A Travel Price Comparison for Italy La Spezia vs. Lake Garda for Families, Food, Nightlife, and Beaches

Should you visit La Spezia or Lake Garda?

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 Lake Garda. 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 cultural, lively, and convenient town. Visitors also love the food, beaches, and shopping.

Lake Garda

Lake Garda is a playful, fun, and energetic lake. The beauty of this spot is also one of the main reasons why visitors come. Visitors also love the food, beaches, and hiking.

La Spezia and Lake Garda: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in La Spezia or Lake Garda?

Visitors will usually find more to do in Lake Garda than La Spezia, as it offers more sights, attractions, and activities. Lake Garda is better known for its museums, nightlife, beaches, hiking, and impressive beauty, while La Spezia is more popular for its historical sights. La Spezia is well known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Lake Garda is well known for its beautiful setting, charming towns, and fun amusement parks. Also, Lake Garda is famous for Sirmione.

How is La Spezia different from Lake Garda?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Lake Garda offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. While most people come for the natural beauty, there are also great castles that you can explore. Castello Scaligeri, Grotte di Catullo, and Castello Scaligero.

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 Lake Garda? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Both La Spezia and Lake Garda offer superb 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 Lake Garda is an experience not to be missed. You'll find many great local restaurants in the area. Most make use of local ingredients such as olive oil, lemons, wine, and fish. Pasta and risotto are both popular throughout the area as well.

Is La Spezia or Lake Garda Better for Nightlife?

Lake Garda is a very popular place for nightlife and partying. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its evening party scene.

Lake Garda has a large number of nightlife venues. You'll find clubs and bars in various towns that make for a great nightlife scene. You'll even find beach parties and fireworks shows during the most popular times of the year.

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 La Spezia or Lake Garda Better for Beaches?

Lake Garda is a very popular place for the beache. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for the beach.

Many people visit Lake Garda for it's beautiful beaches. Despite there being no ocean, there are many great swimming beaches in the area. Many have sand and great places to relax. There's also plenty of watersports to choose from.

La Spezia is a good option for a beach vacation. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Is La Spezia or Lake Garda Better for its Old Town?

La Spezia is a popular place for its old town. However, Lake Garda does not have a historic old town.

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.

Lake Garda does not have a historic old town.

Is La Spezia or Lake Garda Better for Hiking?

Lake Garda 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 Lake Garda. There are many great walking and hiking trails in the area that take you through the natural beauty, connect the charming towns, and offer spectacular viewpoints.

La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

Is the Shopping Better in La Spezia or Lake Garda?

Shoppers can find a variety of notable stores in both La Spezia and Lake Garda.

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 Lake Garda to go shopping. Many villages around the lake are great for shopping. You'll find clothing stores, jewelry shops, and souvenir vendors with something for everyone.

Is La Spezia or Lake Garda Better for Families?

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

With a huge array of activities for kids, Lake Garda is very family-friendly. The nearby amusement parks, including Gardaland, make this a popular destination for families. The area also has many places to swim, trails to explore, and castles to experience. Kids and adults alike will love this amazing kid-friendly area.

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 Lake Garda Better for Couples?

La Spezia and Lake Garda both superb 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 Lake Garda frequently as it offers plenty of romantic activities. You'll find a lot of families in the area because of the amusement parks, but that doesn't mean that this isn't a romantic and beautiful spot for couples. There are many charming towns to explore and scenic viewpoints to check out. There are also excellent romantic restaurants that you should try.

Is La Spezia or Lake Garda Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

La Spezia is an excellent place to visit for backpackers and budget travelers. Also, Lake Garda is not quite as popular, but is fairly good 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.

Lake Garda is popular with backpackers and budget travelers. There are a few good hostels around the lake that are affordable and fun. The area also see enough backpackers to keep the atmosphere fun and social.

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

Lake Garda 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.

Lake Garda has some very good public transit options. There are ferries, buses, and trains in the area.

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 Lake Garda a more walkable city?

La Spezia and Lake Garda are superb 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.

Lake Garda is a very walkable destination. There are walking trails that connect the villages around the lake and this how many people choose to get around.

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

Should I spend more time in Lake Garda or La Spezia?

How long in La Spezia or Lake Garda?

It's fun to spend time in either La Spezia or Lake Garda. Generally, people tend to spend more time in Lake Garda 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 Lake Garda.

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

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

One day in La Spezia or Lake Garda?

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.

You'll find shopping and museums around the lake of Lake Garda. Many visitors spend time at the beach while visiting the area. 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 Lake Garda?

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.

You'll find museums and nightlife around the playful destination of Lake Garda. 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 lake has to offer. This lake offers a variety of activities to choose from.

Five days in La Spezia or Lake Garda?

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.

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the scenic lake of Lake Garda. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. It's also a great beach destination, too. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

A week in La Spezia or Lake Garda?

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.

Lake Garda is a popular choice for travelers. It's a great spot for a beach vacation. 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 Lake Garda, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Lake Garda much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Lake Garda would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lake Garda 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 Lake Garda.

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 Lake Garda Expensive?.