A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Saint Louis vs. Boise for Attractions, Families, Food, and Nightlife

Should you visit Saint Louis or Boise?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Saint Louis and Boise. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Saint Louis

Saint Louis is a fascinating, under rated, and unexpected city. It's also popular because of the food, shopping, and museums.

Boise

Boise is a friendly, welcoming, and authentic city. It's also known for nightlife, shopping, and museums.

Saint Louis and Boise: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Saint Louis or Boise?

You'll generally find more things to do in Saint Louis than Boise. Saint Louis is bigger than Boise, and it also has more attractions and activities for travelers. Saint Louis is more touristy than Boise and is popular for its blues and live music scene, its authentic personality, and its position as the Gateway to the West. Also, Saint Louis is famous for the Gateway Arch. Boise is well known for its many outdoor and recreational activities.

How is Saint Louis different from Boise?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Saint Louis or Boise?

Saint Louis is a must-visit destination for its museums and history. Also, Boise is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its museums and landmarks.

With plenty of landmarks, attractions, and museums, Saint Louis has many famous sights for visitors. There are a surprising number of museums around town. For art museums you should visit the Contemporary Art Museum, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. For history, the Griot Museum of Black History, the Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum, and the Lewis & Clark Museum and Boathouse are all interesting. There are also science, educational, and children's museums. And of course, there's the iconic Gateway Arch.

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 Saint Louis or Boise? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

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

Saint Louis is becoming an appealing option for foodies. There are some local dishes that originated here. Toasted ravioli had its start in St. Louis. There's also a St. Louis style pizza. Diners, cafes, and sandwiches are all part of the food scene and be prepared for cheese, meaty, and satisfying.

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 Saint Louis or Boise Better for Nightlife?

Party-goers will find similar levels of energy in Saint Louis and Boise.

Saint Louis has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. Visitors often hang out in the downtown area, particularly around Washington Avenue, for the nightlife scene. Live music is popular, especially the blues, and there are many local venues worth checking out.

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.

Is the Shopping Better in Saint Louis or Boise?

Saint Louis 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 Saint Louis. There are vintage stores, boutiques, and suburban strip malls around town. There are also farmer's markets and art galleries.

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 Saint Louis or Boise Better for Families?

Saint Louis 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 Saint Louis. There's a surprising number of activities for kids around town. There's the St. Louis Zoo and the City Museum with many hands-on exhibits for kids. There's also the Crown Ridge Tiger Sanctuary and several farms with animals and nature. Forest Park is an impressive urban park as well.

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 Saint Louis or Boise Better for Couples?

Saint Louis is a popular place for couples. However, Boise is lacking in options for romance.

Saint Louis is a good city for couples to visit. Fine dining restaurants and eclectic activities make this city an often overlooked couples destination.

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

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

Saint Louis offers a very effecient public transportation network. There's a light rail system as well as buses that travel around town.

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 Saint Louis or Boise a more walkable city?

Saint Louis is a popular place for its ease of walking around. However, Boise is lacking in options for its walkability.

Saint Louis is a somewhat walkable city. Parts of the city are walkable, like the downtown area and the sections around the Gateway Arch.

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 Saint Louis Worth Visiting? and Is Boise Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Boise or Saint Louis?

How long in Saint Louis or Boise?

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

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Saint Louis 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 Saint Louis.

One day in Saint Louis or Boise?

In Saint Louis, many people enjoy the shopping and museums that this fascinating destination offers. Lots of people come for the museums. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Because of this, one day is usually enough time for a trip here.

Visitors enjoy the nightlife and shopping when visiting the welcoming city of Boise. One day should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

A weekend in Saint Louis or Boise?

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

Visitors enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the welcoming destination of Boise. This city offers something for everyone. Plenty of people spend a weekend in the area when traveling. If you enjoy all that's offered here, then a weekend is just the right amount of time to spend here.

Five days in Saint Louis or Boise?

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

The friendly city of Boise offers museums and nightlife. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel.

A week in Saint Louis or Boise?

You'll find food and shopping around the under rated destination of Saint Louis. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. Lots of people come for the museums. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

Many people enjoy the nightlife and shopping when visiting Boise. Anyone can find something fun to do here. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Walking Tours in United States of America, The Best Tours Under $1000 in United States of America, The Best Luxury Tours to United States of America, and The Best Tours for Seniors to United States of America.

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

Which is Bigger, Saint Louis or Boise?

Saint Louis has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Boise. When comparing the sizes of Saint Louis 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.