A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers La Spezia vs. Puerto del Carmen for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit La Spezia or Puerto del Carmen?

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 Puerto del Carmen. 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.

Where Should I go: La Spezia or Puerto del Carmen?

La Spezia

Located on the coast beside the Ligurian Sea, La Spezia is known for its military and commercial harbors hosting the arsenal of the Italian Navy. It is also well connected by rail and by boat to Cinque Terre National Park - a unique collection of five medieval villages along the coastline - as well as other coastal towns of the region. Other attractions include a number of museums as well as an annual boat race called Palio de Golfo.

Puerto del Carmen

Located on the south-eastern coast of the Canary Island of Lanzarote, Puerto del Carmen is a popular resort area best known for its high concentration of bars, pubs, restaurants, and clubs. By day, visitors frequent the beaches for swimming, sunbathing, windsurfing, and other watersports - and by night, they flock to enjoy the live music and drinks of the area's thriving nightlife.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Italy, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy, The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Madrid.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto del Carmen or La Spezia?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in La Spezia is €198, while the average daily cost in Puerto del Carmen is €173. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for La Spezia and Puerto del Carmen in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    La Spezia 113
    Puerto del Carmen 98
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    La Spezia 226
    Puerto del Carmen 196
Compare Hotels in La Spezia and Puerto del Carmen

Looking for a hotel in La Spezia or Puerto del Carmen? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in La Spezia


Hotels in Puerto del Carmen


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: La Spezia Hotel Prices and Puerto del Carmen Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    La Spezia 41
    Puerto del Carmen 39

Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Spezia

Also for La Spezia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from La Spezia to Cinque Terre by car or van: $142
  • Private Transfer from La Spezia Port to La Spezia Hotels: $22
  • Private Transfer from La Spezia Cruise Port to Pisa Airport (PSA): $92
  • Private Transfer Porto Venere or Lerici to La Spezia by car / van: $91
  • La Spezia Cruise Port to La Spezia hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $44
  • La Spezia Cruise Port to La Spezia hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $22
  • La Spezia Cruise Port to Florence - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $260
  • Arrival Private Transfer from La Spezia to Porto Venere or Lerici: $91

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto del Carmen

Also for Puerto del Carmen, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Lanzarote : Parasailing activity with hotel transfer: $102

Is it cheaper to fly into La Spezia or Puerto del Carmen?

Prices for flights to both Puerto del Carmen and La Spezia change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    La Spezia 56
    Puerto del Carmen 51

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Spezia

For La Spezia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • La Spezia Cinque Terre Food Tour: $91
  • Small-Group Street Food Tour: $95
  • Tour of Apericena at Sunset and Dinner on Boat: $96
  • Portovenere: Sunset Cruise with Aperitif and Dinner: $96
  • La Spezia Cinque Terre Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience: $97
  • Cesarine: Dining & Cooking Demo at Local's Home in La Spezia: $115
  • Porto Venere & Islands Sunset Boat Tour w/ Dinner: $138
  • Market Tour & Lunch/Dinner at a Cesarina's Home: $149
  • Private Cooking Class in an Italian Home: $155
  • Market Visit and Seafood Cooking Class with Lunch: $156
  • Cesarine: Home Cooking Class & Meal with a Local in La Spezia: $158
  • Private Pizza & Tiramisu Class at a Cesarina's home with tasting in La Spezia: $158

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    La Spezia 37
    Puerto del Carmen 17

Tours and Activities in La Spezia

For La Spezia, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 4-Hour Guided Boat Tour with Aperitif at Sunset in Spezia: $137
  • 6-Hour Guided Tour Portovenere and Cinque Terre with aperitif: $109
  • Afternoon Boat Tour to Cinque Terre with brunch on board: $153
  • Boat Tour of the 3 Islands & Portovenere: $66
  • Boat Tours 5 Terre: $137
  • Boat tour 5 terre & Portovenere Food - drink - music - swim : $163
  • Boat tour Cinque Terre and Gulf of Poets from La Spezia: $186
  • Caving adventure at the Caves of Equi Alpi Apuane: $142
  • Cesarine: Market Tour & Dining at a Local's Home in La Spezia: $152
  • Cinque Terre & Portovenere: Boat Tour: $142
  • Cinque Terre Gems: UNESCO Sites & Secrets Tour: $619
  • Cinque Terre SHARED boat tour, Amazing Experience : $164

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    La Spezia 35
    Puerto del Carmen 60

Sample the Local Flavors in La Spezia

Also in La Spezia, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • boat tour with seafood and wine tasting: $214
  • Lucca city tour and Pisa tower + wine tasting from La Spezia Port: $217


When comparing the travel costs between La Spezia and Puerto del Carmen, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

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 Puerto del Carmen Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, La Spezia or Puerto del Carmen?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Puerto del Carmen. When comparing the sizes of La Spezia and Puerto del Carmen, 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.

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