A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Bilbao vs. La Spezia for Attractions, Nightlife, Couples, and Backpackers

Should you visit Bilbao or La Spezia?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Bilbao and La Spezia. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Bilbao

Bilbao is a authentic, colorful, and friendly city. It's a large city, so you'll find plenty of things to do around town. Visitors also love the shopping, museums, and nightlife.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a cultural, lively, and convenient town. And you can't forget about the beaches, shopping, and nightlife.

Bilbao and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Bilbao or La Spezia?

You'll generally find more things to do in Bilbao than La Spezia. Bilbao is bigger than La Spezia, and it also has more attractions and activities for travelers. Bilbao is better known for its museums, nightlife, shopping, and big city activities, while La Spezia is more popular for its food and beaches. La Spezia is more touristy than Bilbao and is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Bilbao is well known for it's world-class culinary scene, its modern museums, and its lovely parks. Also, Bilbao is famous for The Guggenheim Museum.

How is Bilbao different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

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

Visitors can fill many days exploring the museums and attractions around Bilbao. A favorite museum in town is the popular Guggenheim Museum. From its iconic building to the unique exhibits, this is a must-see stop during your visit. Other highlights around town include the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, the Museo Vasco, as well as the city's unique bridges.

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

La Spezia is well known for its restaurant scene. However, Bilbao is not a culinary destination.

Eating is part of the travel experience when you visit 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.

Bilbao is not a culinary destination. The food scene is among the best in Spain. The city has several world renowned restaurants, including a few Michelin-starred restaurants, but there are also smaller eateries that cater to the locals and tourists alike. Make sure you try the pintxos, which are small dishes that are the Basque region's answer to tapas. Many include seafood and are cooked with olive oil and garlic.

Is Bilbao or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Bilbao is a very popular place for nightlife and partying. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its evening party scene.

Bilbao has a large number of nightlife venues. There's a great late night scene that centers around eating and drinking. There are lively nightclubs, a good live music scene, and no shortage of people heading out on the town.

La Spezia has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. 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 Bilbao or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

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

La Spezia offers a nice beach destination. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Bilbao is not a beach destination.

Is Bilbao or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Visitors enjoy the notable old town areas in both Bilbao and La Spezia.

Many people head to Bilbao to see the old town. The old town, often called Casco Viejo, is filled with historic architecture, great local bars, and some interesting shopping.

La Spezia has an old town worth visiting. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Is the Shopping Better in Bilbao or La Spezia?

Bilbao is a very popular place for its shopping opportunities. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its shopping areas.

Bilbao is well-known for its shopping. Gran Vía is the most popular shopping street in town. There are also historic boutique shops around the old town.

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 Bilbao or La Spezia Better for Families?

Both Bilbao and La Spezia are notable family-friendly destinations.

You'll find plenty of kid-friendly things to do in Bilbao. The city offers some great museums such as the Guggenheim Museum. Families will also enjoy taking a ride of the Artxander Funicular, and exploring Mercado de la Ribera. You can also enjoy walking around Park Abandoibarra and exploring the creative sculptures.

La Spezia offers lots of family activities. 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 Bilbao or La Spezia Better for Couples?

La Spezia is well known for its romantic activities. Also, Bilbao is still popular, but not quite as popular for couples.

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.

Bilbao is a good city for couples to visit. The city is filled with a vibrant enjoy with parks and outdoor strolls that couples will enjoy. There are also many great museums and romantic restaurants as well as some great shopping streets.

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

La Spezia is well known for backpackers. Also, Bilbao is still popular, but not quite as popular for backpackers and budget travelers.

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

Plenty of budget travelers visit Bilbao. There are plenty of hostels to choose from and a good social scene that makes it easy to meet other backpackers.

Is Bilbao or La Spezia Better for Students?

Bilbao is a good destination for its student-friendly activities. However, La Spezia is not popular with students.

Plenty of students visit Bilbao. This is a popular study abroad destination with many great museums and educational opportunities for international students.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

Bilbao is a very popular place for times when you don't have a car. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its public transit.

Bilbao has some very good public transit options. The metro system has three lines. There is also a tram and bus system.

You'll find some public transit in La Spezia, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. Buses, trains, and ferry boats offer the main forms of transportation in the area.

Is Bilbao or La Spezia a more walkable city?

La Spezia is well known for its high level of walkability. Also, Bilbao is still popular, but not quite as popular for its ease of walking around.

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

Bilbao is a somewhat walkable city. It's a fairly walkable city with several pedestrian-friendly areas.

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

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Bilbao?

How long in Bilbao or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Bilbao and La Spezia. You can spend similar amounts of time exploring each one. However, 2-3 days is a good amount of time to spend in either destination.

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in La Spezia than Bilbao 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 Bilbao or La Spezia?

You'll find shopping and museums around the city of Bilbao. 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 Bilbao or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the industrial destination of Bilbao. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer. This city 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 Bilbao or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and shopping when visiting the friendly city of Bilbao. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. 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 Bilbao or La Spezia?

Bilbao is a popular choice for travelers. 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 lively 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 G Adventures Tours to Spain, The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid, 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 Bilbao and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Bilbao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bilbao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bilbao 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 Bilbao.

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

Which is Bigger, Bilbao or La Spezia?

Bilbao has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of La Spezia. When comparing the sizes of Bilbao 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.