A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers La Spezia vs. Sintra-Cascais National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit La Spezia or Sintra-Cascais National Park?

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 Sintra-Cascais National Park. 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 Sintra-Cascais National Park?

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.

Sintra-Cascais National Park

The Sintra-Cascais Natural Park is located on the west coast of Portugal and is often called the place where "the land ends and the sea begins". The UNESCO listed park is famous for being home to Cabo da Roca, a seaside cliff that is actually the westernmost part of Europe. Sintra-Cascais is interesting due to their large diversity in landscape which includes sand dunes, lakes, forests, and ocean cliffs.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Italy, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Portugal, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Portugal.


Which place is cheaper, Sintra-Cascais National Park 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 Sintra-Cascais National Park is €142. 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 Sintra-Cascais National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    La Spezia 113
    Sintra-Cascais National Park 63
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    La Spezia 226
    Sintra-Cascais National Park 126
Compare Hotels in La Spezia and Sintra-Cascais National Park

Looking for a hotel in La Spezia or Sintra-Cascais National Park? 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 Sintra-Cascais National Park


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 Sintra-Cascais National Park Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    La Spezia 41
    Sintra-Cascais National Park 61

Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Spezia

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

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

Is it cheaper to fly into La Spezia or Sintra-Cascais National Park?

Prices for flights to both Sintra-Cascais National Park 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
    Sintra-Cascais National Park 41

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
    Sintra-Cascais National Park 27

Tours and Activities in La Spezia

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

  • Hop-On Hop-Off Open-Top Bus City Tour Ticket: $27
  • From Round-Trip to Pisa Cruise Shore Excursion: $42
  • Guided Walking Tour with Italian-Inspired Music: $43
  • From La Spezia to Pisa with optional Leaning Tower Ticket: $49
  • The Sunset Tour: $54
  • Portovenere & the 3 Islands: Sunset Boat Tour from La Spezia: $58
  • From Florence & Pisa Cruise Shore Excursion: $58
  • Boat Tour of the 3 Islands & Portovenere: $66
  • Cinque Terre Tour by Boat: $68
  • Sunset Boat Tour with drinks and Snacks: $75
  • Sunset Boat Tour with Aperitivo and Snacks: $75
  • Kayak Tour Levanto Exploration and Nature: $81

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    La Spezia 35
    Sintra-Cascais National Park 13

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

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 Sintra-Cascais National Park Expensive?.


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