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

Should you visit Arles 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 Arles and La Spezia can help you decide which place is right for you.

Arles

Arles is a charming, compact, and quaint town. The beauty of this spot is also one of the main reasons why visitors come. Visitors also love the food, shopping, and museums.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a lively, convenient, and cultural town. Other popular activities here include beaches, shopping, and nightlife.

Arles and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Arles or La Spezia?

Travelers will generally find more things to do in Arles than La Spezia. While La Spezia is larger than Arles, Arles has more sights and attractions for tourists. Arles is more popular for its museums, historical sights, and impressive beauty, while La Spezia is known for its beaches. La Spezia is more touristy than Arles and is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Arles is popular for its Roman history and its influence over Vincent van Gogh. It is also home to L'Amphithéâtre Romain.

How is Arles different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Arles is very popular for its museums and history. However, La Spezia is lacking in good options for its museums and landmarks.

The museums and tourist attractions in Arles are world-renowned. It's a small town but it's filled with Roman ruins and remarkable landmarks. Popular sights include L'Amphithéâtre Romain, Les Alyscamps, Cloître Saint-Trophime, and Théâtre Antique.

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 Arles or La Spezia? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Dining out at restaurants in both Arles and La Spezia can be an enjoyable experience.

Dining out in Arles is an experience not to be missed. The cuisine is heavily influenced by the region's local agriculture. Popular dishes include agriade (beef stew), tellines soup, and fougasse (a local bread).

The food selection at local restaurants is excellent in La Spezia. 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 Arles or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Party-goers will find similar levels of energy in Arles and La Spezia.

Arles has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. There are countless bars and pubs where you can enjoy a cold drink and a relaxing night out.

If you're looking for night time activities La Spezia has a few options to choose from. 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 Arles or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is very good for the beach. However, Arles 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.

Arles is not a beach destination.

Is Arles or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Arles 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.

Arles has a world-famous historical area. The large old town is filled with Roman ruins and historic sights. There are narrow streets and many interesting places to explore.

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 the Shopping Better in Arles or La Spezia?

Shopping is a popular activity in both La Spezia and Arles.

Many visitors go to Arles to go shopping. There are many boutiques that are filled with local art, crafts, and merchandise.

Plenty of visitors enjoy shopping while in La Spezia. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Is Arles or La Spezia Better for Families?

La Spezia is very good for its family-friendly activities. However, Arles is not particularly known for its kid-friendly activities.

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.

For families, Arles is not always the best place to visit. Filled with Roman ruins and beautiful art, this is a great town, but can make for a long day for younger kids.

Is Arles or La Spezia Better for Couples?

Both Arles and La Spezia are high quality destinations to visit as a couple.

Couples visit Arles frequently as it offers plenty of romantic activities. Couples who enjoy history, roman ruins, and beautiful art will appreciate a weekend getaway to this town.

La Spezia is a great town if you're traveling as a couple. It makes a nice base for visiting nearby sights if the more popular Cinque Terre area is too overwhelming.

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

La Spezia is well known for backpackers. However, Arles is not particularly known for backpackers and budget travelers.

La Spezia is a very popular town for backpackers and budget travelers. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

Arles is a challenging destination for budget travelers and backpackers due to the higher prices. There are a couple of hostels and apartments in the area.

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

You'll find somewhat comparable public transit options in both Arles and La Spezia.

You'll find some public transit in Arles, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. There are shuttle buses that run between the city center and the train station, which is less than a kilometer out of town.

While La Spezia offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. Buses, trains, and ferry boats offer the main forms of transportation in the area.

Is Arles or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Arles and La Spezia both are high quality when exploring on foot.

Arles is a very walkable destination. It's a historic walled city that is very walkable.

La Spezia is very walkable. 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 Arles Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Arles?

How long in Arles or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Arles and La Spezia. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in La Spezia than in Arles. Usually, 1-2 days is a good amount of time for Arles, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

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

Couples should spend more time in Arles than La Spezia. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Arles 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 Arles 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 Arles or La Spezia?

You'll find shopping and museums around the town of Arles. Visiting the old town is also a must. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Arles has to offer. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

In La Spezia, many people enjoy the nightlife and food that this convenient destination offers. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

A weekend in Arles or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the compact destination of Arles. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this town has to offer. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in La Spezia. For many, it makes a great getaway for a weekend. This would be the perfect place to spend a weekend, as it has just the right amount of activities. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

Five days in Arles or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the quaint town of Arles. 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 museums. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

La Spezia is a fun place to experience. Travelers enjoy the shopping and nightlife when visiting the destination of La Spezia. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything.

A week in Arles or La Spezia?

Arles 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.

You'll find nightlife and food around the cultural destination of La Spezia. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Contiki Tours to France, The Best G Adventures Tours to France, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Italy, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Arles and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Arles much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Arles would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Arles and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in La Spezia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in La Spezia than you might in Arles.

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

Which is Bigger, Arles or La Spezia?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 71% larger than the population of Arles. When comparing the sizes of Arles 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.