Havana
Cuba
New Orleans
United States
Havana
New Orleans
💰 Budget
🛡️ Safety
Havana
Cuba is generally one of the safest countries in Latin America. Violent crime against tourists is extremely rare. The main annoyances are persistent jineteros (hustlers) offering everything from cigars to restaurant recommendations on commission.
New Orleans
New Orleans has higher violent crime rates than most US tourist cities, but crime is heavily concentrated in specific neighborhoods. Tourist areas (French Quarter during day, Garden District, Warehouse District, Frenchmen Street) are generally safe. Pickpocketing and phone theft on Bourbon Street are common. After-hours crime spikes outside these zones.
⭐ Ratings
🌤️ Weather
Havana
Havana has a tropical climate with a dry season (November-April) and a wet season (May-October). Temperatures are warm year-round. Hurricane season runs from June to November, with September and October being the highest-risk months.
New Orleans
New Orleans has a humid subtropical climate — hot and sticky for most of the year, with short, mild winters. Summer humidity is famously oppressive, and afternoon thunderstorms are near-daily from June through September. Hurricane season runs June through November.
🚇 Getting Around
Havana
Havana's transport is a fascinating mix of vintage American cars, Chinese buses, coconut-shaped taxis, and horse-drawn carts. There's no ride-hailing app that works reliably. Getting around requires a mix of walking, negotiating with taxi drivers, and patience.
Walkability: Old Havana, Centro Habana, and the Malecon are all walkable, though sidewalks are uneven and sometimes missing. The 3-4 km walk from Habana Vieja to Vedado along the Malecon is one of the great urban walks. Beyond central areas, distances become too large for walking.
New Orleans
New Orleans is compact and walkable in its tourist core. The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) runs historic streetcars, buses, and ferries. A Jazzy Pass offers unlimited rides. Driving downtown is difficult — streets are narrow, parking is scarce and expensive, and the one-way grid is confusing.
Walkability: The French Quarter, Marigny, CBD, and Warehouse District are highly walkable. The Garden District, Bywater, and Mid-City are walkable once you've arrived, but you'll want a streetcar or rideshare to get between districts. Sidewalks in the Quarter can be uneven — watch for broken flagstones, especially at night.
The Verdict
Choose Havana if...
you want a time-warp to 1959 — vintage Chevys on the Malecón, Old Havana plazas, rum mojitos, son cubano clubs, and crumbling colonial grandeur
Choose New Orleans if...
you want America's most culturally distinct city — Creole and Cajun food, jazz on Frenchmen Street, and French Quarter magic
New Orleans