A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Greenville vs. Chattanooga for Attractions, Food, Nightlife, and Families

Should you visit Greenville or Chattanooga?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Greenville and Chattanooga can help you decide which place is right for you.

Greenville

Greenville is a hospitable, southern, and welcoming city. Other popular activities here include museums, nightlife, and shopping. See Greenville travel costs.

Chattanooga

Chattanooga is a bustling, outdoorsy, and thriving city. It's also popular because of the shopping, museums, and nightlife. See Chattanooga travel costs.

Greenville and Chattanooga: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Greenville or Chattanooga?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Chattanooga than Greenville. It is bigger and it has more sights, attractions, and activities for travelers. Chattanooga is more touristy than Greenville and is popular for it's hikes, railways, and nearby natural areas. It is also well known for Rock City. Greenville is famous for its outdoor spaces and its growing arts scene.

How is Greenville different from Chattanooga?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Chattanooga and Greenville. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Greenville or Chattanooga?

You'll find a number of nice museums and attractions in both Chattanooga and Greenville.

If you're looking for an educational opportunity, there are a decent number of museums and historical sights around Greenville. Museums focus on art, history, and science. Notable museums in town include the Greenville County Museum of Art, the Upcountry History Museum, and the Sigal Music Museum.

Chattanooga is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. It's a thriving city and there are a number of museums to explore. The Hunter Museum of American Art is great for art enthusiasts. There's also the Creative Discovery Museum, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, and the 6th Cavalry Museum, as well as several smaller museums that you can visit.

Is the Food Better in Greenville or Chattanooga? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Chattanooga is very good for its local flavors and cuisine. However, Greenville is not known for its local cuisine and restaurants.

Chattanooga is becoming an appealing option for foodies. There are a growing number of restaurants that range from local dives to fine dining. Fried food is common, but you'll also find Mexican and classic hamburgers. Popular dishes that are local to the area include catfish, southern barbecue, and hush puppies.

Greenville offers some easy restaurants to choose from. The food scene is growing and the farm-to-table movement is apparent here, but the city is still often overlooked by foodies in the area.

Is Greenville or Chattanooga Better for Nightlife?

If the nightlife is your priority, you'll find nice options in both Greenville and Chattanooga.

If you're looking for night time activities Greenville has a few options to choose from. Bars, breweries, and low key clubs are what drive the city's nightlife scene. There are both piano bars and live music venues that often lean towards the local country classics.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in Chattanooga. You'll find plenty of bars and clubs around town. There are also a number of comedy and improv clubs that are fun to check out.

Is Greenville or Chattanooga Better for Hiking?

Chattanooga is a great city for hiking. However, Greenville is not a hiking destination.

Many visitors go to Chattanooga for the hiking trails. It's proximity to the mountains means that you don't have to go far to find good hiking. Within a half hour of town there are more than 50 trailheads. Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain are both hiking destinations. Several trails have swimming spots and many pass through nice forests or head to impressive viewpoints.

Greenville is not a hiking destination.

Is the Shopping Better in Greenville or Chattanooga?

If you're looking to go shopping, Greenville and Chattanooga both offer plenty of nice spots.

Greenville has a variety of shopping areas worth visiting. You'll find upscale shopping in the city's downtown and sprawling shopping malls in other neighborhoods. There are plenty of name brand stores where you can pick up the latest style.

Chattanooga is a great destination for shopping. Head downtown for local shops or to the larger malls if you want mainstream stores. Many visitors enjoy antiquing while they're in town, but there are also farmer's markets and thrift stores.

Is Greenville or Chattanooga Better for Families?

You'll find nice kid-friendly activities in either Greenville or Chattanooga.

Greenville offers lots of family activities. There are many local families in town, so you'll find all kinds of kid-friendly activities to enjoy. Paris Mountain State Park is a popular place where everyone can run around. Falls Park on the Reedy River also has walking trails and is in the city's historic district. There's also a children's theater and plenty of playgrounds around town.

Chattanooga is a family-friendly place to visit. Many people enjoy a visit to the Tennessee Aquarium, which has a touch tank and a butterfly exhibit, among other things. Near downtown, Coolidge Park is a great place for kids to get their energy out. There's also the popular Lookout Mountain Incline Railway as well as many hiking trails in the area.

Is Greenville or Chattanooga Better for Couples?

Chattanooga is very good for couples. However, Greenville is not known for romance.

Chattanooga is a good city for couples to visit. Many couples enjoy staying at a local inn and then dining in a nice restaurant or visiting a winery. There's an eclectic art district to explore as well as horse drawn carriages and plenty of nearby hiking trails.

Greenville is not the best destination for a couple to visit. You can take the free trolley down Main Street and then enjoy a meal at one of the local restaurants.

Is Greenville or Chattanooga Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Chattanooga is a great city for times when you don't have a car. However, Greenville is not known for its public transit.

Chattanooga offers a very effecient public transportation network. The city has a convenient and free electric shuttle service. It travels through the downtown and has stops at many points of interest such as the Chattanooga Choo Choo and the Tennessee Aquarium.

Public transit is generally limited in Greenville. There are free trolleys that make their way around the downtown neighborhoods.

Is Greenville or Chattanooga a more walkable city?

Chattanooga is a great city for its ease of walking around. However, Greenville is not known for its walkability.

Chattanooga is a very walkable destination. The city has put a lot of effort into improving its walkability. In particular, the downtown is nice to explore on foot.

Greenville is generally not very walkable. The downtown area is surprisingly walkable, but like most cities in the area, you need a car to make the most of your visit.

For even more information, also check out Is Greenville Worth Visiting? and Is Chattanooga Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Chattanooga or Greenville?

How long in Greenville or Chattanooga?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Greenville and Chattanooga. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Chattanooga than in Greenville. Usually, 1-2 days is a good amount of time for Greenville, and 2-3 days is enough time in Chattanooga.

Families should spend more time in Chattanooga than Greenville. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Chattanooga, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Chattanooga than Greenville. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Chattanooga that are perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Chattanooga than Greenville if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Chattanooga.

One day in Greenville or Chattanooga?

Visitors enjoy the nightlife and shopping when visiting the welcoming city of Greenville. One day should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

With museums and nightlife around the thriving city of Chattanooga, there's plenty to do. Anyone can find something fun to do here. Make sure you spend some time hiking while you're in the area. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

A weekend in Greenville or Chattanooga?

Visitors enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the southern destination of Greenville. This city offers something for everyone. Plenty of people spend a weekend in the area when traveling. If you enjoy all that's offered here, then a weekend is just the right amount of time to spend here.

With nightlife and food around the destination of Chattanooga, there's plenty to do. Many travelers plan to spend time hiking while in the area. It offers something for everyone. Many people spend a weekend here. In a weekend, you should have a good grasp of this city.

Five days in Greenville or Chattanooga?

The hospitable city of Greenville offers museums and nightlife. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel.

Chattanooga, a popular city, is full of activities for travelers. Hiking can easily take up a good amount of your time here, too. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

A week in Greenville or Chattanooga?

Many people enjoy the nightlife and shopping when visiting Greenville. Anyone can find something fun to do here. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

Chattanooga is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to United States of America, The Best Tours for Seniors to United States of America, The Best Contiki Tours to United States of America, and The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Greenville and Chattanooga, we can see that Chattanooga is more expensive. And not only is Greenville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Greenville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Greenville and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Chattanooga would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chattanooga than you might in Greenville.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Greenville Expensive? and Is Chattanooga Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Greenville or Chattanooga?

Chattanooga has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Greenville. When comparing the sizes of Greenville and Chattanooga, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.