A Travel Price Comparison for Italy Lucca vs. La Spezia for Old Town, Attractions, Food, and Couples

Should you visit Lucca or La Spezia?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Lucca and La Spezia can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Lucca

Lucca is a charming, quaint, and popular city. The beauty of this spot is also one of the main reasons why visitors come. Visitors also love the food, shopping, and museums.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a lively, convenient, and cultural town. Other popular activities here include beaches, shopping, and nightlife.

Lucca and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Lucca or La Spezia?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Lucca. Although Lucca and La Spezia are both popular with visitors, Lucca has more sights, activities, and attractions for travelers. Lucca is more popular for its museums, historical sights, and impressive beauty, while La Spezia is known for its beaches. Lucca is popular for its ancient city walls and its many historic buildings. It is also home to The Guinigi Tower. La Spezia is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre.

How is Lucca different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between La Spezia and Lucca. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Lucca or La Spezia?

Lucca is a very popular place for its museums and history. However, La Spezia is lacking in good options for its museums and landmarks.

Visitors can fill many days exploring the museums and attractions around Lucca. There are many interesting historic sights and buildings around this charming town. You can climb to the top of the Guinigi Tower or visit the Roman Amphitheater. Many visitors enjoy walking or biking around the city walls as well. Also make sure you visit the cathedral.

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 Lucca or La Spezia? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Dining out at restaurants in both Lucca and La Spezia can be an enjoyable experience.

Dining out in Lucca is an experience not to be missed. There are many great Tuscan restaurants inside the city walls. Perhaps the most popular local dish is tordelli Lucchesi. Its a meat filled pasta that has a beef ragu sauce. There are also other Tuscan recipes that include steak, boar, or rabbit.

The food selection at local restaurants is excellent in 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.

Is Lucca or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Party-goers will find similar levels of energy in Lucca and La Spezia.

Lucca has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. The nightlife scene is most lively during the spring and summer months when tourists crowd into the city. For the highest concentration of bars, clubs, and lounges, head to Piazza Amfiteatro, Piazza San Michele and Via Fillungo.

If you're looking for night time activities La Spezia has a few options to choose from. 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 Lucca or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is a town with good options for the beach. However, Lucca is not a beach destination.

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

Lucca is not a beach destination.

Is Lucca or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Lucca is very popular for its old town. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its historic old town charm.

Lucca has a world-famous historical area. The historic city is surrounded by city walls, which you can walk around. Within the walls there are cobblestone streets and a charming atmosphere.

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.

Is the Shopping Better in Lucca or La Spezia?

Shopping is a popular activity in both La Spezia and Lucca.

Many visitors go to Lucca to go shopping. The city is filled with a mix of tourist shops and more authentic local vendors. If you look hard, you can still find some interesting local items that make for a more unique and personal shopping experience.

Plenty of visitors enjoy shopping while in La Spezia. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Is Lucca or La Spezia Better for Families?

Both Lucca and La Spezia are good to visit with kids.

You'll find plenty of kid-friendly things to do in Lucca. You can pass through town in a day or two, or stay longer and use it as a base for exploring Tuscany. There are playgrounds for the kids as well as some fun activities like cycling the city walls and climbing towers.

La Spezia offers lots of family activities. 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 Lucca or La Spezia Better for Couples?

Both Lucca and La Spezia are very good destinations for a couple's getaway.

Couples visit Lucca frequently as it offers plenty of romantic activities. It's a beautiful city with good restaurants and access to nice countryside. Couples who want to explore Tuscany can use this town as a base to take in much of the region.

La Spezia is a great city if you're traveling as a couple. It makes a nice base for visiting nearby sights if the more popular Cinque Terre area is too overwhelming.

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

La Spezia is well known for backpackers. Also, Lucca is still popular, but not quite as popular 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.

Plenty of backpackers visit Lucca. While there aren't many traditional hostels around town, guesthouses are usually affordable.

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

La Spezia is a town with good options for its public transit. However, Lucca is not particularly known for times when you don't have a car.

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.

Public transit is quite limited in Lucca. There's no public transit within the city so if you can't walk somewhere, you'll want to take a taxi. In general, walking is the best option though.

Is Lucca or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Lucca and La Spezia both are very good when exploring on foot.

Lucca is a very walkable destination. Much of the city can be explored on foot.

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

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

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Lucca?

How long in Lucca or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Lucca and La Spezia. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in La Spezia than in Lucca. Usually, 1-2 days is a good amount of time for Lucca, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in La Spezia than Lucca 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 Lucca or La Spezia?

You'll find shopping and museums around the city of Lucca. Visiting the old town is also a must. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Lucca has to offer. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

In La Spezia, many people enjoy the nightlife and food that this convenient destination offers. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

A weekend in Lucca or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the quaint destination of Lucca. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in La Spezia. For many, it makes a great getaway for a weekend. This would be the perfect place to spend a weekend, as it has just the right amount of activities. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

Five days in Lucca or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the quaint city of Lucca. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

La Spezia is a fun place to experience. Travelers enjoy the shopping and nightlife when visiting the destination of La Spezia. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything.

A week in Lucca or La Spezia?

Lucca is a popular choice for travelers. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. 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.

You'll find nightlife and food around the lively destination of La Spezia. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy, The Best Historical Tours in Italy, The Best 10-Day Tours in Italy, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Italy.

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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Lucca Expensive? and Is La Spezia Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Lucca or La Spezia?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 12% larger than the population of Lucca. When comparing the sizes of Lucca and La Spezia, 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.