Chicago, the Midwest and the South in 18 days: itinerary to New Orleans

Name: Chicago, the Midwest and the South in 18 days: itinerary to New Orleans
Brand: Étaperia
Price: 39 EUR
Availability: InStock
Author: Kylian

From the architecture of Chicago to the nights of New Orleans, by way of the temple of speed in Indianapolis, the longest cave in the world and the capital of country music.

Compiled by Kylian, updated on Sep 6, 2026

Cloud Gate in Millennium Park and the Chicago skyline

18 days
45 places
18 nights
fast pace

Start: Sandusky, Ohio
End: New Orleans
Main transport: Car, returned in New Orleans at the end of the stage
Recommended season: May-June and September-October are the most pleasant windows; hurricane season runs from June to November on the Gulf

What you get

The complete itinerary: 18 days sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Hotel
The card of every hotel, with the address and a direct booking link
Quota tickets, fixed-date tickets and surcharges flagged in advance
The country quick guide: weather, transport, formalities, budget
A PDF file of 26 pages

What the price does not include

Flights
Hotel nights
Tickets and admission fees
Travel insurance
On-the-ground assistance during your trip

The itinerary preview

The free day in full, with its hotel card. This is the sample.

Day 13

Nashville, Music City

Morning

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

After 1 h 30 of driving (back to Central Time), the great museum of country music in its building shaped like a bass clef: Elvis's gold Cadillac, Nudie's rhinestone suits and the rotunda of the inductees, from Hank Williams to Dolly Parton.

Afternoon

RCA Studio B and Ryman Auditorium

On Music Row, Studio B (1957) saw Elvis record more than 200 tracks, among them Are You Lonesome Tonight in complete darkness; it is reached by guided tour from the Hall of Fame. Then the Ryman Auditorium (1892), a tabernacle that became the "Mother Church of Country Music", home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974.

Evening

Broadway

The honky-tonks of Lower Broadway play free live music from midday to 3:00 AM, neon and all: Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Robert's Western World and their neighbors. Entry is free, tipping the musicians is the rule.

Good to know

Back to Central Time. The RCA Studio B tour is only sold with the Country Music Hall of Fame ticket, in a timed slot. The Ryman offers a self-guided visit during the day and turns into a concert hall in the evening: check the program before choosing.

€39 incl. tax

that is €2.17 per day of travel

Billed in euros. If your card is in another currency, your bank converts at its own rate.

Secure payment through Stripe, bank card, Apple Pay and Google Pay
Available immediately in your customer account: online reading with clickable booking links, downloadable PDF for offline use
Method: what is checked, and when

A hotel in the itinerary closed or impossible to find, a place to visit permanently closed?

Within 12 months of purchase, email contact@etaperia.com

Itinerary corrected within 7 days, or refunded in full. Terms in article 12 of the terms of sale, on top of the legal warranty (new tab)

€39 incl. tax · 18 days

Buy

A question before buying? Email Kylian, reply within 2 business days.

The day-by-day rundown

17 stops, 1,510 km as the crow flies

Day 1 Arrival in Chicago along Lake Michigan The road from Sandusky to Chicago Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 2 Millennium Park, the Art Institute and Winnetka Millennium Park, Cloud Gate and Crown Fountain Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 3 Lincoln Park, from the zoo to the lake Lincoln Park and Lincoln Park Zoo Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 4 Grant Park and the historic Loop Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain and the historic grand hotels Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 5 From the Garfield Park glasshouses to 360 Chicago Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago Theatre and Hamburger University Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 6 The Shedd Aquarium, then on to Indianapolis John G. Shedd Aquarium Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 7 Indianapolis, the temple of speed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and track lap Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 8 Monument Circle, then the US Air Force in Dayton Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument and Monument Circle Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 9 Louisville: the Derby, Ali and the Slugger Kentucky Derby Museum Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 10 Louisville, from the river to Old Louisville Frazier History Museum and Big Four Bridge Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 11 Mammoth Cave, underground and on the water Historic Tour of Mammoth Cave Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 12 Hiking the ridges of Mammoth Cave First Creek, McCoy Hollow and Wet Prong Loop Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 13 Nashville, Music City Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Free
Day 14 The Parthenon and the Hermitage Parthenon and Centennial Park Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 15 The long run south to New Orleans The road from Nashville to New Orleans Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 16 The French Quarter Café du Monde, Jackson Square and St Louis Cathedral Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 17 The Second World War, the Garden District and the Mississippi National WWII Museum Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
Day 18 Bayous, City Park and Bourbon Street Airboat trip in the bayous Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF

