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

Should you visit La Spezia or Rijeka?

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 Rijeka. 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 nightlife, food, and beaches.

Rijeka

Rijeka is a coastal, accessible, and diverse town. It's a large city, so you'll find plenty of things to do around town. Visitors also love the food, shopping, and museums.

La Spezia and Rijeka: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in La Spezia or Rijeka?

Travelers will usually find more to do in Rijeka than La Spezia, as it is bigger with more sights, attractions, and activities for visitors. Rijeka is more popular for its museums, nightlife, and big city activities, while La Spezia is known for its food, beaches, and historical sights. La Spezia is more touristy than Rijeka and is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Rijeka is popular for being a transportation hub in Croatia with a ferry and cruise ship port. It is also home to Trsat Castle.

How is La Spezia different from Rijeka?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Rijeka offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. Historical sights around town include Trsat Castle, the Petar Druzic Stairway, and Our Lady of Trsat. There are also museums such as PEEK&POKE Computer Museum and the Governor's Palace and Maritime and Historical Museum.

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 Rijeka? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

La Spezia is a well-known place for its local cuisine and restaurants. Also, Rijeka is not as famous, but is still a good town to visit for its restaurants.

Dining out in La Spezia is an experience not to be missed. 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.

There are plenty of up and coming restaurants around Rijeka. It's known for its Mediterranean cuisine which includes more than seafood. There are local vegetable specialties in the area as well including asparagus and white truffles. Codfish stew and cuttlefish risotto are also popular.

Is La Spezia or Rijeka Better for Nightlife?

Rijeka 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.

Rijeka has a large number of nightlife venues. The city center has plenty of bars and clubs. Restaurants also stay open late and are popular places to hang out for locals and tourists alike.

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 Rijeka Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is very good for the beach. However, Rijeka is not a good town for its beaches.

Many people head to La Spezia to enjoy the beach. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Rijeka is a good spot to see the beach. There are pebbly and gravelly beaches in the area, with the best beaches to the west of the city. You'll need to take a public bus to reach most of them.

Is La Spezia or Rijeka Better for its Old Town?

La Spezia is very good for its historic old town charm. However, Rijeka does not have a historic old town.

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.

Rijeka does not have a historic old town.

Is the Shopping Better in La Spezia or Rijeka?

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

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 Rijeka to go shopping. There are many shopping centers, retail stores, and souvenir shops around town.

Is La Spezia or Rijeka Better for Families?

Rijeka 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, Rijeka is very family-friendly. The city has a number of outdoor activities for kids like nature parks and nearby beaches. There's also a puppet theater as well as the Astronomical Center of Rijeka.

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 Rijeka Better for Couples?

La Spezia is a well-known place for couples. Also, Rijeka is not as famous, but is still a good town to visit for romance.

La Spezia is a very popular place to visit for couples. It makes a nice base for visiting nearby sights if the more popular Cinque Terre area is too overwhelming.

Rijeka is a nice destination for couples. It's a gateway to the Croatian islands. Many couples enjoy walking down the waterfront promenade or dining at a nice local restaurant. There are also beaches, parks, and historical sights to explore.

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

La Spezia is a well-known place for backpackers. Also, Rijeka is not as famous, but is still a good town to visit 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.

It's common for backpackers to visit Rijeka. There's no shortage of affordable hostels around town for backpackers and budget travelers.

Is La Spezia or Rijeka Better for Students?

Rijeka is a good destination for its student-friendly activities. However, La Spezia is not popular with students.

Plenty of students visit Rijeka. It's a laid back seaside city that makes a nice semester abroad destination. As a gateway to the Croatian islands, it also offers transportation connections to other points of interest.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

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

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 Rijeka, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. KD Autrolej buses provide transit throughout the city.

Is La Spezia or Rijeka a more walkable city?

La Spezia is a well-known place for its ease of walking around. Also, Rijeka is not as famous, but is still a good town to visit for its walkability.

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

Rijeka is somewhat walkable. Parts of the city are more walkable than others.

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

Should I spend more time in Rijeka or La Spezia?

How long in La Spezia or Rijeka?

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

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

Couples should spend more time in La Spezia than Rijeka. 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 La Spezia than Rijeka 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 Rijeka?

Many travelers enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the destination of La Spezia. 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 town of Rijeka. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Rijeka has to offer. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

A weekend in La Spezia or Rijeka?

La Spezia is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. With all of its activities, you can easily fill a weekend here. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

You'll find museums and nightlife around the diverse destination of Rijeka. 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 Rijeka?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in La Spezia. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the coastal town of Rijeka. 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 Rijeka?

Travelers enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the lively destination of La Spezia. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

Rijeka 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 Adventure Tours to Croatia, and The Best Cruise Tours and Packages in Croatia.

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

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 Rijeka Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, La Spezia or Rijeka?

Rijeka has a larger population, and is about 54% larger than the population of La Spezia. When comparing the sizes of La Spezia and Rijeka, 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.