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

Should you visit Honfleur or La Spezia?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Honfleur and La Spezia can help you decide which place is right for you.

Honfleur

Honfleur is a serene, picturesque, and scenic city. The beauty of this spot is also one of the main reasons why visitors come. Visitors also love the food, museums, and nightlife.

La Spezia

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

Honfleur and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Honfleur or La Spezia?

Travelers will usually find more to do in La Spezia. Although Honfleur and La Spezia are popular destinations, La Spezia has more sights and attractions for tourists. La Spezia is very popular for its beaches, historical sights, and shopping, while Honfleur attracts visitors for its museums, food, and impressive beauty. La Spezia is more touristy than Honfleur and is known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. It is also well known for The Maritime Museum. Honfleur is famous for its influence over Impressionist art, its stunning harbor, and its beautiful buildings.

How is Honfleur different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

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

Honfleur offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. Some of the most notable sights around the town include Saint Catherine's Church, Le Vieux Bassin, Notre-Dame de Grace, and the Normandy 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 Honfleur or La Spezia? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Honfleur is very popular for its restaurants. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its restaurant scene.

Eat your way through Honfleur, as it has many local or world renowned restaurants to choose from. Located on the coast of Normandy along the English Channel, seafood is a defining element for most dishes here. Foodies flock to this town for its Michelin starred restaurants as well as its local cafes and quaint eateries. For land-lovers, there's a popular local cider-braised pork that you must-try. And for dessert make sure you try the Tarte Tatin.

Dining out in La Spezia is an experience not to be missed. 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 Honfleur or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Both Honfleur and La Spezia have nice vibes after the sun sets.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in Honfleur. Restaurants come to life at night when music flows out onto the streets. The town is not known for its partying, but that doesn't mean that it's a sleepy place that shuts down when the sun sets.

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 Honfleur or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is very good for its beaches. However, Honfleur is lacking in options for the beache.

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

You can check out the beach in Honfleur. The town sits by the estuary of the Seine and there are two beaches not far from town. Butin Beach is the closest to town and the most popular, but Vasouy Beach is more relaxed and natural.

Is Honfleur or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

La Spezia is very good for its historic old town. However, Honfleur does not have a historic old town.

La Spezia is a good destination for visiting its old town. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Honfleur does not have a historic old town.

Is the Shopping Better in Honfleur or La Spezia?

La Spezia is very good for shopping. However, Honfleur is lacking in options for its shopping opportunities.

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.

If you're looking to go shopping, Honfleur has some nice offerings. It's a charming town with boutique shops, chocolate shops, and the standard tourist places that sell souvenirs and t-shirts.

Is Honfleur or La Spezia Better for Families?

You'll find nice kid-friendly activities in either Honfleur or La Spezia.

Honfleur is a family-friendly city. Located on the coast of Normandy, the town has boat rides, quirky museums, and Vieux Bassin, which is a beautiful and lively harbor. For kids who need to stretch their legs, there are many parks and outdoor spaces to enjoy.

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 Honfleur or La Spezia Better for Couples?

Both Honfleur and La Spezia are high quality destinations to visit as a couple.

Honfleur makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. It has, arguably, one of the area's most beautiful harbors. There are also many great seafood restaurants, relaxing gardens, and spas that are perfect 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.

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

La Spezia is an excellent place to visit for backpackers and budget travelers. However, Honfleur is lacking in options 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.

Honfleur is a challenging destination for budget travelers and backpackers due to the higher prices. You'll likely have more luck looking for an apartment than a hostel, so if you're looking for a place to stay with a social setting, you may be out of luck.

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

La Spezia is very good for times when you don't have a car. However, Honfleur is lacking in options for its public transit.

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

Public transit is generally limited in Honfleur. HO Buses travel from the outskirts or town into the center and are used mainly by locals. If you plan to head into Normandy to see the countryside, you'll want to have a car.

Is Honfleur or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Honfleur and La Spezia are high quality when it comes to walkability.

Honfleur is very walkable. The city center is compact and easy to explore on foot. There are also many coastal walks leading out of town.

La Spezia is a very walkable city. 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 Honfleur Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Honfleur?

How long in Honfleur or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Honfleur and La Spezia. In our opinion, La Spezia has more to see and do, so we recommend spending more time in La Spezia than Honfleur. In general, 1-3 days is a good amount of time for Honfleur, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

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

You'll find food and museums around the city of Honfleur. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Honfleur 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 Honfleur or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the scenic destination of Honfleur. 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 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 Honfleur or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the historic city of Honfleur. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Most people head to the area for the food. 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 Honfleur or La Spezia?

Honfleur 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 Honfleur and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Honfleur much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Honfleur would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Honfleur 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 Honfleur.

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

Which is Bigger, Honfleur or La Spezia?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Honfleur. When comparing the sizes of Honfleur 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.