Budapest or Tbilisi?

Neither city is for a beach trip, but Budapest copes better in summer. Its big open-air lidos, Palatinus on Margaret Island above all, make a full day out with lawns and several pools. The shallow, warm water of Lake Velence is under an hour away by train.

Tbilisi offers only places to cool off, such as the Tbilisi Sea reservoir, Turtle Lake and hotel pools. The Black Sea is about five hours away, so reaching it is a separate trip, while Lake Balaton is close enough to Budapest for a long day.

Tbilisi is the stronger place to eat, because Georgian cooking is the discovery here. You get khinkali dumplings, Adjarian khachapuri, walnut and pomegranate sauces, shoti bread from clay ovens and the toastmaster-led supra. The amber qvevri wines in the bars of Sololaki come from one of the oldest wine traditions anywhere.

Budapest is heavier and more familiar, with goulash, paprikash, lángos and layered cakes in the old coffee houses, plus Tokaji and Eger reds. It has more fine dining than Tbilisi. In both cities the choice narrows quickly once you look beyond the local cuisine.

Budapest has more for the sightseer. Its UNESCO-listed river front pairs the Parliament with the Castle District and Fishermen's Bastion. Andrássy Avenue leads to Heroes' Square, and the Museum of Fine Arts, the Dohány Street Synagogue and Memento Park take several days to see properly.

Tbilisi is smaller and older in its layers. It has sixth-century Anchiskhati, carved wooden balconies below Narikala and the Colchian gold of the National Museum. It rewards a few days of wandering rather than a list of famous sights.

Budapest gives more choice on any night of the week. The ruin bars of District VII, the cocktail and wine bars of Kazinczy and Király streets and the summer terraces and party boats on the Danube keep the centre busy, though it can get rowdy at weekends.

Tbilisi's reputation rests on its techno clubs in old industrial and Soviet buildings. They have strict doors and dancing until well after dawn. Away from those weekend nights, the courtyard bars of Marjanishvili and the wine bars of Sololaki make for quieter evenings.

The two are level, but the landscapes are very different. In Budapest, the Buda Hills with their cogwheel railway, chairlift and thermal caves sit within half an hour of the centre. The Danube Bend adds gentle ridge walks and a long riverside cycle path.

Tbilisi has its own forested hills and national park on the edge of town. Its real strength is the Greater Caucasus about two hours north, with skiing at Gudauri in winter and high-mountain hiking and paragliding in summer.

Tbilisi has the better outings. Mtskheta's cathedral and hilltop Jvari Monastery are half an hour away. Kakheti's walled Sighnaghi and qvevri cellars, the rock-cut town of Uplistsikhe and the cave monastery of David Gareja each make a memorable day.

Budapest's Danube Bend towns of Szentendre, Visegrád and Esztergom are easy by suburban train. Eger and Hollókő are about two hours out. These trips are pleasant, but they are gentler and more alike than Georgia's mix of monasteries, wine country and desert.

Budapest is the easier city with children. It has one of Europe's oldest zoos, the Children's Railway run by schoolchildren, the Palace of Wonders science centre and lidos with slides. The trams make getting about with a pushchair straightforward.

In Tbilisi, children are welcome everywhere, and the funicular to the Mtatsminda Ferris wheel is a real treat. Steep cobbles, underpasses with stairs, aggressive traffic and summer heat make the days harder, though, and there are no science centres or theme parks.

Budapest is far simpler to get around. Central Pest is flat, and one tram line runs along the Danube embankment past Parliament, so it doubles as a sightseeing ride. The boulevard trams run through the night. The short metro is easy to learn, and its oldest line still runs the little yellow carriages of continental Europe's first underground.

Tbilisi's centre can be walked, but often uphill and on broken pavements. Its small metro has deep stations and does not reach the hillside districts, and the minibuses are hard for a visitor to follow. Most people end up using cheap ride-hailing instead.

Neither city is worth a trip for shopping alone, but Budapest has a little more range. Herend and Zsolnay porcelain, a short run of luxury labels on Andrássy Avenue, the Great Market Hall and the antiques at Ecseri flea market give it more depth.

Tbilisi is best for Georgian things to take home. Look for Soviet relics and carpets at the Dry Bridge market, cloisonné enamel jewellery, felt, and qvevri wine and chacha. A few local designers have boutiques in Vera.

Tbilisi is clearly the cheaper stay. A generous meal with wine, guesthouses, metro rides and taxis all cost little, and most churches are free. Only Old Town boutique hotels and cocktail bars come close to European prices.

Budapest is cheaper than most Western capitals, with low-cost transport and wine. Its tourist core and grand cafés raise the bill, so lunch menus in the residential districts matter more there.

For an evening of music, Budapest is the stronger city. The State Opera House, the Art Nouveau hall of the Liszt Academy and the national concert hall at Müpa give it a full classical programme on most nights. Operetta and folk dance add to it.

Tbilisi's highlights are more distinctive but less frequent. You can hear ancient polyphonic singing in church, watch the athletic national dance troupes, or see the poetic puppet plays of the Gabriadze theatre, which need no translation. Most nights, though, the choice is limited.

Both cities grew up over hot springs, but Budapest is in a class of its own. More than a hundred springs feed the steaming outdoor pools of the Széchenyi, the mosaics of the Gellért and the Ottoman domes of Rudas and Király. An afternoon of soaking can set the pace of a whole stay.

Tbilisi's sulphur baths at Abanotubani offer a more private ritual: your own hot pool and a vigorous kisi scrub. Beyond that, the city's traffic and steep streets give little rest.