A Travel Price Comparison for Italy Messina vs. La Spezia for Food, Nightlife, Families, and Couples

Should you visit Messina 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 Messina 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.

Messina

Messina is a bustling, local, and historic port city. 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

La Spezia is a convenient, cultural, and lively town. It's also known for beaches, shopping, and nightlife.

Messina and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Messina or La Spezia?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Messina than La Spezia. It is bigger and it has more sights, attractions, and activities for travelers. Messina is very popular for its museums, nightlife, and big city activities, while La Spezia attracts visitors for its food, beaches, and historical sights. La Spezia is more touristy than Messina and is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Messina is famous for being the entry and departure point to Sicily for those traveling by ferry. It is also well known for Piazza del Duomo.

How is Messina different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

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

Messina offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. There are a number of historic sights around town including the Cathedral and the Piazza del Duomo, the Bell Tower and Astronomical Clock, Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani, and the Regional Museum. There are also many ornate fountains around town.

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

La Spezia is well known for its restaurant scene. Also, Messina is still popular, but not quite as popular for its local flavors and cuisine.

With its innovative style combined with traditional elements, La Spezia makes for a great culinary experience. 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.

Messina has a delicious restaurant scene that relies on local flavors. The city's cuisine is a mix of the cultures that have influenced Sicily over the centuries. The city has a longstanding fishing industry and one of the most popular dishes are swordfish rolls. Also try the pidone (similar to calzones with different fillings), and the focaccia (a local bread).

Is Messina or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Messina 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.

Messina has a large number of nightlife venues. The nightlife scene is mostly centered around the old town and you'll find a mix of locals and tourists hanging out in pubs and bars. During the summer months there are often free outdoor concerts to enjoy.

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 Messina or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is a town with good options for its beaches. However, Messina is not particularly known for the beache.

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.

You can check out the beach in Messina. There are pebbly beaches in the area that are becoming more popular with tourists.

Is Messina or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

La Spezia is a town with good options for its historic old town. However, Messina does not have a historic old town.

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

Messina does not have a historic old town.

Is the Shopping Better in Messina or La Spezia?

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

Messina is a great destination for shopping. The best shopping is around Piazza Cairoli with the main shopping streets being Viale Europa and Viale San Martino. There are many small boutiques that have cheaper prices than some of the more upscale Sicilian towns.

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.

Is Messina or La Spezia Better for Families?

Messina 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, Messina is very family-friendly. There are a number outdoor activities that kids will enjoy including Parco Avventura Dei Peloritani, which has ropes and obstacle courses. There's also the Karting Center, which is fun for the whole family, or a small aquarium in town. If you're looking for an excursion outside of town, head to Cascata Cataolo waterfall, which is very kid-friendly.

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 Messina or La Spezia Better for Couples?

La Spezia is well known for romance. Also, Messina is still popular, but not quite as popular for its romantic activities.

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.

Messina makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. Most visitors see the city as an arrival or departure point for Sicily, but those couples who linger will appreciate a number of historical sights and a nice atmosphere.

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

La Spezia is well known for backpackers. Also, Messina is still popular, but not quite as popular for backpackers and budget travelers.

Backpackers come from all over to visit La Spezia. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

Plenty of backpackers visit Messina. If you're traveling by train or ferry, you'll likely arrive or depart from this city. There are a number of hostels and cheap guesthouses around town that offer affordable accommodation.

Is Messina or La Spezia Better for Students?

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

Plenty of students visit Messina. There are a few study abroad opportunities that bring international students to town. The city also have good transportation connections and a friendly atmosphere that is welcoming to students.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

You'll find somewhat comparable public transit options in both Messina and La Spezia.

You'll find some public transit in Messina, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. If your legs are tired then there's an efficient bus system that you can use.

While La Spezia offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. Buses, trains, and ferry boats offer the main forms of transportation in the area.

Is Messina or La Spezia a more walkable city?

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

Messina is very walkable. Most of the city's attractions can be reached on foot and the port is a ten to fifteen minute walk from Piazza del Duomo.

La Spezia is a very walkable port city. 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 Messina Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Messina?

How long in Messina or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Messina and La Spezia. In our opinion, La Spezia has more to see and do, so we recommend spending more time in La Spezia than Messina. However, 2-3 days is a good amount of time to spend in either destination.

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

Couples should spend more time in La Spezia than Messina. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in La Spezia that are perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

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

You'll find shopping and museums around the port city of Messina. 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.

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.

A weekend in Messina or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the bustling destination of Messina. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this port city has to offer. This port city offers a variety of activities to choose from.

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.

Five days in Messina or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the historic port city of Messina. 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.

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.

A week in Messina or La Spezia?

Messina 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.

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Italy, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Italy, The Best Walking Tours in Italy, and The Best Luxury Tours to Italy.

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

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

Which is Bigger, Messina or La Spezia?

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