A Travel Price Comparison for Italy La Spezia vs. Brescia for Food, Couples, Backpackers, and Attractions

Should you visit La Spezia or Brescia?

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 La Spezia and Brescia. 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.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a convenient, cultural, and lively town. It's also known for beaches, shopping, and nightlife.

Brescia

Brescia is a historic, undisovered, and authentic city. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. Visitors also love the food, shopping, and museums.

La Spezia and Brescia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in La Spezia or Brescia?

Travelers will generally find more things to do in La Spezia than Brescia. While Brescia is larger than La Spezia, La Spezia has more sights and attractions for tourists. La Spezia is very popular for its beaches and historical sights, while Brescia attracts visitors for its museums, shopping, and impressive beauty. La Spezia is more touristy than Brescia and is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. It is also well known for The Maritime Museum. Brescia is famous for its historic and archeological sights.

How is La Spezia different from Brescia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

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

Brescia offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. There are some great museums and historic sights around town such as the Museum of Art and History, Tempio Capitolino, the Roman Theater, and Duomo Nuovo.

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 Spezia or Brescia? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Both La Spezia and Brescia offer great 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.

Dining out in Brescia is an experience not to be missed. Much of the cuisine has its roots in peasant recipes, but many have been incorporated into fine dining and specialty experiences. The dishes come from the countryside and use many local ingredients. Bigoi Col Pestöm (a local pasta), Casoncelli Alla Bresciana (stuffed pasta), and polenta are all favorites in the area.

Is La Spezia or Brescia Better for Nightlife?

The nice nightlife scene is relatively similar in La Spezia and Brescia.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe 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.

Brescia has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. The city has a number of clubs and bars that make for a fun night out.

Is La Spezia or Brescia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is a nice place to visit for its beaches. However, Brescia is not a beach destination.

La Spezia has a beach worth visiting. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Brescia is not a beach destination.

Is La Spezia or Brescia Better for its Old Town?

La Spezia is a nice place to visit for its historic old town. However, Brescia does not have a historic old town.

Many visitors go to La Spezia to see the historical old town. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Brescia does not have a historic old town.

Is the Shopping Better in La Spezia or Brescia?

Brescia 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.

Brescia is well-known for its shopping. It's a small city, but there are a number of fashion brands found around town. Via Gramsci, Corso Magenta, Via Mazzini, and Via X Giornate are among the best shopping streets.

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 Spezia or Brescia Better for Families?

La Spezia is a nice place to visit for its family-friendly activities. However, Brescia is not particularly known for its kid-friendly activities.

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.

For families, Brescia is not always the best place to visit. There are several parks and swimming pools that the kids will enjoy as well as a castle and lots of archeology.

Is La Spezia or Brescia Better for Couples?

La Spezia is well known for romance. Also, Brescia is still popular, but not quite as popular for its romantic activities.

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.

Brescia makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. It's location near Lake Garda and its rich history and plethora of archeological sites make this a nice destination for couples.

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

La Spezia is well known for backpackers. However, Brescia is not particularly known for backpackers and budget travelers.

Backpackers come from all over to visit La Spezia. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

Brescia is a challenging destination for budget travelers and backpackers due to the higher prices. It's not a particularly popular backpacker destination but there are some affordable guesthouses.

Is La Spezia or Brescia Better for Students?

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

Plenty of students visit Brescia. This is an affordable and interesting city for students. It's also in a beautiful setting, which makes for a nice experience.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

Visitors will find nice public transit in both La Spezia and Brescia.

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

You'll find some public transit in Brescia, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. There are buses and light rail to help you get around town.

Is La Spezia or Brescia a more walkable city?

La Spezia is well known for its walkability. Also, Brescia is still popular, but not quite as popular 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.

Brescia is a somewhat walkable place. Parts of the city are easy to walk around.

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

Should I spend more time in Brescia or La Spezia?

How long in La Spezia or Brescia?

You'll be able to find lots of things to do in La Spezia or Brescia to fill your time. Many travelers usually spend more of their time in La Spezia than Brescia because of the number of activities and things to do in the area. Usually, 2-3 days is a good amount of time for La Spezia, and 1-2 days is enough time in Brescia.

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

In La Spezia, you'll find shopping and nightlife. This town offers something for everyone. One day is usually not enough time for a trip here as there is plenty to do.

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

A weekend in La Spezia or Brescia?

In La Spezia, you'll find nightlife and food. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. A weekend here is typical. A weekend is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that La Spezia has to offer.

You'll find museums and nightlife around the undisovered destination of Brescia. 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.

Five days in La Spezia or Brescia?

La Spezia is a great place to explore. Five days is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. Anyone can find something fun to do here.

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the undisovered city of Brescia. 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.

A week in La Spezia or Brescia?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in La Spezia. Many people enjoy the shopping and nightlife when visiting La Spezia. One week may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing.

Brescia 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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Italy, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy, The Best Historical Tours in Italy, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Italy.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Spezia and Brescia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Brescia much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Brescia would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Brescia 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 Brescia.

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

Which is Bigger, La Spezia or Brescia?

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