A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Greenville vs. Ottawa for Attractions, Food, Nightlife, and Families

Should you visit Greenville or Ottawa?

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 Ottawa can help you decide which place is right for you.

Greenville

Greenville is a hospitable, southern, and welcoming city. It's also popular because of the museums, nightlife, and shopping. See Greenville travel costs.

Ottawa

Ottawa is a welcoming, cultural, and friendly city. It's also popular because of the museums, food, and shopping. See Ottawa travel costs.

Greenville and Ottawa: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Greenville or Ottawa?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Ottawa than Greenville. It is bigger and it has more sights, attractions, and activities for travelers. Ottawa is very popular for its museums and attractions and food, while Greenville attracts visitors for its nightlife. Ottawa is more touristy than Greenville and is known for its history, politics, and green space. It is also well known for Parliament Hill. Greenville is famous for its outdoor spaces and its growing arts scene.

How is Greenville different from Ottawa?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Ottawa 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 Ottawa?

Ottawa is a great city for its historical sights. Also, Greenville is not as popular, but is still a nice city for its sights and museums.

Many visitors head to Ottawa specifically to visit some of its top-rated museums and other sights. As the country's capital, there are a large number of museums to explore. There are summer national museums in town which include the National Gallery of Canada, the Museum of History, the Science and Technology Museum, the Aviation and Space Museum, the Agriculture and Food Museum, the Museum of Nature, and the War Museum.

Greenville is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. 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.

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

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

Ottawa is becoming an appealing option for foodies. The culinary scene highlights many Canadian classics like poutine and maple donuts (and, of course, the classic Tim Horton's), but you'll also find plenty of international options like shawarma.

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 Ottawa Better for Nightlife?

Greenville is a popular place for its evening party scene. However, Ottawa is lacking in good options for nightlife.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in Greenville. 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.

Ottawa is generally a quiet destination but there are options around. It's not the first place that comes to mind when you think about partying, but there are live music venues and a some great bars around town.

Is the Shopping Better in Greenville or Ottawa?

If you're looking to go shopping, Greenville and Ottawa 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.

Ottawa is a great destination for shopping. You'll find large malls, outlets, and shopping streets that are fun to browse. Some of the favorite shopping areas include ByWard Market, Sparks Street, and CF Rideau Centre.

Is Greenville or Ottawa Better for Families?

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

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.

Ottawa is a family-friendly place to visit. As the country's capital, you'll find a number of museums that will keep a kid's attention. In particular, check out the aviation, science, and nature museums. If you have a car, you can head out to Calypso Water Park, which is fun as well.

Is Greenville or Ottawa Better for Couples?

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

Ottawa is a good city for couples to visit. The city is filled with parks and green spaces where you can enjoy flowers or peaceful walks. Commissioners Park is particularly nice and known for its tulips during the spring season. Dow's Lake is a nice place for ice skating in the winter or kayaking in the summer. The city also offers a number of romantic restaurants and charming hotels.

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 Ottawa Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Ottawa is very good for backpackers and budget travelers. However, Greenville is not known for backpackers.

Ottawa is popular with backpackers and budget travelers. Although the city is often overlooked by tourists, there are a surprising number of hostels around town.

Greenville is not the best destination for backpackers and budget travelers due to its high prices. While there are students in the area, there is little else to bring backpackers to town.

Is Greenville or Ottawa Better for Students?

Ottawa is very good for its student-friendly activities. However, Greenville is not known for students.

It's common for students to visit Ottawa. It appeals to international and Canadian students alike. It's known for its livability and diverse cultural scene.

Greenville is a decent spot for students. Furman University has a pretty campus and is a nice place to visit.

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

Ottawa is very good for times when you don't have a car. However, Greenville is not known for its public transit.

While Ottawa offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. There is both a public bus and light rail system.

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

Is Greenville or Ottawa a more walkable city?

Ottawa is very good for its ease of walking around. However, Greenville is not known for its walkability.

Ottawa is a somewhat walkable city. Many of the urban neighborhoods are very walkable.

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 Ottawa Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Ottawa or Greenville?

How long in Greenville or Ottawa?

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

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Ottawa 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 Ottawa.

One day in Greenville or Ottawa?

Many travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the destination of Greenville. One day is often enough time to do most activities.

With museums and food around the friendly city of Ottawa, there's plenty to do. Anyone can find something fun to do here. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

A weekend in Greenville or Ottawa?

Greenville is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. With all of its activities, you can easily fill a weekend here. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

With food and shopping around the destination of Ottawa, there's plenty to do. 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 Ottawa?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Greenville. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

Ottawa, a popular city, is full of activities for travelers. 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 Ottawa?

Travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the hospitable destination of Greenville. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

Ottawa 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, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Canada, and The Best Coach Bus Tours in Canada.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Greenville and Ottawa, we can see that Ottawa 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 Ottawa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ottawa 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 Ottawa Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Greenville or Ottawa?

Ottawa has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Greenville. When comparing the sizes of Greenville and Ottawa, 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.