighthouse are about 10 minutes away, Pass Christian harbor about 15, and the Mississippi Aquarium and the Ship Island ferry in Gulfport about 30 (approximate drive times, without traffic). See the Explore page for the full list.
Time it right
Events that make a good reason to come
Some of the biggest weekends fall on dates we can confirm, others are typical but not yet confirmed for 2027.
Mardi Gras 2027
Fat Tuesday is February 9, 2027. Bay St. Louis hosts parades in the weeks before, including a Lundi Gras golf cart parade and the Krewe of Real People parade on Fat Tuesday. A 3-night minimum applies to stays that include a night from February 6 to 9. See the Mardi Gras guide.
Festivals through the year
Arts Alive! is scheduled for March 20 and 21, 2027, Pirate Day in the Bay for May 14 and 15, and Cruisin' the Coast for October 3 to 10, 2027. See the events guide for more and for what is still unconfirmed.
Plan and price it
What a weekend costs
Standard rates are $175 a night for Sunday to Thursday nights and $199 for Friday and Saturday nights, with a $172 cleaning fee. Taxes are calculated at confirmation. Some holiday and event dates have higher rates, and a few carry a minimum stay. The cottage sleeps up to 9, so a group of friends or a family can split one place.
Sources and what we could not confirm
Facts on this page were checked against the sources below on October 28, 2026. We have no business relationship with the places or events mentioned and receive nothing for listing them. Hours, prices, routes and dates change, so please confirm with the organizer before you travel.
- City of Bay St. Louis, proximity to nearby cities: New Orleans, 60 miles.
- Travelmath driving time: 1 hour 3 minutes, 59 miles, typical traffic.
- Old Town to French Quarter and airport: our own check on OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), run October 28, 2026 from the center of Old Town, not from the cottage. The result was about 61 miles and 76 minutes to the French Quarter, and about 89 minutes to the airport, without traffic.
- Amtrak Mardi Gras Service timetable (dated Oct 28, 2026) and Great American Stations: Bay Saint Louis (station address, service restored August 18, 2025).
- Hancock County Chamber visitor guide and the chamber's Discover Hancock County calendar, for event dates. See our events and Mardi Gras pages for each source.
- Not confirmed: the exact door-to-door drive time from the cottage, rush-hour times, and the walk from the train station to the cottage.
Your New Orleans escape is about an hour away
Pick your dates, see an instant estimate and send a request. No payment is taken online.
STR Permit 2026-137-STR · The Hickory Cottage, Old Town Bay St. Louis, MS · StayBSL.com