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

Should you visit Greenville or Lancaster?

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 Lancaster 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.

Lancaster

Lancaster is a picturesque, scenic, and traditional town. With stunning beauty, it attracts visitors from all around. It's also popular because of the museums, food, and shopping.

Greenville and Lancaster: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Greenville or Lancaster?

Travelers will usually find more to do in Lancaster. Although Greenville and Lancaster are popular destinations, Lancaster has more sights and attractions for tourists. Lancaster is very popular for its museums, food, shopping, and impressive beauty, while Greenville attracts visitors for its nightlife. Lancaster is more touristy than Greenville and is known for its history and long running Amish community. It is also well known for Bird-in-Hand Village. Greenville is famous for its outdoor spaces and its growing arts scene.

How is Greenville different from Lancaster?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

Lancaster is a great town 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 Lancaster specifically to visit some of its top-rated museums and other sights. Filled with history and local culture, there are many educational opportunities in the area where you can learn about Amish traditions. The Amish Village has tours and unique experiences. The town also has James Buchanan's Wheatland, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, the National Toy Train Museum, the Ephrata Cloister, and the National Watch & Clock Museum, among many others.

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 Lancaster? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

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

Lancaster is becoming an appealing option for foodies. You can sample authentic Pennsylvania Dutch dishes at one of the Amish restaurants in the area. Many places serve food family-style and dishes include chicken pot pie, ham balls, and pork and sauerkraut. Whoopie pies also originated in the area.

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 Lancaster Better for Nightlife?

Greenville is a nice place to visit for its evening party scene. However, Lancaster is not known for nightlife.

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.

Most people don't head to Lancaster specifically for the nightlife scene, but you can find a few options. It's a small town, but you'll still find local pubs and cozy bars where you can enjoy a drink in a laid back atmosphere.

Is the Shopping Better in Greenville or Lancaster?

Lancaster is a great town for its shopping areas. Also, Greenville is not as popular, but is still a nice city for shopping.

Many visitors explore the shopping areas in Lancaster. Many visitors pick up hand-crafted Amish items while they're in town. Furniture and Amish quilts are particularly popular. Farmers markets and antique shopping are both unique in the area and there are also art galleries and several outlet stores that you can visit.

Greenville is a great destination for shopping. 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.

Is Greenville or Lancaster Better for Families?

Lancaster is a great town for its kid-friendly activities. Also, Greenville is not as popular, but is still a nice city for its family-friendly activities.

You'll find plenty of family-friendly things to do in Lancaster. In you area you'll find farms and petting zoos, amusement parks, and train rides. They can learn about a unique lifestyle at the Amish Experience or soak up the local beauty and farmland in the surrounding countryside.

Greenville is a family-friendly place to visit. 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.

Is Greenville or Lancaster Better for Couples?

Lancaster is a great town for couples. However, Greenville is not known for romance.

Lancaster is a great town if you're traveling as a couple. This region is known for it's local beauty and serene farmland, making it a relaxing and peaceful destination for couples. There are walking trails, outdoor activities, buggy rides, and a variety of dining experiences. You can also stay at a bed and breakfast or local inn.

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 Lancaster Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Greenville and Lancaster both offer reasonable public transit to get you around.

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

Public transit is generally limited in Lancaster. The city has buses and several transportation options, but once you're outside of the urban core, your options are limited.

Is Greenville or Lancaster a more walkable city?

Greenville and Lancaster are reasonable when it comes to walkability.

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

Lancaster is generally not very walkable. While the city itself has walkable areas, most visitors want to get out and explore the countryside, which requires a car.

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

Should I spend more time in Lancaster or Greenville?

How long in Greenville or Lancaster?

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

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

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

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

One day in Greenville or Lancaster?

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

With museums and food around the traditional town of Lancaster, 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 Lancaster?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the welcoming destination of Greenville. 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.

With food and shopping around the destination of Lancaster, 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 town.

Five days in Greenville or Lancaster?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and shopping when visiting the hospitable city of Greenville. 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.

Lancaster, a popular town, 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 Lancaster?

Greenville 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.

Lancaster 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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New York City, The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage, and The Best 2-Week Tours from San Francisco.

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

Which is Bigger, Greenville or Lancaster?

Greenville has a larger population, and is about 2% larger than the population of Lancaster. When comparing the sizes of Greenville and Lancaster, 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.