Austin or Gulf Shores?

These two are far apart for beaches. Austin is hours from the Gulf and swims in spring water instead: Barton Springs stays bracingly cool all year, and Lake Travis has rocky coves for boat days. These are good afternoons, but not a beach vacation.

Gulf Shores is a beach vacation from start to finish. Squeaky white quartz sand runs unbroken from Fort Morgan to the Florida line, and the green Gulf is warm through summer. The rip current flags need respecting, and the quieter dune stretches in Gulf State Park are only a short drive from the crowds.

Austin is the better city for eating, and by some distance. Post-oak brisket, breakfast tacos, Tex-Mex and food-truck lots give it a clear identity, and East Austin and South Congress add more ambitious kitchens.

Gulf Shores does one thing: casual Gulf seafood, such as Royal Reds, oysters and Louisiana-style gumbo, eaten on decks by the water. It is enjoyable, but repetitive over a week, and many visitors end up cooking market shrimp in their condo.

Neither city is a culture destination, but Austin gives you a few days of real interest. There is the pink granite State Capitol, the Blanton and Bullock museums, the LBJ Library and the Harry Ransom Center with its Gutenberg Bible.

Gulf Shores has Fort Morgan, the brick star fort tied to the Battle of Mobile Bay, and a small history museum. Once you have seen those, the sights are done.

Austin's nights are a big part of the trip. Sixth Street is for loud crowds, Rainey Street for bungalow bars with yards, and the east side for dives and mezcal. The scene is fed by a large student population and warm evenings.

In Gulf Shores, going out means open-air beach bars with sand underfoot and frozen drinks. The legendary roadhouse on the state line keeps things lively, and spring break livens the strip, but most of the resort is asleep early.

The two are broadly level for the outdoors, but the landscapes could hardly differ more. Austin has limestone Hill Country: the wooded Barton Creek Greenbelt, the view from Mount Bonnell, the granite dome of Enchanted Rock and the dusk bat flight from Congress Avenue Bridge.

Gulf Shores is flat and watery, with dunes, marsh and back bays. Its pleasures are cycling Gulf State Park's trails, birdwatching during migration, dolphin cruises, deep-sea fishing and paddling the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. In both places, summer heat means getting out early.

Austin has the slightly stronger list, led by San Antonio with the Alamo and its UNESCO-listed Spanish missions. Fredericksburg, Gruene and the Hill Country wineries add easy drives.

From Gulf Shores you can reach the ironwork balconies of Mobile, bayside Fairhope, Pensacola's naval aviation museum and the ferry to Dauphin Island. These are pleasant outings rather than big names. From either base, you will need a car.

Gulf Shores is the easier family choice, because the whole resort is built around children. Condos with pools, soft sand, a water park, a petting zoo and the Orange Beach Ferris wheel cover both beach days and rainy afternoons. The one constant worry is the surf.

Austin works well for families, but it takes more planning. Zilker Park's miniature train, the Thinkery and the bat flight fill a few days, while the bigger theme parks are an hour away in San Antonio and New Braunfels.

Both places expect you to drive. Austin at least has a walkable core around downtown, the Capitol and Rainey Street, plus buses, a commuter rail line and rental scooters in the centre.

Gulf Shores is a single beach road with highways behind it. Walking only works within your own stretch of sand, so plan on a car for nearly everything, and expect slow traffic over the bridges on summer weekends.

Austin gives you more to browse. South Congress and the east side have vintage clothing, independent boutiques and proper western wear, from cowboy boots to pearl-snap shirts.

In Gulf Shores, shopping means beachwear emporiums, fishing and surf shops, and the big outlet mall in Foley for a rainy day. It is practical, with little you would travel for.

Gulf Shores is the slightly kinder place for your budget, mostly because of when you go. Outside June and July the condos drop sharply, and a kitchen keeps meals cheap.

Austin's hotels are priced like any big American city's and spike during festival and racing weeks. Car hire and parking add to the bill, though tacos, food trucks and free sights such as the Capitol and the Greenbelt help.

This is where Austin is strongest. Red River and Sixth Street clubs, South Congress bars and two-stepping honky-tonks put on several acts every night, and Austin City Limits still records in the city. The symphony, opera and ballet at the Long Center round it out, on a modest scale.

Gulf Shores has singer-songwriters on beach-bar stages, a November songwriters' festival on the state line and touring country and rock acts at the Orange Beach amphitheatre. For anything formal, you need to go to Mobile.

Neither has a bathing tradition, but Austin offers more for a restorative stay. It has a strong yoga culture, day spas across town and destination spa resorts on Lake Austin and in the Hill Country.

In Gulf Shores, unwinding is more about the pace than the facilities. Beyond a handful of resort spas, it comes down to quiet off-season days and sunsets from a balcony.