Red double-decker tour bus service opens in New Orleans

The bright red open-top double-decker tour buses seen in New York, London and Paris are now headed for New Orleans.

City Sightseeing New Orleans launched its new service Wednesday with an inaugural tour of downtown with tourism and hospitality industry officials.

Emily Valentino, the company's general manager, says the buses will offer a new convenient, entertaining and informative way to experience the city with a hop-on and hop-off model.

Tours will be narrated in English by certified tour hosts, but there will be recordings available in other languages and in Cajun and New Orleans dialects. Stops will include the National World War II Museum, Mardi Gras World and the Superdome.

Single day passes are $40 for adults. By contrast, day passes for the city's bus and streetcar service are $3.