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

Should you visit La Rochelle or La Spezia?

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

Should I visit La Rochelle 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.

La Rochelle

La Rochelle is a relaxing, laid-back, and quaint coastal town. It offers plenty of small town charm along with sights and activities, too. Visitors also love the food, beaches, and hiking.

La Spezia

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

La Rochelle and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in La Rochelle or La Spezia?

Visitors will usually find more to do in La Rochelle than La Spezia, as it offers more sights, attractions, and activities. La Spezia is more touristy than La Rochelle and is known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. La Rochelle is well known for its medieval towers, maritime history, and beautiful setting. Also, La Rochelle is famous for The Old Port.

How is La Rochelle different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

La Rochelle 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 La Rochelle. Filled with history, the town itself is like a living museum. Within town there are many sights such as the Vieux Port, La Rochelle Aquarium, Musée d'Histoire Naturelle, and Musée du Nouveau Monde de La Rochelle.

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

La Rochelle 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 La Rochelle, as it has many local or world renowned restaurants to choose from. It may be small, but its filled with delicious cafes, bistros, and local restaurants. Seafood is the obvious choice in this coastal town and many visitors head to Vieux Port to eat, as many restaurants there offer waterfront views. If you want something a little less touristy, head to the St. Nicolas District, which was the town's former fishing district. Rue de la Fourche is also a charming road with many places to grab a bite or a drink. Or head to Rue St Jean-du-Perot, which is just off the old port.

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 La Rochelle or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

The vibe at night is notable in both La Rochelle and La Spezia.

If you're looking for night time activities La Rochelle has a few options to choose from. While it's known as a peaceful, seaside town, you'll still find wine bars, pubs, and even a club or two around town.

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.

Is La Rochelle or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

For a relaxing beach holiday, both La Rochelle and La Spezia are notable choices.

La Rochelle is a good option for a beach vacation. There are three main beaches in town that each attract a crowd on warm summer days. Plage de la Concurrence, Plage Chef de Baie, and Plage des Minimes are the closest beaches to La Rochelle, and they are popular for sunbathing and water sports. They have a mix of sand, pebbles, and cliffside views that attract locals and tourists alike.

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.

Is La Rochelle or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

La Rochelle 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.

La Rochelle has a world-famous historical area. The old town is filled with wandering cobblestone streets, charming squares, and cafes that spill into the street.

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 La Rochelle or La Spezia Better for Hiking?

La Rochelle is a good destination for its hiking trails. However, La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

La Rochelle offers some nice hiking trails. There are many coastal walks just outside of town that take you along the scenic coastline. It's beautiful to stroll through the countryside and pass through many quaint villages.

La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

Is the Shopping Better in La Rochelle or La Spezia?

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

Shopping is a popular activity when visiting La Rochelle. The old town is filled with boutique shops as well as some name brands. Another fun place to visit is Les Halles, which is an indoor market with fresh produce, seafood, and many local cheeses.

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 La Rochelle or La Spezia Better for Families?

Kids will enjoy a visit to either La Rochelle or La Spezia.

La Rochelle offers lots of family activities. It's a coastal town with a port that you can explore. There's also an aquarium and many great seafood restaurants. A nice day trip is to go to l'Ile de Ré, which has nice beaches, some with playgrounds.

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.

Is La Rochelle or La Spezia Better for Couples?

La Rochelle is very popular for its romantic activities. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for couples.

La Rochelle is fantastic couple's destination with fun and romantic activities. This beautiful coastal town is seeped in history. There are beautiful squares, romantic parks, and cobblestone streets that you can wander down. It's also nice to take a coastal walk before grabbing dinner at a local seafood restaurant.

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 La Rochelle or La Spezia Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

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

La Rochelle is popular with backpackers and budget travelers. There aren't a ton of hostels in the area, but there are just enough that you should be able to find a place to stay.

Is La Rochelle or La Spezia Better for Students?

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

Plenty of students visit La Rochelle. It's a touristy city with a lot for students to see and do, but the atmosphere is generally quiet and peaceful.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

La Rochelle and La Spezia both offer notable public transit to get you around.

While La Rochelle offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. Public transit around town is operated by Yeló, and mostly consists of buses.

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

Is La Rochelle or La Spezia a more walkable city?

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

La Rochelle is a very walkable coastal town. It's filled with meandering cobblestone streets that are best explored on foot. Most places around town can be explored 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 La Rochelle Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or La Rochelle?

How long in La Rochelle or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both La Rochelle and La Spezia. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in La Rochelle than in La Spezia. Usually, 2-4 days is a good amount of time for La Rochelle, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

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

Couples should spend more time in La Rochelle than La Spezia. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in La Rochelle that are great for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in La Rochelle than La Spezia 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 Rochelle.

One day in La Rochelle or La Spezia?

Even though La Rochelle is a small town, it has plenty of activities to choose from. Visiting the old town is also a must. 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 nightlife and food when visiting the convenient 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 La Rochelle or La Spezia?

La Rochelle is a small town where visitors enjoy the museums and nightlife. 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 coastal town has to offer. This coastal 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 La Rochelle or La Spezia?

La Rochelle is a small town, so it's a great destination if you're short on time. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. Most people head to the area for the food. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

The lively 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 La Rochelle or La Spezia?

La Rochelle 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.

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

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

Which is Bigger, La Rochelle or La Spezia?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 19% larger than the population of La Rochelle. When comparing the sizes of La Rochelle 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.