1 day is free to read above. The other 17 unlock when you buy. Buy the itinerary, €39

Found an error in this itinerary? Report an error

Country quick guide and logistics

The essentials of the country, scannable in ten seconds.

Weather and when to go

Continental in Chicago (hot summers, wind off the lake), subtropical in New Orleans: May-June and September-October are the most pleasant windows.
Hurricane season runs from June to November on the Gulf, peaking in August and September: the last four days of the stage are exposed to it.
Heavy heat in the South in summer, keep hydrated.

Transport and permits

The stage crosses two time zones: the return to Central Time happens on the road to Nashville.
City parking is expensive, up to $40 to $70 a night in Chicago: hotel parking is often charged separately.
The first rental car is returned in New Orleans at the end of the stage, with drop-off fees to be negotiated at booking.
In Chicago as in New Orleans, use ride-hailing for late returns.

Formalities and safety

A valid biometric passport and a current ESTA, obtained before departure at esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
A foreign driving license is accepted everywhere on this stage, an international permit is recommended alongside it.
The guided tours of Mammoth Cave have slots that go fast: book three months ahead.
Mosquitoes are plentiful in Louisiana: repellent for the bayous.

Budget and meals

Meals: $15 to $25 at lunchtime, $25 to $45 in the evening excluding drinks, an 18 to 20% tip.
In New Orleans, po'boys and gumbo let you eat very well for $15.
Admissions and guided tours to plan for: Mammoth Cave, plantations, airboat, the steamboat Natchez.
The honky-tonks of Lower Broadway in Nashville play for free: tipping the musicians is the rule.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly do I receive?

Your Étaperia itinerary, available immediately in your customer account after payment: readable online with clickable booking links, and downloadable as a PDF for the trip. Every day is sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening and says where you spend the night, with the address and booking link for each place to stay. Timed-entry tickets are flagged in advance.

How is this better than what an AI gives me?

A generative AI composes a plausible list in seconds, without saying what was checked or when. At Étaperia, every itinerary is compiled day by day, with the booking constraints spotted before it is too late to get them. The Method page says what is checked, against which source and on what date.

Can I adapt it to my dates and my pace?

Yes. The days are self-contained blocks: you can shift the departure, stretch a stage or skip a day without breaking what follows. Only timed-entry tickets require adjusting the dates accordingly, and they are all flagged.

What if a hotel or a place in the itinerary has closed?

Email contact@etaperia.com within 12 months of your purchase. If a hotel in the itinerary is closed or can no longer be found, or a place to visit has closed permanently, the itinerary is corrected in your customer account within 7 days, or you are refunded in full. A hotel fully booked on your dates, a seasonal closure or a change in opening hours or prices is not covered. This guarantee comes on top of the legal warranty of conformity; details in article 12 of the terms and conditions of sale.

Module, classic or complete itinerary: which one should I choose?

A classic is a short trip built to stand on its own, designed for a first visit to the country. A module covers one region in depth. The complete itinerary crosses the whole country, and buying it also unlocks each of its modules in your customer account.

Can I get a refund if the itinerary doesn't suit me?

No. It is digital content delivered right away, and you waive your right of withdrawal at checkout. To judge before you pay, every product page gives one full day for free and the list of every stop. After purchase, the guarantee applies: a closed hotel or a permanently closed place is corrected within 7 days, otherwise you get a refund.