A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers La Spezia vs. Novalja for Nightlife, Backpackers, Food, and Beaches

Should you visit La Spezia or Novalja?

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 Novalja. 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. And you can't forget about the beaches, shopping, and nightlife.

Novalja

Novalja is a energetic, backpacker-filled, and wild town. The beauty of this spot is also one of the main reasons why visitors come. Visitors also love the nightlife and beaches.

La Spezia and Novalja: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in La Spezia or Novalja?

Visitors will usually find more to do in La Spezia than Novalja, as it offers more sights, attractions, and activities. La Spezia is better known for its museums, food, historical sights, and shopping, while Novalja is more popular for its nightlife, resorts, beaches, and impressive beauty. La Spezia is well known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Also, La Spezia is famous for The Maritime Museum. Novalja is well known for its crazy beach parties and popularity with the young backpacker crowd.

How is La Spezia different from Novalja?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

La Spezia is a town with a few options for its museums and landmarks. However, Novalja is a town with minimal options for its historical sights.

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.

If you're looking to pass the time, head to a museum or historic sight in Novalja. It's a beach and party destination, not somewhere you go for museums or historical sights.

Is the Food Better in La Spezia or Novalja? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

La Spezia is a great destination for its restaurant scene. However, Novalja is a town with minimal options for its local flavors and cuisine.

Eating is part of the travel experience when you visit La Spezia. 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.

Novalja may not make the list for most foodies, but you'll find what you need while you're in town. You'll find a lot of places to grab a quick bite to eat or a cheap meal around town. There are pizzerias, fast food, and some nicer bistros to choose from.

Is La Spezia or Novalja Better for Nightlife?

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

Novalja is a party destination, and you'll find plenty of activity all night long. This is a party island, and you'll find most of the action around Zrce Beach, which is about a 20 minute drive from town. The party scene appeals to the young, backpacker crowd and there's live music, DJs, and parties that last well into the morning. Zrce Beach has a huge number of bars and clubs including three clubs that are listed on the Top 100 DJ's Magazine Best Clubs List.

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 Novalja Better for Resorts?

Novalja is a decent place to visit for its luxury resorts. However, La Spezia is not a resort destination.

Not known for its high-end resorts, Novalja offers a few options. Most of the accommodation is in the form of apartments or hostels. There are also some hotels on the island, but because the number is limited they can be quite expensive.

La Spezia is not a resort destination.

Is La Spezia or Novalja Better for Beaches?

Novalja 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 Novalja for it's beautiful beaches. You'll find a mix of beaches near town including hidden gems that feel remote and undiscovered as well as wild party beaches like the famed Zrce Beach. Many beaches are pebbly or have coarse sand with turquoise blue waters.

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 Novalja Better for its Old Town?

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

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

Novalja does not have a historic old town.

Is the Shopping Better in La Spezia or Novalja?

La Spezia is a popular place for its shopping opportunities. However, Novalja is a town with minimal options for its shopping areas.

La Spezia offers some nice shopping areas. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Shopping in Novalja can be found for those interested. This isn't the place to go shopping for clothing or local items. You will find some beach and souvenir shops around town though.

Is La Spezia or Novalja Better for Families?

La Spezia is a popular place for its family-friendly activities. However, Novalja 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, Novalja is not always the best place to visit. While there are family-friendly places to visit like some beaches and waterparks, at its heart this is a party destination that is known for its wild parties and crazy crowds.

Is La Spezia or Novalja Better for Couples?

La Spezia is a great destination for its romantic activities. Also, Novalja is still popular, but not quite as popular for couples.

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.

Novalja is a good town for couples to visit. Stunning beaches, blue waters, and surreal landscapes make this a one-of-a-kind place to visit. But romance isn't on most people's minds, as this is first and foremost a party destination.

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

Novalja is very popular for backpackers and budget travelers. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for backpackers.

With so many budget-friendly offerings, Novalja is extremely popular for backpackers. Famous for its wild parties that attract backpackers and young travelers, this island destination has become a hotspot for backpackers and party-goers. There are hostels around town that offer a cheap place to crash.

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.

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

Visitors will find notable public transit in both La Spezia and Novalja.

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 Novalja, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. There are local buses around the island or you can rent a personal vehicle like a motorbike or scooter.

Is La Spezia or Novalja a more walkable city?

La Spezia is a great destination for its high level of walkability. Also, Novalja is still popular, but not quite as popular for its ease of walking around.

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.

Novalja is a somewhat walkable town. In town, you can reach most places on foot, but if you want to explore further you'll need to find another way to get around.

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

Should I spend more time in Novalja or La Spezia?

How long in La Spezia or Novalja?

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

Families should spend more time in La Spezia than Novalja. 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 Novalja. 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 Novalja 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 Novalja.

One day in La Spezia or Novalja?

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 nightlife around the town of Novalja. 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 Novalja?

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 nightlife around the backpacker-filled destination of Novalja. People usually spend lots of time at the beach. 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 Novalja?

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 when visiting the energetic town of Novalja. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. It's also a great beach destination, too. Most people head to the area for the nightlife. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

A week in La Spezia or Novalja?

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.

Novalja 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 2-Week Tours from Dubrovnik, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Split.

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

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 Novalja Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, La Spezia or Novalja?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Novalja. When comparing the sizes of La Spezia and Novalja, 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.