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

Should you visit Carcassonne 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 Carcassonne 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.

Carcassonne

Carcassonne is a historical, fairytale, and medieval town. This is a charming small with plenty of activities, too. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. Visitors also love the food and museums.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a convenient, cultural, and lively town. Other reasons to visit include food, beaches, and shopping.

Carcassonne and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Carcassonne or La Spezia?

Travelers will usually find more to do in La Spezia. Although Carcassonne and La Spezia are popular destinations, La Spezia has more sights and attractions for tourists. La Spezia is very popular for its nightlife, beaches, and shopping, while Carcassonne attracts visitors for its museums, small town charm, and impressive beauty. Carcassonne is famous for its medieval history, walled fortifications, and well-known castle. La Spezia is famous for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. It is also well known for The Maritime Museum.

How is Carcassonne different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Carcassonne 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 Carcassonne. The town is filled with medieval sights including the Château Comtal, the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus, and the Carcassonne Cathedral.

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

Both Carcassonne and La Spezia offer excellent local cuisine and restaurants.

The food selection at local restaurants is excellent in Carcassonne. There are a number of local restaurants that serve regional specialties such as cassoulet. You can spend a few hours exploring the castle and then grab a delicious bite to eat.

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.

Is Carcassonne or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

La Spezia is a good destination for nightlife. However, Carcassonne is not a destination with noteworthy nightlife.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe 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.

Carcassonne is not a destination with noteworthy nightlife.

Is Carcassonne or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is a good destination for its beaches. However, Carcassonne 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.

Carcassonne is not a beach destination.

Is Carcassonne or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Visitors enjoy the nice old town areas in both Carcassonne and La Spezia.

Carcassonne is a good destination for visiting its old town. The medieval walled city is seeped in history and filled with atmosphere. Cars are not allowed in town.

Many people head to La Spezia to see the old town. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Is the Shopping Better in Carcassonne or La Spezia?

La Spezia is a good destination for shopping. However, Carcassonne is not a noteworthy shopping destination.

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.

Carcassonne is not a noteworthy shopping destination.

Is Carcassonne or La Spezia Better for Families?

Both Carcassonne and La Spezia are nice family-friendly destinations.

Carcassonne is a family-friendly town. Kids who love castles will enjoy wandering the maze of rooms and getting lost in the medieval atmosphere.

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 Carcassonne or La Spezia Better for Couples?

La Spezia is a very popular place for romance. Also, Carcassonne is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its romantic activities.

La Spezia makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. It makes a nice base for visiting nearby sights if the more popular Cinque Terre area is too overwhelming.

Carcassonne makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. It's a medieval city with an impressive castle and walled fortifications. It's a uniquely European sight that is great for couples who enjoy history.

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

Carcassonne and La Spezia are both excellent destinations for backpackers.

Carcassonne is very popular with the backpacker crowd. There are interesting hostels in the area including a converted 17th century convent.

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.

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

Visitors will find nice public transit in both Carcassonne and La Spezia.

Carcassonne has some public transit options. You can reach the town by train from Dijon, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, or Bordeaux and many people visit the town as a day trip.

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 Carcassonne or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Carcassonne is very popular for its high level of walkability. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its ease of walking around.

It's very easy to get around on foot in Carcassonne. Cars aren't allowed in the medieval city so it's best 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 Carcassonne Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Carcassonne?

How long in Carcassonne or La Spezia?

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

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

Couples should spend more time in La Spezia than Carcassonne. 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 Carcassonne 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 Carcassonne or La Spezia?

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

Visitors enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the lively town of La Spezia. One day is usually not enough time for a trip here as there is plenty to do. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

A weekend in Carcassonne or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and food around the medieval destination of Carcassonne. 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.

Visitors enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the convenient destination of La Spezia. This town offers something for everyone. Plenty of people spend a weekend in the area when traveling. If you enjoy all that's offered here, then a weekend is just the right amount of time to spend here.

Five days in Carcassonne or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the food and museums when visiting the medieval town of Carcassonne. 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.

The convenient town of La Spezia offers shopping and nightlife. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel.

A week in Carcassonne or La Spezia?

Carcassonne 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.

Many people enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting La Spezia. Anyone can find something fun to do here. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in France, The Best Historical Tours in 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 Carcassonne and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Carcassonne much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Carcassonne would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Carcassonne 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 Carcassonne.

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

Which is Bigger, Carcassonne or La Spezia?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 84% larger than the population of Carcassonne. When comparing the sizes of Carcassonne 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.