A Travel Price Comparison for Italy La Spezia vs. Genoa for Attractions, Food, Families, and Couples

Should you visit La Spezia or Genoa?

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 Genoa. 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. It's also popular because of the shopping, nightlife, and food.

Genoa

Genoa is a vibrant, colorful, and energetic port city. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. Visitors also love the food, shopping, and museums.

La Spezia and Genoa: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in La Spezia or Genoa?

Travelers will usually find more to do in Genoa than La Spezia, as it is bigger with more sights, attractions, and activities for visitors. Genoa is more popular for its museums and impressive beauty, while La Spezia is known for its beaches. La Spezia is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Genoa is popular for its maritime history, its vibrant cultural scene, and being the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. It is also home to The Via Garibaldi Palaces.

How is La Spezia different from Genoa?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

Genoa 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 Genoa. The city has a long history and it is filled with monuments, palaces, and museums. Popular places to visit include the Via Garibaldi Palaces, the aquarium (one of the largest in Europe), the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, and Santi Ambrogio.

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 Genoa? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Both La Spezia and Genoa 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 Genoa is an experience not to be missed. The city's maritime roots have influenced its cuisine and you'll find seafood in many local dishes. Other classic Genoese flavors include pesto, anchovies, fried squid, and focaccia and cheese.

Is La Spezia or Genoa Better for Nightlife?

The good nightlife scene is relatively similar in La Spezia and Genoa.

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.

Genoa has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. The city lights up at night and it's fun to experience the activity and energy. There's a nice evening atmosphere with many people out and about. You can grab drinks in Piazza Lavagna or see live music in Porto Antico. There are also many bars and clubs around town.

Is La Spezia or Genoa Better for Beaches?

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

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.

Genoa is a good spot to see the beach. While many people head to other nearby towns to enjoy the beach, you will also find a beach just ten minutes from the old town by bus. Boccadasse is one of the closest beaches to town. It's also possible to do a day trip to other more famous beaches in the area, but you need to be prepared to travel a bit farther.

Is La Spezia or Genoa Better for its Old Town?

Visitors enjoy the good old town areas in both La Spezia and Genoa.

Plenty of visitors enjoy exploring the old town in La Spezia. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Genoa offers a nice historic old town area. The old town is large and complex, with many different time periods represented in the architecture and development style.

Is the Shopping Better in La Spezia or Genoa?

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

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 Genoa to go shopping. You can pick up a number of different souvenirs around town including baskets, t-shirts, and local pesto. Popular shopping areas include Galleria Mazzini, Via Roma, and Via XX Settembr.

Is La Spezia or Genoa Better for Families?

Genoa is a very popular place for its kid-friendly activities. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its family-friendly activities.

Because of its large number of kid-friendly activities, Genoa is very family-friendly. The city is home to the second biggest aquarium in Europe as well as the Galata Maritime Museum and the Nazario Sauro Submarine. In the port there's also Vascello Nettuno, which was a pirate ship that was used in the filming of the movie 'Pirates' by Roman Polanski. Other fun kid-friendly attractions include La Biosfera, The Children's Museum, and the Bigo Lift.

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 La Spezia or Genoa Better for Couples?

La Spezia and Genoa both great 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 Genoa frequently as it offers plenty of romantic activities. It's a beautiful port city with charming neighborhoods and some great restaurants. Couples will enjoy exploring this beautiful city and visiting its palaces and cathedrals.

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

La Spezia and Genoa are both great destinations 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.

Genoa is a very popular town for backpackers and budget travelers. There are a number of affordable hostels in the area, and while this isn't the top backpacker destination in Italy, it is a nice place to spend some time.

Is La Spezia or Genoa Better for Students?

Genoa is a very popular place for its student-friendly activities. However, La Spezia is not popular with students.

Many students visit Genoa. It's a popular study abroad destination so you'll find a number of international students in the area. The city is also well connected for exploring the region.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

Genoa is a very popular place for times when you don't have a car. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its public transit.

Genoa has some very good public transit options. There's a wide range of different public transit options that are all operated by AMT. The system includes buses, an underground (one line), funiculars (two), lifts (ten), a boat, cogwheel and narrow gauge railways.

You'll find some public transit in La Spezia, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. Buses, trains, and ferry boats offer the main forms of transportation in the area.

Is La Spezia or Genoa a more walkable city?

La Spezia and Genoa are great 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.

Genoa is a very walkable destination. The old town, where most tourists spend the majority of their time, is easy to explore on foot.

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

Should I spend more time in Genoa or La Spezia?

How long in La Spezia or Genoa?

It's fun to spend time in either La Spezia or Genoa. Generally, people tend to spend more time in Genoa due to the larger number of activities and things to do. Usually, 2-3 days is a good amount of time for La Spezia, and 2-4 days is enough time in Genoa.

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Genoa 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 Genoa.

One day in La Spezia or Genoa?

In La Spezia, many people enjoy the nightlife and food that this convenient destination offers. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

You'll find shopping and museums around the port city of Genoa. 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.

A weekend in La Spezia or Genoa?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in La Spezia. For many, it makes a great getaway for a weekend. This would be the perfect place to spend a weekend, as it has just the right amount of activities. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

You'll find museums and nightlife around the vibrant destination of Genoa. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this port city has to offer. This port city offers a variety of activities to choose from.

Five days in La Spezia or Genoa?

La Spezia is a fun place to experience. Travelers enjoy the shopping and nightlife when visiting the destination of La Spezia. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything.

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the colorful port city of Genoa. 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 Genoa?

You'll find nightlife and food around the convenient destination of La Spezia. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

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

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 Genoa Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, La Spezia or Genoa?

Genoa has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of La Spezia. When comparing the sizes of La Spezia and Genoa, 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.