A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Dundee vs. Caen for Attractions, Food, Nightlife, and Families

Should you visit Dundee or Caen?

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

Should I visit Dundee or Caen? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Dundee

Dundee is a coastal, cultural, and historic city. Since it's a large city, you'll find plenty of things to do. Other reasons to visit include nightlife, food, and museums.

Caen

Caen is a historic, park-filled, and important city. Since it's a large city, you'll find plenty of things to do. It's also known for nightlife, food, and museums.

Dundee and Caen: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Dundee or Caen?

Travelers will generally find more things to do in Caen than Dundee. While Dundee is larger than Caen, Caen has more sights and attractions for tourists. Caen is more popular for its museums and food, while Dundee is known for its shopping. Caen is more touristy than Dundee and is popular for its role in World War II and its memorials and historical buildings. It is also home to Pegasus Bridge. Dundee is popular for its maritime and manufacturing history as well as its focus on design.

How is Dundee different from Caen?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Dundee or Caen?

Caen is a well-known place for its sights and museums. Also, Dundee is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for its museums and history.

Caen offers many unique museums, sights, and landmarks that will make for a memorable trip. There are many monuments around town commemorating the city's long history. You'll want to see Château de Caen, Pegasus Bridge, Mémorial de Caen, Musée de Normandie, and Musée des beaux-arts de Caen.

Dundee offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. On the waterfront you'll find a couple of nautical museums such as RRS Discovery, and HM Frigate Unicorn. Other museums and sights include V&A Dundee, Tay Rail Bridge, Camperdown Wildlife Centre, and Glamis Castle.

Is the Food Better in Dundee or Caen? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Caen is a well-known place for its local cuisine and restaurants. Also, Dundee is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for its restaurants.

With its innovative style combined with traditional elements, Caen makes for a great culinary experience. There's a market that's at its best on Sundays where you'll find fresh produce and other local ingredients. There are also Michelin starred restaurants, seafood restaurants, and other traditional dishes. Head to the Vaugueux Quarter for traditional dishes.

Dundee has a delicious restaurant scene that relies on local flavors. There are a few local dishes that the city is known for. These include Dundee Cake, Dundee marmalade, and Angus beef.

Is Dundee or Caen Better for Nightlife?

Both Dundee and Caen are good when it comes to partying.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in Dundee. The vibrant student population heavily influences the city's nightlife. There are a number of clubs and bars where you can hang out late into the night.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in Caen. The nightlife scene stays active thanks to the 30,000 students living in town. Head to the Rue Ecuyère for a pub crawl or hit up any of the other bars around town.

Is the Shopping Better in Dundee or Caen?

Dundee is a decent place to visit for shopping. However, Caen is not a noteworthy shopping destination.

Dundee is a good destination for shopping. There are shopping centers and a few independent shops that are worth checking out. Head to Overgate Shopping Centre for the standard brands or Dundee's Farmer's Market for some local produce.

Caen is not a noteworthy shopping destination.

Is Dundee or Caen Better for Families?

Kids will enjoy a visit to either Dundee or Caen.

Dundee is a family-friendly place to visit. Head to the Dundee Science Center or check out Discovery Point. There's also the Dundee Treasure Trail as well as climbing walls and other outdoor activities for when the weather's nice.

Caen is a family-friendly city. There are museums, parks, monasteries, and castles that kids and adults alike with enjoy visiting.

Is Dundee or Caen Better for Couples?

Caen is a popular place for romance. However, Dundee is not a good city for its romantic activities.

Caen is a nice destination for couples. Couples that are fascinated by history will enjoy a visit to this town in Normandy. There are also abbeys, castles and parks.

Most people don't think of Dundee as a couple's destination. The coastal city has some nice outdoor spaces and interesting restaurants that couples can enjoy.

Is Dundee or Caen Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Caen is a popular place for backpackers. However, Dundee is not a backpacker-friendly destination.

Plenty of budget travelers visit Caen. You'll find more apartments and bed and breakfasts than hostels in town, but backpackers still make their way here.

Dundee is not a backpacker-friendly destination.

Is Dundee or Caen Better for Students?

