A five-night stay in Cincinnati for under a grand… this vibrant budget-friendly US city is well worth a visit, says LEE BOYCE

The Midwest holds a strange fascination for me.Covering a vast area of the US, I've always felt it is one of those regions where you could immerse yourself for months, meander through 12 states and as a traveller, never get bored.While I didn't have months, nor the time required for slow exploring, I discovered Cincinnati is the perfect tonic to scratch the itch of visiting America's interior in compact city-break form.Straddling the Ohio River, you also get two states for the price of one – Cincy, as it's endearingly called by locals, is in Ohio, the easternmost state of the Midwest.But, when you land, you arrive at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport. Essentially, you can walk across the river into Covington and you're in Kentucky, which is not in the Midwest – it is classed as a Southern State.Americans might get a bad rep sometimes for worldwide geography, but believe me when I say this: this was all news to me and anyone who I've told about my trip goes… Cincinnati? Is it a state and whereabouts is it in the US?Right now, the area is a perfect spot to travel to from Britain, especially – if like me – you've already explored the much bigger East Coast cities of New York, Washington DC and Boston and want to go somewhere a little less 'touristy'.Sure, Chicago is probably the city you think of first when you talk of the Midwest, but Cincy is compact with plenty to do and is well worth your attention. Blending in: Findlay Market has plenty to eat and drink - and you can even get a snap with the mascot for baseball team the Cincinnati RedsIn a nutshell, it is the friendliest city I've been to in the States and easy to navigate with a free circular Streetcar and strangely, a downtown devoid of many of the big chains. Much of it is independent stores, which is refreshing.The reason why I say it's a great time to visit now is how frequent the non-stop flights are. Currently, British Airways (BA) goes six days a week from Heathrow, ramping up to seven from April.And let me highlight a travel bargain: America As You Like It is currently offering a five-night Cincy Region package from £997 per person, staying at the beautifully – and recently renovated – Fidelity Hotel.The hotel has an art deco vibe, is in a great location, has a fabulous café and restaurant, and perhaps one of the comfiest beds I've ever experienced.Being English in Cincy is also a novelty for Americans here, unlike the bigger cities mentioned above. I must have chatted to more than 100 strangers, wanting to know what I was doing there and what I thought about the area. It was refreshing.Equally refreshing was the lack of political talk, despite the looming midterms and bombardment of local television adverts of politicians having a go at each other, and farmers clearly struggling thanks to rising diesel prices.'Ohio is a purple state,' someone explained to me.Cincy itself voted Democrats at the 2024 election, but Ohio as a whole is Republican. JD Vance was in town when I was there, with a home north of Cincy.Despite all this, hardly anyone wanted to talk politics – music to my ears. Easy to navigate: The free Streetcar is a wonderful way to get around this compact cityWhat to do in Cincy?Let's start with sport. Within walking distance, you have the Cincinnati Reds baseball team, Bengals NFL team and FC Cincinnati football team. Cincy packs some sporting punch for a relatively small city. I visited the baseball museum, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, which gives you a snapshot of its Big Red Machine team that dominated in the 1970s. Cincinnati is also widely celebrated as the birthplace of professional baseball.And while American sports can be notoriously expensive, I looked up upcoming Bengals games and tickets could be snagged for $70. It could be a great place to come watch an American Football or baseball game in the States at a fraction of the cost of elsewhere. As a sidenote, if you want to make friends quickly in Cincy, just shout 'Who Dey!' It's the team chant for the Bengals, and people will instantly chat to you. Seriously.On the more cultural side of things, the Cincinnati Art Museum was quiet and delightful, putting a big rubber stamp on how artsy the city is. It sits around Eden Park which features in The Great Gatsby. It also gives great views of the city.The National Underground Railroad Freedom Centre was an eye-opening look at slavery and the perilous northern crossing over the Ohio River from Kentucky into Ohio in a bid for freedom.The American Sign Museum is an eccentric one, but a colourful burst of old signage cleverly done by an individual who has rescued all sorts of wonderful signs. It also has a working workshop where you can watch experts repair and make neon signs, and learn how.Make sure you stop for a coffee and a bite to eat at Mom n Em here – a hip cafe nearby. Instagrammers paradise: The American Sign Museum is eccentric - but well worth your time Impressive: The Cincinnati Union Terminal is one of the most celebrated art deco masterpieces in the whole of the US Lit up: I visited during a light festival called Blink - here, the city's music hall was lit up with interactive artworks which saw huge crowds visit Not Brooklyn: The John A Roebling Suspension Bridge served as the prototype of the Brooklyn Bridge - you can cross by foot and arrive in KentuckyThe Union Terminal train station is an art deco masterpiece, which, in my opinion, puts Grand Central Station in New York in its shadow. It certainly has the wow factor.The Over The Rhine neighbourhood is beautiful. You can spend a day here exploring, including the vast number of breweries and independent shops.Cincy itself was a huge German settlement and was once labelled Porkopolis as by the 1850s, it was the pork-packing capital of the world.The German influence spilled over into beer – and there are a couple of great brewery taprooms, including Rhinegeist and Samuel Adams (I thought it was a Boston beer, but much of it is brewed here). Two of my favourite shops in the area were the charming Ohio Bookshop where I spoke to the owner, in his mid-80s, who has owned it since the 1970s.There are floors and floors of antique books, some that feel like they could have been sitting on those shelves for decades, awaiting a weary tourist to come in and add to their collection. I was blown away – possibly the greatest book shop I've ever entered. I came away with two 1980s Stephen King paperback novels, in great condition, for $6 a pop in time for Halloween.The other was Hierophany & Hedge