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

Should you visit Chartres or La Spezia?

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

Should I visit Chartres or La Spezia? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Chartres

Chartres is a grand, spectacular, and historic town. This is a charming small with plenty of activities, too. Visitors also love the food and museums.

La Spezia

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

Chartres and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Chartres or La Spezia?

Visitors will usually find more to do in La Spezia than Chartres, as it offers more sights, attractions, and activities. La Spezia is better known for its food, nightlife, beaches, historical sights, and shopping, while Chartres is more popular for its museums and small town charm. La Spezia is more touristy than Chartres and is known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Also, La Spezia is famous for The Maritime Museum. Chartres is well known for its beautiful cathedral and long running history.

How is Chartres different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

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

Chartres offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. Most visitors make the trip to see the spectacular Gothic cathedral, Cathédrale Notre-Dame. It was completed in 1220 and is famous for its beautiful stained glass windows.

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

La Spezia is great for its local flavors and cuisine. Also, Chartres is not as popular, but is still a nice town for its local cuisine and restaurants.

La Spezia has a huge number of terrific restaurants. 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.

There are many up and coming restaurants in the Chartres area. There are a number of restaurants around town so it's easy to grab lunch during a day trip.

Is Chartres or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

La Spezia is a popular place for nightlife and partying. However, Chartres is not a destination with noteworthy nightlife.

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.

Chartres is not a destination with noteworthy nightlife.

Is Chartres or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is a popular place for the beache. However, Chartres is not a beach destination.

La Spezia is a good option for a beach vacation. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Chartres is not a beach destination.

Is Chartres or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

La Spezia is a popular place for its old town. However, Chartres does not have a historic old town.

Plenty of visitors enjoy exploring the old town in La Spezia. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Chartres does not have a historic old town.

Is the Shopping Better in Chartres or La Spezia?

La Spezia is a popular place for its shopping opportunities. However, Chartres is not a noteworthy shopping destination.

Shopping is a popular activity when visiting La Spezia. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Chartres is not a noteworthy shopping destination.

Is Chartres or La Spezia Better for Families?

La Spezia is a popular place for its kid-friendly activities. However, Chartres is not a good destination for its family-friendly activities.

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.

Chartres is not the most family-friendly destination. The main attraction in town is the cathedral, but the surrounding area is also filled with history. This may not keep your kids entertained for long, so you can also check out the Stained Glass Museum, La Tanière (a zoo), or one of the parks around town.

Is Chartres or La Spezia Better for Couples?

La Spezia is great for its romantic activities. Also, Chartres is not as popular, but is still a nice town for couples.

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.

Chartres is a good town for couples to visit. With its cathedral and rich history, many couples enjoy exploring the town. It is filled with history and interesting sights.

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

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

Chartres is popular with backpackers and budget travelers. It's easy enough to visit as a day trip from Paris, so backpackers and other tourists typically allow themselves a few hours to explore.

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

Chartres 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.

Chartres has some very good public transit options. There are trains that leave Paris Montparnasse 1 Et 2 every half hour and travel to Chartres. The trip takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.

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 Chartres or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Chartres and La Spezia are superb when it comes to walkability.

Chartres is a very walkable town. It's easy to see the sights around town 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 Chartres Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Chartres?

How long in Chartres or La Spezia?

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

Families should spend more time in La Spezia than Chartres. 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 Chartres. 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 Chartres 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 Chartres or La Spezia?

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

The town of La Spezia offers nightlife and food. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

A weekend in Chartres or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and food around the historic destination of Chartres. 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.

La Spezia is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. If you have a weekend, this town makes for a great vacation. While some people choose to spend more or less time in La Spezia, a weekend is sufficent for most. Take your pick from the many activities offered here.

Five days in Chartres or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the food and museums when visiting the historic town of Chartres. 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.

La Spezia is a popular choice for travelers. Five days 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. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

A week in Chartres or La Spezia?

Chartres 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.

La Spezia is a great place to explore. One week is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. This town offers something for everyone.

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

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

Which is Bigger, Chartres or La Spezia?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Chartres. When comparing the sizes of Chartres 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.