Airboat Tours & Transfers

Question

I’ve looked at a few tours & the transfer costs seem excessive from New Orleans… we are a family of 5 so paying extra for each ticket just for the transfer is really expensive. Anyone have suggestions on picking a tour that’s inclusive or a better transfer option?

Answer

You raise a common concern — when traveling with a family (especially five people), paying per-person transfer fees for swamp or airboat tours around New Orleans, LA can really add up. The good news is there *are* tours and strategies that help reduce overall transfer costs or include transportation as part of the package. Below are some detailed suggestions and tips to help you choose a more cost-effective and practical option.

What to look for when booking — and why transfer costs add up:

Many swamp / airboat tours are located outside the city — often 20–35 minutes away — so tours charge extra for “round-trip shuttle” or “hotel pickup & drop-off.” For example, one operator near Luling charges around $85–$105 per person when you include their round-trip shuttle from downtown, compared to a lower “drive-out/drive-up” price if you go by your own car.

Because your family is five people, the per-person shuttle fee multiplies quickly — which is why thinking carefully about transfer costs is smart.

Better strategies and tour options to save money or get “all-inclusive” transfer:

Pick a tour that includes pickup/return and tickets in a single price: Some tours are structured so that your transportation + swamp tour is bundled. For example, there are full-day tours that include private transportation from your hotel (or agreed pickup location) *plus* swamp / airboat tickets.
Use “drive-out” or “drive yourself” option if you have a car or can share a ride: Even for large groups, many airboat tour operators allow “drive-out” pricing — which is significantly cheaper than paying per-person shuttle.
Choose a tour with a large airboat / group boat option: Large-boat tours tend to cost less per person (even with shuttle), which may lower per-person cost compared to smaller boats.
Look for private-group or family-sized tours: Some tour providers accept group bookings for families and offer reasonable total pricing for 4–6 people, sometimes with flexible transport arrangements.

Recommended tour / operator suggestions based on your situation (family of 5, want to minimize transfer cost):

— Provides both “drive-up” rates (lower cost) and “shuttle + tour” rates, so if you have a car or can ride together, you can save significantly.
— Offers a large-airboat option that costs less per person, even with hotel pickup and return service. Good for families or larger groups.
— Their “VIP / swamp-tour + shuttle” options may combine transportation and boat ride in one package, which can simplify logistics and sometimes reduce overall cost compared to separate tickets + shuttle.
If you have or can rent a car/taxi/ride-share: consider driving yourselves out to a dock (many are within 30–35 min from downtown) and choose “drive-out / no shuttle” pricing. This often results in lower per-person cost than paying for shuttle-per-person.

Some practical tips when booking with a family:

When comparing quotes, always double-check whether the price is just the boat tour, or boat + shuttle. For a group of 5, that difference can be substantial.
If using shuttle – coordinate pickup carefully so your whole group gets picked up together (some tours list hotel pickup only from certain hotels/areas). Tours may not pick up from private residences or very remote addresses.
Consider splitting into fewer vehicles (if driving yourselves) or booking a large-airboat — that way you might all stay together and potentially reduce per-person cost.
Book in advance — swamp tours around New Orleans can fill up quickly, especially if you need a large-group boat or shuttle.

My recommendation: if you don’t mind driving (or can get a single vehicle), go with a “drive-out” option from a company like New Orleans Swamp Tours or Ragin Cajun — that will almost certainly give you the lowest per-person cost for a group of 5. If you’d rather not drive and want a convenient door-to-door solution, choose a tour like Cajun Encounters or one of the “all-inclusive shuttle + boat” packages — but aim for a large-boat option to keep cost per person reasonable.