A Travel Price Comparison for Italy La Spezia vs. Bressanone for Food, Old Town, Couples, and Backpackers

Should you visit La Spezia or Bressanone?

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 Bressanone. 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 lively, convenient, and cultural town. Other popular activities here include beaches, shopping, and nightlife.

Bressanone

Bressanone is a quaint, picturesque, and idyllic town. It offers plenty of small town charm along with sights and activities, too. The beauty of this spot is also one of the main reasons why visitors come. Visitors also love the hiking, shopping, and museums.

La Spezia and Bressanone: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in La Spezia or Bressanone?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Bressanone. Although La Spezia and Bressanone are both popular with visitors, Bressanone has more sights, activities, and attractions for travelers. Bressanone is more popular for its museums, historical sights, hiking, small town charm, and impressive beauty, while La Spezia is known for its nightlife and beaches. La Spezia is more touristy than Bressanone and is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Bressanone is popular for its charming old town and its idyllic setting. It is also home to The Bressanone/Brixen Cathedral.

How is La Spezia different from Bressanone?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Bressanone 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 Bressanone?

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

Bressanone offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. Most visitors simply enjoy soaking up the town's atmosphere, but sights around town include The Royal Palace, the cathedral, and Franzenfeste Fortress.

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 Bressanone? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Both La Spezia and Bressanone offer very good 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 Bressanone is an experience not to be missed. Despite its small size, there are many family run restaurants that make use of ingredients from local farms. The town also hosts a few culinary festivals throughout the year.

Is La Spezia or Bressanone Better for Nightlife?

La Spezia is a town with good options for its evening party scene. However, Bressanone is a town with minimal options for nightlife.

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.

Bressanone doesn't have the most active nightlife scene. It's a small town with some quaint bars and pubs where you can enjoy a beer and chat with other visitors.

Is La Spezia or Bressanone Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is a town with good options for the beach. However, Bressanone is not a beach destination.

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.

Bressanone is not a beach destination.

Is La Spezia or Bressanone Better for its Old Town?

Bressanone is a very popular place for its old town. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its historic old town charm.

There are many historical things to see in the old town of Bressanone. The cathedral and beautiful old buildings make this a charming place to explore.

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 Spezia or Bressanone Better for Hiking?

Bressanone is a very popular place for its hiking trails. However, La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

Many visitors explore the nearby hiking trails while visiting Bressanone. There's a huge variety of hikes in the surrounding countryside. You can walk alongside the river, head into the foothills, or explore the nearby vineyards.

La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

Is the Shopping Better in La Spezia or Bressanone?

Shoppers can find a variety of good stores in both La Spezia and Bressanone.

Shopping is a popular activity when visiting La Spezia. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Many visitors go to Bressanone to go shopping. The medieval streets are lined with family-owned shops, boutique clothing stores, and other unique local shopping opportunities.

Is La Spezia or Bressanone Better for Families?

La Spezia is a town with good options for its family-friendly activities. However, Bressanone is a town with minimal options 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, Bressanone is not always the best place to visit. It's a great town to take a lunch break. The kids will enjoy wandering the alley-like streets. There's a river through town and great views of the Alps.

Is La Spezia or Bressanone Better for Couples?

La Spezia and Bressanone both very good destinations for a couple.

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.

Couples visit Bressanone frequently as it offers plenty of romantic activities. This charming town is seeped in romance. The quaint streets and surrounding mountain setting make this an idyllic place to take a romantic trip.

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

La Spezia is a great destination for backpackers. Also, Bressanone is still popular, but not quite as popular for backpackers and budget travelers.

La Spezia is a very popular town for backpackers and budget travelers. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

Plenty of backpackers visit Bressanone. There's a couple of hostels and cheaper guesthouses in town, so backpackers can enjoy a few days in this picturesque alpine town.

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

Visitors will find good public transit in both La Spezia and Bressanone.

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 Bressanone, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. There are trains and buses throughout the region.

Is La Spezia or Bressanone a more walkable city?

La Spezia and Bressanone are very good when it comes to walkability.

La Spezia is a very walkable town. The town is easy to walk around and you'll find a pedestrian-only area downhill from the train station.

Bressanone is a very walkable destination. The town is compact and small enough to explore on foot.

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

Should I spend more time in Bressanone or La Spezia?

How long in La Spezia or Bressanone?

You'll be able to find lots of things to do in La Spezia or Bressanone to fill your time. Many travelers usually spend more of their time in La Spezia than Bressanone 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 Bressanone.

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

With shopping and nightlife around the lively town of La Spezia, there's plenty to do. Anyone can find something fun to do here. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

Even though Bressanone is a small town, it has plenty of activities to choose from. Visiting the old town is also a must. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Bressanone has to offer. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

A weekend in La Spezia or Bressanone?

With nightlife and food around the destination of La Spezia, there's plenty to do. It offers something for everyone. Many people spend a weekend here. In a weekend, you should have a good grasp of this town.

Bressanone is a small town where visitors enjoy the museums and food. Hikers are also drawn to this area. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this town has to offer. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from.

Five days in La Spezia or Bressanone?

La Spezia, a popular town, is full of activities for travelers. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

Bressanone 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. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

A week in La Spezia or Bressanone?

La Spezia is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

Bressanone 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.

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

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 Bressanone Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, La Spezia or Bressanone?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Bressanone. When comparing the sizes of La Spezia and Bressanone, 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.