Dundee is a good destination for its student-friendly activities. However, Caen is not popular with students.

Plenty of students visit Dundee. Its affordability and authenticity make this a nice option for students. It's also a very safe city.

Caen is not popular with students.

Is Dundee or Caen Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Caen is a well-known place for its public transit. Also, Dundee is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for times when you don't have a car.

Visitors to Caen can move around easily with public transportation. There are buses and trams that travel throughout the city.

Dundee has some public transit options. The city has a public bus system.

Is Dundee or Caen a more walkable city?

Dundee and Caen both are good when exploring on foot.

Dundee is somewhat walkable. There are a number of walks through the town.

Caen is a somewhat walkable place. The city center is best explored on foot.

For even more information, also check out Is Dundee Worth Visiting? and Is Caen Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Caen or Dundee?

How long in Dundee or Caen?

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

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Caen than Dundee 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 Caen.

One day in Dundee or Caen?

Visitors enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting the destination of Dundee. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One day is usually enough time to experience most activities.

Many travelers enjoy the food and museums when visiting the destination of Caen. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

A weekend in Dundee or Caen?

Dundee 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.

Caen 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.

Five days in Dundee or Caen?

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

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Caen. 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.

A week in Dundee or Caen?

The coastal city of Dundee offers museums and nightlife. 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.

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

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from London, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Edinburgh, The Best 10-Day Tours in France, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in France.

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

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

Which is Bigger, Dundee or Caen?

Dundee has a larger population, and is about 37% larger than the population of Caen. When comparing the sizes of Dundee and Caen, 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.

When is the best time to visit Dundee or Caen?

Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.

Should I visit Dundee or Caen in the Summer?

Both Caen and Dundee during the summer are popular places to visit. Most visitors come to Dundee for the city activities and the family-friendly experiences during these months. Also, the summer months attract visitors to Caen because of the city activities and the family-friendly experiences.

Dundee is cooler than Caen in the summer. The daily temperature in Dundee averages around 14°C (58°F) in July, and Caen fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).

In Caen, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the summer, Dundee often gets less sunshine than Caen. Dundee gets 184 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Caen receives 227 hours of full sun.

Dundee usually gets more rain in July than Caen. Dundee gets 52 mm (2 in) of rain, while Caen receives 48 mm (1.9 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Dundee or Caen in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Dundee and Caen. The autumn months attract visitors to Dundee because of the city's sights and attractions and the shopping scene. Also, the city's sights and attractions are the main draw to Caen this time of year.

In the autumn, Dundee is cooler than Caen. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Dundee in October average around 10°C (49°F), and Caen averages at about 12°C (54°F).

Dundee usually receives less sunshine than Caen during autumn. Dundee gets 100 hours of sunny skies, while Caen receives 128 hours of full sun in the autumn.

In October, Dundee usually receives less rain than Caen. Dundee gets 62 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Caen receives 68 mm (2.7 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Dundee or Caen in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Dundee as well as Caen. The museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Dundee this time of year. Also, many travelers come to Caen for the museums and the cuisine.

Be prepared for some very cold days in Caen. It's quite cold in Dundee in the winter. In January, Dundee is generally much colder than Caen. Daily temperatures in Dundee average around 3°C (38°F), and Caen fluctuates around 5°C (41°F).

In the winter, Dundee often gets less sunshine than Caen. Dundee gets 58 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Caen receives 70 hours of full sun.

Dundee usually gets around the same amount of rain in January as Caen. Dundee gets 66 mm (2.6 in) of rain, while Caen receives 64 mm (2.5 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Dundee or Caen in the Spring?

Both Caen and Dundee are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Many travelers come to Dundee for the activities around the city. Also, many visitors come to Caen in the spring for the activities around the city.

Dundee is cooler than Caen in the spring. The daily temperature in Dundee averages around 7°C (45°F) in April, and Caen fluctuates around 9°C (49°F).

Dundee usually receives less sunshine than Caen during spring. Dundee gets 155 hours of sunny skies, while Caen receives 171 hours of full sun in the spring.

In April, Dundee usually receives less rain than Caen. Dundee gets 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Caen receives 46 mm (1.8 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Caen and Dundee