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

Should you visit Porto or La Spezia?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Porto and La Spezia can help you decide which place is right for you.

Porto

Porto is a cultural, cosmopolitan, and dynamic port city. Travelers will also find plenty of sights and attractions here, as it's a big city that attracts lots of visitors. 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 convenient, cultural, and lively town. Other reasons to visit include shopping, nightlife, and food.

Porto and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Porto or La Spezia?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Porto than La Spezia. It is bigger and it has more sights, attractions, and activities for travelers. Porto is very popular for its museums, food, nightlife, historical sights, big city activities, and impressive beauty, while La Spezia attracts visitors for its beaches. Porto is famous for its authentic old town and the local port wine. It is also well known for Cais da Ribeira. La Spezia is famous for being the gateway to Cinque Terre.

How is Porto different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Porto 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 Porto. With such a long history, there are many landmarks and sights in the city. Popular attractions include the Clérigos Tower, Palácio da Bolsa, and Igreja de São Francisco.

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

Porto is very popular for its restaurants. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its restaurant scene.

Eat your way through Porto, as it has many local or world renowned restaurants to choose from. The area's cuisine combines the ocean setting with the agriculture of the surrounding area, so you'll enjoy both seafood dishes as well as fresh meats and vegetables. The area is also famous for its Port wines and red wines. There are plenty of cellar tours as well was waterfront seafood restaurants to choose from.

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.

Is Porto or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Porto 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.

Porto has a large number of nightlife venues. This city comes to life in the evening, particularly on weekends when locals and tourists alike flock to the many bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.

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 Porto or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is very good for its beaches. However, Porto is not a beach destination.

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.

Porto is not a beach destination.

Is Porto or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

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

There are many historical things to see in the old town of Porto. Known as Porto Ribeira, the city's historic district is the most visited part of the town. It begins on the banks of the River Douro and climbs into the hills behind it.

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 Porto or La Spezia?

If you're looking to go shopping, Porto and La Spezia both offer plenty of nice spots.

Plenty of visitors enjoy shopping while in Porto. The city has both your standard shopping mall stores as well as local vendors and boutique shops.

La Spezia offers some nice shopping areas. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Is Porto or La Spezia Better for Families?

Porto 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, Porto is very family-friendly. The city has several cool museums including the interactive museum - The World of Discoveries. There are also parks, playgrounds, zoos, and aquariums that you can explore. For families that enjoy being outside, this is a great city. Kids will enjoy spotting street art, riding the funicular, and taking a cellar tour. If the kids need a break from the city, head to the beach for the day.

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 Porto or La Spezia Better for Couples?

Both Porto and La Spezia are high quality destinations to visit as a couple.

Porto is a great port city if you're traveling as a couple. You can visit the palaces, enjoy shopping, or dine in a nice Portuguese restaurant. Take a cellar tour and sample port then catch a ride on the funicular. This city has plenty for couples to do on a romantic getaway.

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.

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

Porto is very popular for backpackers and budget travelers. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for backpackers.

With so many budget-friendly offerings, Porto is extremely popular for backpackers. By combining world-class activities with affordability, this city has become a popular stop off for backpackers in the area.

La Spezia is a very popular port city for backpackers and budget travelers. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

Is Porto or La Spezia Better for Students?

Porto is a very popular place for its student-friendly activities. However, La Spezia is not popular with students.

Many students visit Porto. The city has a number of good research programs and study abroad opportunities that attract international students from around the world.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

Porto is a very popular place for times when you don't have a car. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its public transit.

Porto has some very good public transit options. There is a metro system as well as a bus system. While the metro system does have six lines, most stations aren't close to the tourist attractions, so it likely won't be that helpful to visitors.

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.

Is Porto or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Porto and La Spezia are high quality when it comes to walkability.

Porto is very walkable. The city center is very compact with most of the sights within a short walk of each other. The area is also very hilly, so getting from place to place can require a bit of effort.

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 Porto Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Porto?

How long in Porto or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Porto and La Spezia. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Porto than in La Spezia. Usually, 2-5 days is a good amount of time for Porto, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Porto than La Spezia 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 Porto.

One day in Porto or La Spezia?

People visit Porto because there is so much to do. Visiting the old town is also a must. 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, 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 Porto or La Spezia?

People visit Porto because there is so much to do. 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 port city has to offer. This port 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 Porto or La Spezia?

People visit Porto because there is so much to do. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. If you have five days, this port city makes for a great vacation. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. Most people head to the area for the food. Five days should give you a good understanding of everything this port city has to offer.

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 Porto or La Spezia?

Porto 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 convenient 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 Family-Friendly Tours to Portugal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Italy, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy.

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

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

Which is Bigger, Porto or La Spezia?

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