Atlantic City or Savannah?

Atlantic City has the beach on its doorstep, while Savannah has to drive to one. In Atlantic City you step off the Boardwalk straight onto broad, pale sand that runs the length of the island. If the casino end feels crowded, Ventnor and Margate to the south or Brigantine across the inlet are calmer. The open Atlantic brings surf, so you swim between the lifeguards' flags, and the season barely outlasts the summer.

Savannah's nearest sand is on Tybee Island, half an hour east across the marshes. The sea there is warmer and stays swimmable for longer, but the marshes tint it brown, and the island is a small, easy-going beach town. It makes a good day off from the squares rather than a reason to book.

Savannah eats better and has a clearer sense of place. Shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, Lowcountry boil and oysters roasted in winter are local dishes, and a small group of chef-led restaurants occupies restored townhouses near Forsyth Park.

Atlantic City's eating is split between casino steakhouses and buffets that could be anywhere, and an older layer of Ducktown Italian-American restaurants, giant subs, boardwalk pizza and saltwater taffy. It fills you up, but few people come for the food.

The gap here is wide. Atlantic City's heritage is the American seaside resort: the original Boardwalk from 1870, the Monopoly street names, the Art Deco Boardwalk Hall with its enormous pipe organ, and Lucy the Elephant down in Margate. Casino towers have replaced most of the grand hotels, though, and one day covers it all.

Savannah's whole historic district is the sight. Twenty-odd garden squares under Spanish moss are lined with Federal and Greek Revival houses, and Factors Walk overlooks the river. Add the Telfair Museums, the Owens-Thomas House's account of slavery and Bonaventure Cemetery, and there is enough for two or three unhurried days.

Both cities are lively enough after dark, but in different ways. Atlantic City's nights happen indoors. Casino floors and lounges never close, and summer weekends bring resort nightclubs and pool parties. The streets between the resorts are empty, though, and midweek or in winter the energy fades.

Savannah goes out on the street. To-go cups let people wander between River Street's cobbled bars, the taverns around City Market and quiet cocktail rooms in old townhouses. Most places close well before Atlantic City's do, but St Patrick's Day turns the whole city into one huge party.

Both sit in flat coastal country without hills, but Savannah's surroundings are a little richer and easier to enjoy. You can paddle through the Lowcountry marsh at high tide, take a boat out to watch dolphins, walk the oak avenue at Wormsloe or cycle out to Tybee. In summer, though, the heat and biting insects make outings hard work.

Atlantic City's best natural asset is the Edwin B. Forsythe refuge, where a drive-through loop crosses marsh full of herons and shorebirds. The sandy forest trails and canoeing rivers of the Pine Barrens are about an hour inland.

From Atlantic City the best day out is a big city. Philadelphia, with Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, is about an hour and a half away and easy to reach by train. Closer by, Cape May's gas-lit Victorian streets, the boardwalks of Ocean City and Wildwood, and the ironworks village of Batsto in the Pine Barrens make shorter outings.

Savannah's excursions lead to places much like itself: other old towns and the Sea Islands. Charleston's historic peninsula is about two hours north, Beaufort and Hilton Head are nearer, and Jekyll Island and St Simons lie down the Georgia coast. Without a car, though, almost none of this is within reach.

Savannah is the easier place with children, though it was not designed for them. The squares and Forsyth Park give shade and room to run, the trolley tours and free river ferry are easy treats, and Tybee Island adds a gentle beach and a sea-turtle centre.

In Atlantic City the beach and the Steel Pier rides do most of the work, but the city itself is built for adults: under-21s can't go on the casino floors, and some blocks feel rundown. Many families stay in Ocean City instead, a short drive south.

Savannah's historic district is flat and compact, laid out on a grid where you pass through a new shaded square every few blocks. Most sights and inns are a short walk apart, and a free shuttle covers the rest.

Atlantic City is a straight line: you walk the Boardwalk or ride the round-the-clock jitneys along Pacific Avenue. The streets behind it are unpleasant to walk, especially after dark. In both cities the sights beyond the centre need a car.

Atlantic City's shopping is practical. Near the Boardwalk there is an open-air outlet district of familiar American brands, the casinos have fashion and gift arcades, and stalls along the Boardwalk sell T-shirts and beachwear. The only truly local thing to take home is a box of saltwater taffy or fudge.

Savannah is the better place for a browse. Broughton Street's restored storefronts hold clothing and home-goods boutiques, some shops sell work by art school students and graduates, and antique dealers and bookshops are scattered among the squares to the south. Neither city has a luxury district, so in both, shopping fills an afternoon rather than a trip.

Atlantic City is the cheaper stay, as long as you choose your dates well. Casino hotels cut their rates heavily midweek and out of season, and the beach is free. Summer weekends and resort extras such as fees and parking cancel much of that saving.

Savannah's historic-district inns are expensive for most of the year, and higher still on spring weekends. Its saving is that the squares, the park and the cemeteries cost nothing to walk around.

Atlantic City's stage belongs to the headline show. Touring pop and rock acts, comedians and tribute shows fill the casino arenas and showrooms. Boardwalk Hall hosts big concerts, boxing and the odd recital on its organ, and summer adds free concerts and fireworks on the beach. There is no orchestra or theatre district, so you pick your weekend from the arena listings.

Savannah runs on a festival calendar instead. Each spring the Savannah Music Festival brings chamber music, jazz, blues and Americana to historic theatres and churches, and an autumn jazz festival fills Forsyth Park. The restored Lucas and Trustees theatres and a local philharmonic add to this, but outside those seasons you may find little beyond bar bands and buskers.

Neither city has a bathing tradition, but Savannah is more relaxing. Its rest comes from the pace of the place: a bench under the oaks, or a quiet courtyard in an inn on one of the southern squares.

Atlantic City has large casino spas with pools and saunas, but the flashing lights and late hours are hardly calming. Its most peaceful moment is a winter morning on the empty Boardwalk.