You don't mention number of people, ages, budget and where you are coming from, but:

New Orleans is not worth traveling to for children, little ones or teenagers.

San Antonio has the Alamo and other missions, pro basketball, and the Riverwalk, but unless you used it as a base for touring the region, a week could be a long time.

Charleston wins because you can stay at the beach and tour the town if there are children. Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms is a kind of resort with wide beaches and heated pools and a variety of condos and other lodgings. Google them. Charleston has everything else you want. There are casual places to eat on Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island as well as Charleston. Charleston's best restaurants are a little more formal. Women can dress up, and a man won't be sorry to have a blazer and khakis.

Sorry. There are only two of us, both adults. We've actually been to the Charleston area (Myrtle Beach and Fort Sumter, We never spent any time in Charleston proper. Although we've travelled a lot (to all 50 states), we've never been to San Antonio nor New Orleans.

San Antonio is an interesting city but I'd cross it off. As Ack said, if you do it, do it with a tour of Texas, or such.Charleston would be my choice.

San Antonio, hill country, Austin would make a fun week.

I've been to all three as a tourist, and with a week, I'd definitely choose the Charleston area. We loved New Orleans, and can't wait to return, but even there, a week would be a long time (of course, you can always spend all your time eating well in Charleston and New Orleans ).

San Antonio is at most a 1-1/2 day town. Add Austin and it's 3 days. I don't know what I'd do with myself there for a full week.

Hi magnumhomes,

I liked all three and think each offers a fascinating slice of America. So, bottom line is I don't think you'll go wrong no matter what you do.

If you told me I *had to* pick one, I would pick New Orleans and I can't explain it any better than it had a certain energy about it that I found very appealing somehow. Specifically reading that you love to walk as I do myself, I think New Orleans actually has the edge in this regard with a greater variety of interesting neighbourhoods geared toward pedestrians.

Happy travels, Daniel

All three places!!! Just pick one for this year, and one for next year, and one for the next year!!

Thanks for all of the replies. It seems like we're leaning toward New Orleans because the flights and such are more economical. We almost rent VRBO places, where would you suggest we stay (what part of New Orleans) if we don't want to rent a car?

*I meant almost always rent VRBO*

In New Orleans, the French Quarter would be the best place to stay. There are enough things to do in that area to easily keep you busy for a week. As for VRBO, you won't find that in the French Quarter. There are strict regulations about who may (and who may not) rent property...and it's limited to authorized B&Bs, hotels, etc.

Hi magnumholmes,

I'll offer a minority opinion here on New Orleans location to stay without a car. I understand perfectly why most people want to be in the French Quarter minutes away from all the excitement. However, I had a lovely time car-less when I stayed in the Lower Garden District and would probably do so again when I visit New Orleans next since I appreciated the laid-back vibe and relative peace of the location. I liked the more reasonable prices, the charm of nearby parks, vegetation and architecture; a number of interesting restaurants and bars were in the immediate vicinity also. The French Quarter was accessible by streetcar/bus and I even walked there in on a few occasions in about 25 minutes.

Have a great trip! Daniel

I have no problem spending a week in New Orleans. Not only are there many outstanding restaurants, but the historic walks and architecture are of unique interest. I don't understand the comment about New Orleans not being appropriate for children since my parents took us a number of times to Cafe Du Monde,Audubon Zoo, Lake Pontchatrain, etc. Bourbon Street is not appropriate, but I rarely go to Bourbon Street and I go to New Orleans every year. In fact, I'm off next week.

I don't necessarily think New Orleans is inappropriate for children, but I do think it's not a destination young kids would particularly enjoy.

OK. Thanks again. We do not have any kids going with us, so that won't be an issue.
I did find a small condo (looks more like half of a duplex), but it could accommodate us very well. We don't usually ask for a lot, just a place to lay our heads after a long day out (as evidence the 14 miles we walked one day in NYC and returned to a room that was 7x12, lol).
This place is located in the Garden District, away from the hustle and bustle of Bourbon Street, which we want to see (but since we don't drink a drop of alcohol, it's not something we would want to frequent).
Is the Garden District a good place to be? Like I said, we don't mind walking.
Thanks again for the replies.

The Garden District is a beautiful, mostly residential and mostly quite upscale area. It's a great area to walk around -- Magazine Street for shopping, good eats, Tulane University. Have breakfast at Camellia Grill at the end of the streetcar line.

Be certain to heed Susan's advice and rent from only those who are authorized! Check carefully!

I've used VRBO a number of times and have never been scammed (doesn't mean it can't happen, though). I do not know what being "authorized" means. I don't think I've seen that anywhere on the VRBO site. Can you help me out how to find out?

I think I read somewhere that in New Orleans, like NYC, shorterm apartment rental is illegal. You might want to check on that before putting up a non-refundable deposit.

I would recommend Charleston (proper). We recently stayed at the Meeting Street Inn and enjoyed our week there. i've posted a trip report if you're interested.

It will be spring break time in San Antonio and with the weather getting warmer, it will probably be crazy. And as someone said, it's a 1-2 day town.

All three are great choices, and New Orleans will be fabulous! I prefer staying in the French Quarter, but the Garden District is quiet and lovely.

In addition to Camellia Grill, eat at Commander's Palace (you'll want reservations). The Sunday Jazz Brunch is fun.

New Orleans is a great place for a week. I've been there several times and keep going back It would absolutely be my choice.

I too prefer staying in the French Quarter in New Orleans - or the Faubourg Marigny, which is just next to the FQ. The Garden District is nice, but I don't find it as interesting as the FQ and the Marigny. Keep in mind that the FQ is about a lot more than Bourbon Street - you can be a block away from Bourbon street and totally removed from that atmosphere. I prefer the Lower Quarter, which is the area between Jackson Square and Esplanade - this area of the FQ has a very residential feel to it, great architecture, and is actually pretty quiet.

The deal with VBRO (and other short term rentals) in New Orleans is that while the rentals may be legitimate (i.e. not a scam) the rental may not be legal. New Orleans has strict laws about short-term rentals - I know that they apply to the FQ. I am not sure about other areas of the city. The reason for these strict laws is that people want to retain the neighborhoods as places not just for tourists, but where real people live and work. If you have a lot of short term rentals, it really erodes the residential character of a neighborhood. So most landlords with short term rentals are operating illegally - which means that they probably don't have the proper insurance, things may not be up to code, they may or may not pay their share of the taxes, etc. VBRO doesn't do anything to check whether a property owner follows local laws.

Thanks for all of the advice.
I saw someone said it will be Spring Break time, so San Antonio might not be a good spot.
But wouldn't the same be true for Charleston and/or New Orleans? Or are they not frequented places by Spring Breakers?

I don't know if New Orleans is going to work because of finances. It seems San Antonio will be more budget-friendly, even though we will need to rent a car.
Is that true? Or am I off base on this?

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If I had to guess, Spring Breakers would be most prevalent of the three in New Orleans due to its party reputation, but that's just my guess.

I think you're a bit off-base about budget. I've stayed in all three during the busy Christmas to early January period. New Orleans as far as accommodation was concerned was the best I was able to do in terms of price for an inn I was happy with (around $100 a night is my aim; I'll go up toward $200 but reluctantly and in a pinch). Check some inns in the Lower Garden District if the French Quarter is seeming too expensive. This said, I found none of the three are NYC-pricey or Boston-pricey; close to or under $120 a night has gotten me something actually remarkably charming in all.