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

Should you visit Girona 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 Girona 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.

Girona

Girona is a ancient, charming, and beautiful city. This is a charming small with plenty of activities, too. The beauty of this spot is also one of the main reasons why visitors come. Because of its quaint atmosphere, it draws plenty of visitors, too. Visitors also love the shopping, museums, and food.

La Spezia

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

Girona and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Girona or La Spezia?

Both La Spezia and Girona have plenty of things to do for travelers. Both provide a wide variety of sights and activities for tourists. Girona is better known for its museums, historical sights, shopping, small town charm, impressive beauty, and quaint atmosphere, while La Spezia is more popular for its nightlife and beaches. La Spezia is more touristy than Girona and is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Girona is well known for its ancient ruins, colorful old town, grand cathedral, and impressive local cuisine.

How is Girona different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Girona 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 Girona. Wander the ancient city walls, explore the beautiful Girona Cathedral, and learn about the Church of Sant Feliu. There are also some interesting museums in town including the Museum of Jewish History, the Archaeology Museum, and the Film Museum. Also make sure you walk across the famed Eiffel Bridge.

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

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

Eating is part of the travel experience when you visit Girona. The small city is filled with cafes and restaurants that spill out into the street. There are also markets such as El Lleó Marketplace where you can check out fresh, local items. Many restaurants also have Catalonian style tapas, seafood such as octopus, and garlic shrimp. For breakfast, there are many pastry shops where you can enjoy a European breakfast.

La Spezia has a number of nationally recognized food spots and 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.

Is Girona or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

La Spezia is a good destination for nightlife and partying. However, Girona is not a good city for its evening party scene.

There's a variety of activities in the evening 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.

Those looking for nightlife will find a few places to hang out in Girona. It's a surprisingly quiet town, especially compared to other nearby party cities, but there are some nightclubs, bars, and music venues that are worth checking out.

Is Girona or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is a good destination for the beache. However, Girona 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.

Girona is not a beach destination.

Is Girona or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Girona 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.

Girona has a world-famous historical area. It's a beautiful medieval old town with many wandering streets that are lined with storefronts and classic European cafes.

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 Girona or La Spezia?

Girona 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.

Girona is well-known for its shopping. In and around the old town you'll find modern shops, local eateries, charming markets, and anything you might need to purchase. There's also no shortage of souvenir and trinket shops, but they have a bit of personality and character to them.

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 Girona or La Spezia Better for Families?

La Spezia is a good destination for its family-friendly activities. However, Girona is not a good city for its kid-friendly activities.

La Spezia is a family-friendly place to visit. 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.

Girona is not always a place people visit with their families. While the old town is beautiful, with charming colorful buildings, the city itself doesn't have a wide number of activities for kids. There are ice cream shops where they can enjoy a sweet treat. There are also several museums and many restaurants have kid-friendly menus.

Is Girona or La Spezia Better for Couples?

Girona and La Spezia both excellent destinations for a couple.

Girona is a very popular place to visit for couples. The setting is both beautiful and romantic. Couples can enjoy wandering the streets, popping in the many shops, and soaking up the atmosphere. There are also many great restaurants that make for a wonderful night out. Head up the hills towards the cathedral for the best viewpoints, or wander along the river and enjoy the colorful atmosphere.

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.

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

La Spezia is a well-known place for backpackers. Also, Girona is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit 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 Girona. Prices aren't too crazy and it's not hard to find a place to stay for an affordable price, but you won't find the lively backpacker scene that is common in many nearby cities.

Is Girona or La Spezia Better for Students?

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

Plenty of students visit Girona. It's a smaller city with affordable accommodation and many great restaurants. It has a quintessential European atmosphere that makes it a fun place to spend some time as a student

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

Both Girona and La Spezia offer notable public transit options.

Girona has a few public transit options. The town is small enough that you can likely walk anywhere you want to go, but if you need transit, there are 10 local bus routes.

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

Is Girona or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Girona 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 Girona. Everything is easily accessible on foot and its best not to bring a car into town.

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 Girona Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Girona?

How long in Girona or La Spezia?

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

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

You'll find shopping and museums around the quaint city of Girona. Visiting the old town is also a must. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Girona has to offer. 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 Girona or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and food around the ancient destination of Girona. 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 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 Girona or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the colorful city of Girona. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. 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 Girona or La Spezia?

Girona 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.

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Barcelona, The Best 10-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 Girona and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Girona much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Girona would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Girona 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 Girona.

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

Which is Bigger, Girona or La Spezia?

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