in Covington. This spooky shop, complete with a pet black cat at the counter, is a gem if you're into the supernatural. Cincy is famous for its massive volume of photogenic Italianate architecture and while I was there, a festive called Blink was on.This dazzling light display illuminated many of the buildings, but much of the artwork you see on buildings is around all year – including a homage to former mayor Jerry Springer.The John A Roebling Suspension Bridge, which you can cross by foot, was built in 1866. It served as the prototype of the Brooklyn Bridge, completed nearly 20 years later. You can get a great view of the city from there too.And lastly, on the way back to the airport, be sure to stop at the overlook at Devou Park – it's a great way to finish the trip with sweeping views of all those streets you've pounded. Chilli mad: Cincinnati is big on chilli - and any city that enjoys chilli for breakfast is a big tick for me Timewarp: Camp Washington is a fine example of Cincy chilli - and asking for a three-way won't get you in trouble here...What to eat and drink?As mentioned, pork is a big deal in Cincy. You should try Goetta at Findlay Market, which is best described as a flat haggis, inspired from the German contingent that settled here.But the dish they love most in Cincy is chilli. They take it very seriously, with fast food chain Skyline Chilli having the monopoly.However, I cannot get onboard with the three-way, four-way and five-way system they've got going on.Essentially, they don't eat chilli with rice, but instead loaded up on spaghetti, with a mountain of shredded cheddar cheese (named a three-way). Add onions for a four-way, and also kidney beans for a five-way.Chilli has no place living on spaghetti (sorry fans). But, while Skyline is its fast-food option, it is well worth making a pilgrimage to Camp Washington chilli.The diner is like walking into a movie set and I had chilli for breakfast. That, I can truly get onboard with, oozing out of a divine omelette with plenty of hot sauce. That woke me up.Camp Washington has had a visit from Adam Richman from TV show Man v Food, and features in many national round-ups as one of the US restaurant spots you must visit. I can see why.Cincy is not all chilli though. It does refined food well too. One spot worth heading to is Wildweed. The chef's take on 'New Midwestern' cuisine is superb, with seasonal produce doing much of the heavy lifting.But for me, America is about a slice o' pie. Mad Anthony's was a good spot downtown for pizza, while Wayfayer on the otherside of the river was pizza with a bit more character. Divine: A must in Cincinnati is a visit to one of the many Graeters - the ice-cream is some of the best I've ever hadOther notable spots include Brown Bear Bakery (you'll have to queue for this magical pastry spot though) and a huge shoutout here to ice-cream chain Graeters.Founded 150 years ago, this family-owned gem is served in 50 locations, and is some of the best ice-cream I've ever tasted. Hat tip to the black raspberry chip flavour. A must try.Now, let's talk bourbon. Kentucky is of course incredibly famous for the stuff – and a new place doing it exceptionally well is New Riff, recently scooping the award for World's Best Bourbon at the World Whiskies Awards.Located in Newport across the Ohio River from Cincy, it's a must visit and is one of the first (or last) stops on the bourbon trail. Here you can sample some of the best bourbon around and also book yourself on a tour, and visit the wonderful top floor bar.An added bonus is next door to it is The Party Source – a 113,000-square-foot liquor superstore. It is one of the largest independent liquor stores in the US and is mind-boggling.Shout out to the Revival Bar here too in Covington – it's a cocktail bar downstairs, but upstairs it has hundreds of bottles of unusual alcohol, many decades old, that you can buy – or try samples of. It's a true bourbon mecca.And finally, Ghost Baby should be on your list. This hip cocktail bar, four storeys underground, is brilliant for live music.The venue is built inside a 170-year-old historic lagering tunnel and frequently makes the list for best bars in America. New Riff: The bar at the top of this bourbon-maker is superbCincy is a good spot on a budgetChatting to the locals, you get the feeling everyone gets along. It's an incredibly easy-going city that warms your soul, a little like the local bourbon.It left me wanting more and that can only be a good thing. It is also a great conversation starter with friends and family, who have been more interested in this trip than many others I've been on, simply because they know nobody who has been there and nothing about the city.If I had time, I'd make Cincy a stop for a few nights and would be tempted to ride the Cardinal Line train to Chicago, potentially stopping at Indianapolis on the way.A statistic I thought worth noting here: Cincinnati is within 600 miles of 60 per cent of the US population. Wise words: Former mayor and TV presenter Jerry Springer is on the side of a building with his famous outro - 'take care of yourself and each other'. It feels aptWith oodles of bars, breweries, food, sport and character, Cincy should be on your travel list.Another big bonus, as a money journalist, is how much cheaper it is than many other spots I've been to in the US in terms of eating and drinking – and especially compared to London. A recent study ranked it the second cheapest major US city in terms of nightlife and drinking – a pint is roughly $5 v $7.50 in Chicago and $9 in New York. As mentioned above, there is a five-night stay option at Fidelity Hotel starting from under £1,000 per person, including economy return flights. For £200 a night, that's a true bargain, as the hotel is stunning.Otherwise, return flights from Heathrow with BA start from around £600 and there are a raft of other main chain hotels, including Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn and Hilton, all in the thick of the action, starting from around £80 per night.Flight time is roughly eight hours 50 minutes from London, and seven hours 40 minutes back. Lee was a guest of Visit Cincy, flew with BA and stayed at the Fidelity Hotel.SAVE MONEY, MAKE MONEYUp to £300 cashbackUp to £300 cashback£25-£300 cashback on at least £3004.87% cash Isa4.87% cash IsaTrading 212: 1.27% fixed 12-month bonus£2,500 cashback£2,500 cashback£250-£2,500 cashback when opening SippUp to £150 cashbackUp to £150 cashbackOpen a savings account with at least £5,000Welcome bonusWelcome bonusGet up to £200 when you invest £100Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Terms and conditions apply on all offers.