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

Should you visit Baltimore or Reno?

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 Baltimore and Reno can help you decide which place is right for you.

Baltimore

Baltimore is a diverse, colorful, and historic city. Because this is such a big city, visitors will find many sights and attractions around town. It's also popular because of the food, shopping, and museums.

Reno

Reno is a vibrant, energetic, and growing city. And you can't forget about the shopping, museums, and nightlife.

Baltimore and Reno: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Baltimore or Reno?

Travelers will usually find more to do in Baltimore than Reno, as it is bigger with more sights, attractions, and activities for visitors. Baltimore is more touristy than Reno and is popular for the Inner Harbor and its many water based activities. It is also home to the National Aquarium. Reno is popular for its casinos and nightlife scene.

How is Baltimore different from Reno?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Baltimore or Reno?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its museums and history. Also, Reno is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its museums and landmarks.

Baltimore offers many unique museums, sights, and landmarks that will make for a memorable trip. The city is known for its historic ships that are found in the Inner Harbor. There are many other museums around town as well like the American Visionary Art Museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and the Baltimore Museum of Art. Many days can be filled exploring the many art, history, or science museums in the area.

Reno is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. Museums in town range from art and history to local or quirky. The National Automobile Museum, the Nevada Museum of Art, Fleischmann Planetarium, and the Anthropology Museum are some of the favorites.

Is the Food Better in Baltimore or Reno? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its restaurants. Also, Reno is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its restaurant scene.

Baltimore has a number of nationally recognized food spots and restaurants. The city's location near the Chesapeake Bay means that there are many great local seafood dishes. Blue crab is a regional favorite and is often served as crab soup, crab dip, or crab cakes. You'll find many famous restaurants in the Inner Harbor, but if you want something more local you should check out Little Italy or Fells Point.

Reno offers number of good local restaurants to choose from. The food scene has been growing in recent years and you'll find plenty of casual restaurants that serve hearty and filling comfort foods.

Is Baltimore or Reno Better for Nightlife?

Party-goers will find similar levels of energy in Baltimore and Reno.

Baltimore is a popular destination for visitors looking to party into the night. It's a vibrant city with many night time activities like breweries, night clubs, and cocktail bars. There's even outside the box activities like ballroom dancing or arcade bars.

Many people head to Reno for the nightlife scene. There's a big nightlife scene with a huge number of bars and entertainment options. There are also a growing number of breweries in town.

Is the Shopping Better in Baltimore or Reno?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its shopping areas. Also, Reno is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for shopping.

Many visitors explore the shopping areas in Baltimore. Shopping is a great way to experience the different neighborhoods around town. For high end shopping head to Harbor East. For a bit more history check out Federal Hill. Hampden is known for its quirky style and Fell's Point is particularly popular with tourists.

Reno is a great destination for shopping. In addition to your standard suburban shopping malls and strip malls, there's the Midtown District, which has local retail shops and an eclectic and alternative vibe. The area has thrift shops, music vendors, and more.

Is Baltimore or Reno Better for Families?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its kid-friendly activities. Also, Reno is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its family-friendly activities.

You'll find plenty of family-friendly things to do in Baltimore. The National Aquarium is a highlight for many families. It's an impressive aquarium with dolphins, sharks, puffins, and fish. Also in town is the Port Discovery Children’s Museum which has many interactive exhibits. The Maryland Science Center, the Maryland Zoo, and the many historic ships in the harbor also offer educational opportunities for kids. For something a bit different, check out Urban Pirates in the Inner Harbor.

You'll find plenty of kid-friendly things to do in Reno. You'll find some arcades and entertainment options for kids in some of the casinos. There's also the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, which has kid-friendly, hands-on exhibits, and the largest zoo in Nevado, the Sierra Nevada Zoological Park.

Is Baltimore or Reno Better for Couples?

Both Baltimore and Reno are good destinations to visit as a couple.

Baltimore makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. Most visitors spend the majority of their time around the Inner Harbor. There are restaurants and romantic hotels that are perfect for couples. The city also has many entertainment options and other activities that make for a great date night.

Reno is a good city for couples to visit. There are outdoor parks and scenic walks like the Truckee River Walk or the Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. There's also several great museums and some interesting restaurants.

Is Baltimore or Reno Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Baltimore is a popular place for backpackers and budget travelers. However, Reno is lacking in options for backpackers.

Plenty of budget travelers visit Baltimore. There are a couple of hostels around town, but most international travelers overlook this city.

Reno is a challenging destination for budget travelers and backpackers due to the higher prices. It's not really on the backpacker circuit so you won't find any real hostels in town.

Is Baltimore or Reno Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for times when you don't have a car. However, Reno is lacking in options for its public transit.

The public transit in Baltimore can get you to most places easily. There are water taxis and a free downtown bus service that's called the Charm City Circulator. MTA also operates a metro and a light rail system.

Public transit is generally limited in Reno. There's a public bus system with routes around town.

Is Baltimore or Reno a more walkable city?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its ease of walking around. However, Reno is lacking in options for its walkability.

Baltimore is a very walkable destination. The downtown area is the most walkable part of the city. In particular, the Inner Harbor and Fells Point are particularly walkable.

Reno is generally not very walkable. While there are some reasonably walkable neighborhoods, you really need a car to get around town.

For even more information, also check out Is Baltimore Worth Visiting? and Is Reno Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Reno or Baltimore?

How long in Baltimore or Reno?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Baltimore and Reno. In our opinion, Baltimore has more to see and do, so we recommend that you spend more time in Baltimore than Reno. In general, 2-3 days is a good amount of time for Baltimore, and 1-3 days is enough time in Reno.

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Baltimore than Reno 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 Baltimore.

One day in Baltimore or Reno?

Visitors enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the destination of Baltimore. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything.

You'll find shopping and museums around the city of Reno. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Reno has to offer. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

A weekend in Baltimore or Reno?

Baltimore is a fun place to experience. If you have a weekend, this is a great place to go. A weekend is often enough time to do most activities. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

You'll find museums and nightlife around the vibrant destination of Reno. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from.

Five days in Baltimore or Reno?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the colorful destination of Baltimore. This city offers something for everyone. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the growing city of Reno. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

A week in Baltimore or Reno?

The colorful city of Baltimore offers nightlife and food. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips.

Reno is a popular choice for travelers. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Angeles, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New York City, The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Baltimore and Reno, we can see that Baltimore is more expensive. And not only is Reno much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Reno would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Reno 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 Baltimore would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Baltimore than you might in Reno.

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

Which is Bigger, Baltimore or Reno?

Baltimore has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Reno. When comparing the sizes of Baltimore and Reno, 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.