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

Should you visit Lancaster or Boise?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Lancaster or Boise, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

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.

Boise

Boise is a authentic, friendly, and welcoming city. It's also popular because of the museums, nightlife, and shopping.

Lancaster and Boise: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Lancaster or Boise?

Visitors will generally find more to do in Lancaster than Boise. While Boise is larger than Lancaster, Lancaster has more sights, attractions, and activities for tourists. Lancaster is very popular for its museums, food, shopping, and impressive beauty, while Boise attracts visitors for its nightlife. Lancaster is more touristy than Boise and is known for its history and long running Amish community. It is also well known for Bird-in-Hand Village. Boise is famous for its many outdoor and recreational activities.

How is Lancaster different from Boise?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Lancaster or Boise?

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

Lancaster offers many unique museums, sights, and landmarks that will make for a memorable trip. 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.

Boise is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. As the state capital, there's a nice selection of local museums around town. Favorites include the Boise Art Museum, the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, the Idaho Black History Museum, and Discovery Center.

Is the Food Better in Lancaster or Boise? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Lancaster is a popular place for its restaurants. However, Boise is lacking in options for its restaurant scene.

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.

Boise offers some easy restaurants to choose from. While Idaho has long been associated with the potato, the locals usually think of "finger steaks" when describing local food. These are deep-friend beef strips that are as good as they sound.

Is Lancaster or Boise Better for Nightlife?

Boise 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 Boise has a few options to choose from. In downtown Boise you'll find a selection of bars, lounges, and breweries. There's enough around town to keep the nightlife scene interesting.

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 Lancaster or Boise?

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

Boise is a great destination for shopping. You'll find a mix of local boutiques, independent vendors, and suburban shopping centers where you'll find anything that you might need.

Is Lancaster or Boise Better for Families?

Lancaster is an excellent place to visit for its kid-friendly activities. However, Boise is lacking in options 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.

Boise doesn't usually come to mind when thinking about kid-friendly destinations. You'll find parks, playgrounds, and the Discovery Center which will help keep kids entertained.

Is Lancaster or Boise Better for Couples?

Lancaster is an excellent place to visit for couples. However, Boise is lacking in options for romance.

Lancaster makes for a fun place to visit for 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.

Boise is not the best destination for a couple to visit. Date night activities include dining at a nice restaurants and seeing a show at the theater.

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

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

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

Public transit is generally limited in Boise. There are infrequent buses around town, but visitors usually have a car to get around town efficiently.

Is Lancaster or Boise a more walkable city?

Lancaster and Boise are reasonable when it comes to walkability.

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

Boise is generally not very walkable. There are a couple of walkable neighborhoods but, in general, the town isn't very walkable.

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

Should I spend more time in Boise or Lancaster?

How long in Lancaster or Boise?

You'll be able to find lots of things to do in Lancaster or Boise to fill your time. Many travelers usually spend more of their time in Lancaster than Boise because of the number of activities and things to do in the area. Usually, 2-3 days is a good amount of time for Lancaster, and 1-2 days is enough time in Boise.

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Lancaster than Boise 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 Lancaster or Boise?

In Lancaster, many people enjoy the food and shopping that this picturesque destination offers. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

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

A weekend in Lancaster or Boise?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Lancaster. For many, it makes a great getaway for a weekend. This would be the perfect place to spend a weekend, as it has just the right amount of activities. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

You'll find museums and nightlife around the friendly destination of Boise. 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 Lancaster or Boise?

Lancaster is a fun place to experience. Travelers enjoy the museums and food when visiting the destination of Lancaster. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything.

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and shopping when visiting the friendly city of Boise. 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 Lancaster or Boise?

You'll find food and shopping around the picturesque destination of Lancaster. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

Boise 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 Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in United States of America, The Best Coach Bus Tours in United States of America, The Best Adventure Tours to United States of America, and The Best Train & Rail Tours in United States of America.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lancaster and Boise, we can see that Lancaster is more expensive. And not only is Boise much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Boise would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Boise 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 Boise.

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

Which is Bigger, Lancaster or Boise?

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