A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Faro vs. La Spezia for Food, Nightlife, Couples, and Backpackers

Should you visit Faro or La Spezia?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Faro or La Spezia, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Faro

Faro is a busy, active, and popular resort town. Visitors also love the scuba diving and snorkeling, beaches, and shopping.

La Spezia

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

Faro and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Faro or La Spezia?

Both La Spezia and Faro have plenty of things to do for visitors. Both offer a variety of sights, activities, and attractions for tourists. Faro is very popular for its nightlife, resorts, and scuba diving & snorkeling, while La Spezia attracts visitors for its museums and food. Faro is famous for its historical sights and rich culture. La Spezia is famous for being the gateway to Cinque Terre.

How is Faro different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

La Spezia is adequate for its historical sights. However, Faro does not have museums and landmarks.

While most people don't head to La Spezia specifically for the museums and attractions, it does offer a few options. 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.

Faro does not have museums and landmarks.

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

La Spezia is great for its local flavors and cuisine. However, Faro is not a good destination for its local cuisine and restaurants.

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.

You'll find the standard options when it comes to food in Faro. It has become a major tourist town, so you have to get a bit creative to find a more traditional restaurant. Look for fresh seafood like cod, monkfish, or shellfish if you want some local flavors.

Is Faro or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Faro 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.

Faro has a large number of nightlife venues. The city's bustling party scene thrives along Rua de São Pedro, Rua Conselheiro Bívar, and Rua do Prior.

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 Faro or La Spezia Better for Resorts?

Faro is very popular for its luxury resorts. However, La Spezia is not a resort destination.

Vacationers flock to Faro for its luxury resorts. Popular resorts include Vila Vita Parc Resort and Spa, Conrad Algarve, and Tivoli Carvoeiro.

La Spezia is not a resort destination.

Is Faro or La Spezia Better for Scuba Diving and Snorkeling?

Faro is a good destination for its diving and snorkeling. However, La Spezia is not a scuba or snorkeling destination.

Grab a mask and fins and explore the underwater scenery in Faro. There are both snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities in the area. It's possible to snorkel off of several beaches or arrange a scuba diving excursion with a local dive shop.

La Spezia is not a scuba or snorkeling destination.

Is Faro or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

Both Faro and La Spezia have nice beaches worth visiting.

Faro has a beach worth visiting. The most popular beach in the area is Faro Beach. It can get crowded during the summer months but if you walk a bit you can often get away from the crowds. To reach the beach you'll need a car or you can take the bus as the beach is about 10 km away.

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

Is Faro or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Faro and La Spezia both have nice historical old towns that attract visitors.

Faro is a good destination for visiting its old town. You'll find historic buildings and cobblestone streets in the old town. It's a nice place to explore, grab a bite to eat, and do a little shopping.

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 Faro or La Spezia?

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

Plenty of visitors enjoy shopping while in Faro. The town isn't as big as some others, so it's shopping scene isn't as comprehensive, but you will find the major brands as well as souvenir shops to peruse when you need a break from the beach.

La Spezia offers some nice shopping areas. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Is Faro or La Spezia Better for Families?

La Spezia is a nice place to visit for its kid-friendly activities. However, Faro 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.

Faro is not the most family-friendly destination. There are some nice nature reserves in the area so kids who love wildlife will enjoy a visit.

Is Faro or La Spezia Better for Couples?

La Spezia is great for romance. Also, Faro is not as popular, but is still a nice resort town for its romantic activities.

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.

Faro makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. With the beautiful natural areas and historic old town, this seaport makes a nice couples vacation.

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

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

La Spezia is very popular with the backpacker crowd. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

Faro is a good resort town to visit for backpackers. The are some good hostels in the area, but it's a bit tricky to get around without a car.

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

Faro and La Spezia both offer nice public transit to get you around.

While Faro offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. There are buses that connect the city to the beach, the airport, and other outlying areas.

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

Is Faro or La Spezia a more walkable city?

La Spezia is great for its walkability. Also, Faro is not as popular, but is still a nice resort town for its high level of walkability.

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.

Faro is a somewhat walkable place. The city's old town is particularly walkable.

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

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Faro?

How long in Faro or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Faro and La Spezia. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Faro than in La Spezia. Usually, 2-5 days is a good amount of time for Faro, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

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

You'll find scuba diving and snorkeling and shopping around the resort town of Faro. People often spend their time relaxing at one of the resorts. 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.

Visitors enjoy the shopping and nightlife when visiting the destination of La Spezia. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything.

A weekend in Faro or La Spezia?

You'll find shopping and nightlife around the active destination of Faro. You can also relax and pamper yourself at one of the resorts. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this resort town has to offer. This resort town offers a variety of activities to choose from.

La Spezia is a fun place to experience. If you have a weekend, this is a great place to go. A weekend is often enough time to do most activities. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

Five days in Faro or La Spezia?

You'll find nightlife and scuba diving and snorkeling around the active resort town of Faro. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. If you have five days, this resort town makes for a great vacation. It's also a relaxing resort destination. Five days should give you a good understanding of everything this resort town has to offer.

You'll find food and shopping around the lively destination of La Spezia. This town offers something for everyone. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

A week in Faro or La Spezia?

Faro is a popular choice for travelers. People enjoy relaxing at one of the resorts. 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.

The convenient town of La Spezia offers shopping and nightlife. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. 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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Portugal, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Portugal, 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 Faro and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Faro much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Faro would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Faro 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 Faro.

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

Which is Bigger, Faro or La Spezia?

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