A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Annecy vs. La Spezia for Food, Old Town, Couples, and Families

Should you visit Annecy or La Spezia?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Annecy and La Spezia can help you decide which place is right for you.

Annecy

Annecy is a breathtaking, quaint, and storybook alpine town. You'll find plenty of local activities in this small town. It's considered by many to be an absolutely beautiful destination, too. Visitors also love the food, hiking, and shopping.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a cultural, lively, and convenient town. Visitors also love the shopping, nightlife, and food.

Annecy and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Annecy or La Spezia?

Visitors will usually find more to do in Annecy than La Spezia, as it offers more sights, attractions, and activities. Annecy is better known for its museums, food, historical sights, hiking, small town charm, and impressive beauty, while La Spezia is more popular for its beaches. Annecy is more touristy than La Spezia and is known for its charming old town and its beautiful, lakefront, alpine setting. Also, Annecy is famous for Palais de l'Isle. La Spezia is well known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre.

How is Annecy different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between La Spezia and Annecy. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Annecy or La Spezia?

Annecy is a good destination for its museums and history. However, La Spezia is lacking in good options for its museums and landmarks.

Annecy offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. The old town and lakefront setting is what brings the tourists, but there are several unique landmarks around town as well. Palais de l'Île is the most photographed spot in the old town. Also worth visiting are Musée-Château d'Annecy, Eglise Saint-Maurice, and Cathédrale Saint-Pierre.

La Spezia offers a handful of options for museums and historical sights. The highlight of the area is the surrounding natural beauty, but in town you can visit the Maritime Museum, The castle of San Giorgio, and The Amedeo Lia Art Museum.

Is the Food Better in Annecy or La Spezia? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Annecy is very popular for its restaurants. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its restaurant scene.

Eat your way through Annecy, as it has many local or world renowned restaurants to choose from. Fresh caught fish and local French specialties make this town a wonderful culinary destination. The old town is filled with restaurants, cafes, and markets where you can enjoy local ingredients. There are many local dishes to try with some of the most popular being Tartiflette, Raclette, and Gratin de crozets. Fondue is also popular. You'll find cheese is a common component in many dishes.

Dining out in La Spezia is an experience not to be missed. The town has many local flavors that incorporate seafood and other local ingredients. Focaccia is popular, as is Farinata, which is a chickpea flour pancake. Anchovies and mussels are also common ingredients.

Is Annecy or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

If the nightlife is your priority, you'll find notable options in both Annecy and La Spezia.

If you're looking for night time activities Annecy has a few options to choose from. There are bars and pubs to visit with one of the most popular bar-hopping streets being Rue Sainte-Claire.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in La Spezia. You'll find more bars and clubs around town than you do in the smaller nearby towns. Some people head into La Spezia for the evening to grab a drink and socialize.

Is Annecy or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is very good for the beache. However, Annecy is not a beach destination.

Many people head to La Spezia to enjoy the beach. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Annecy is not a beach destination.

Is Annecy or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Annecy is very popular for its old town. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its historic old town charm.

Annecy has a world-famous historical area. This is among the most beautiful old towns in Europe. It sits along the banks of Lake Annecy and the water integrates beautifully into the setting.

La Spezia offers a nice historic old town area. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Is Annecy or La Spezia Better for Hiking?

Annecy is a very popular place for its hiking trails. However, La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

Many visitors explore the nearby hiking trails while visiting Annecy. There are a range of hikes just out of town that cover all ability levels. There are flat, waterfront strolls as well as more strenuous mountain treks. La Tournette is one of the most famous hikes in the area. Other options include Circuit des 3 Croix de Sevrier and Gorges du Fier.

La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

Is the Shopping Better in Annecy or La Spezia?

If you're looking to go shopping, Annecy and La Spezia both offer plenty of notable spots.

Shopping is a popular activity when visiting Annecy. Three times a week you can check out the Old Town Market. Another popular shopping street is Rue Royale.

Many visitors go to La Spezia to go shopping. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Is Annecy or La Spezia Better for Families?

Annecy is a very popular place for its kid-friendly activities. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its family-friendly activities.

Because of its large number of kid-friendly activities, Annecy is very family-friendly. Families can enjoy getting out on the lake by renting a boat or going for a swim. Check out Wibit Water Park or let the kids play at Leisure Center Orange Montisel. There's also a great playground for kids right by the waterfront. Hiking and exploring are also fun for the whole family.

You'll find plenty of kid-friendly things to do in La Spezia. Visitors often use La Spezia as a base for visiting nearby Cinque Terre. The surrounding region has many kid-friendly activities like hiking, swimming, and beaches.

Is Annecy or La Spezia Better for Couples?

Annecy is very popular for its romantic activities. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for couples.

Annecy is fantastic couple's destination with fun and romantic activities. It's a romantic French mountain town with beautiful scenery and a wonderful lake. Couples can enjoy outdoor activities or wandering through one of the best old towns in the region. The beauty and natural setting make this a wonderful couples destination.

Couples visit La Spezia frequently as it offers plenty of romantic activities. It makes a nice base for visiting nearby sights if the more popular Cinque Terre area is too overwhelming.

Is Annecy or La Spezia Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

La Spezia is a great town for backpackers and budget travelers. Also, Annecy is not as popular, but is still a nice alpine town for backpackers.

Many backpackers visit La Spezia. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

It's common for backpackers to visit Annecy. It's a world class mountain destination that attracts families and vacationers, but there aren't as many hostels around town as backpackers would like.

Is Annecy or La Spezia Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Annecy and La Spezia both offer notable public transit to get you around.

While Annecy offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. The Sibra public transport system offers buses that travel through Annecy and around the lake, stopping at many towns along the way.

La Spezia has a few public transit options. Buses, trains, and ferry boats offer the main forms of transportation in the area.

Is Annecy or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Annecy and La Spezia are high quality when it comes to walkability.

Annecy is a very walkable alpine town. The old town is filled with pedestrian streets that are perfect to explore on foot.

La Spezia is a very walkable destination. The town is easy to walk around and you'll find a pedestrian-only area downhill from the train station.

For even more information, also check out Is Annecy Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Annecy?

How long in Annecy or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Annecy and La Spezia. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Annecy than in La Spezia. Usually, 2-4 days is a good amount of time for Annecy, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

Families should spend more time in Annecy than La Spezia. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Annecy, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Annecy than La Spezia. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Annecy that are great for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in La Spezia than Annecy if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in La Spezia.

One day in Annecy or La Spezia?

Even though Annecy is a small town, it has plenty of activities to choose from. Visiting the old town is also a must. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

Many travelers enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the destination of La Spezia. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

A weekend in Annecy or La Spezia?

Annecy is a small town where visitors enjoy the museums and nightlife. Hikers are also drawn to this area. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this alpine town has to offer. This alpine town offers a variety of activities to choose from.

La Spezia is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. With all of its activities, you can easily fill a weekend here. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

Five days in Annecy or La Spezia?

Annecy is a small town, so it's a great destination if you're short on time. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. Most people head to the area for the food. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in La Spezia. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

A week in Annecy or La Spezia?

Annecy is a popular choice for travelers. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

Travelers enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the convenient destination of La Spezia. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in France, The Best 10-Day Tours in France, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Italy, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy.

When comparing the travel costs between Annecy and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Annecy Expensive? and Is La Spezia Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Annecy or La Spezia?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 86% larger than the population of Annecy. When comparing the sizes of Annecy and La Spezia, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.