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

Should you visit Rouen or La Spezia?

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

Should I visit Rouen or La Spezia? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Rouen

Rouen is a historical, charming, and compact 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 cultural, lively, and convenient town. And you can't forget about the nightlife, food, and beaches.

Rouen and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Rouen or La Spezia?

Travelers will generally find more things to do in La Spezia than Rouen. While Rouen is larger than La Spezia, La Spezia has more sights and attractions for tourists. La Spezia is better known for its beaches, while Rouen is more popular for its museums and impressive beauty. La Spezia is more touristy than Rouen and is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Also, La Spezia is famous for The Maritime Museum. Rouen is well known for its architectural history, historical monuments, and sense of culture.

How is Rouen different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

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

Rouen offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. You'll find the highest concentration of sights in the city's pedestrian zone. Highlights that you should check out include Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Abbatiale Saint-Ouen, and Aître Saint-Maclou.

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

Foodies will find both Rouen and La Spezia both to be superb destinations.

Eating is part of the travel experience when you visit Rouen. There are many local specialties found in town. Make sure you try the Passe Crassane, which is a French pear. The town is also known for its cheese, chocolate, and pastries.

La Spezia has a number of nationally recognized food spots and restaurants. 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 Rouen or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Evening events are notable in both Rouen and La Spezia.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in Rouen. You'll find wine bars, trendy cocktail bars, and local pubs where you can grab a drink.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in La Spezia. 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 Rouen or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is a popular place for the beache. However, Rouen is not a beach destination.

La Spezia is a good option for a beach vacation. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Rouen is not a beach destination.

Is Rouen or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

It's fun to wander around the notable old towns in both Rouen and La Spezia.

Many people head to Rouen to see the old town. The old town is where you'll find spectacular Gothic churches and the most charming streets.

La Spezia has an old town worth visiting. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Is the Shopping Better in Rouen or La Spezia?

Both Rouen and La Spezia are notable shopping destinations.

Rouen offers some nice shopping areas. Some of the city's best shopping is found along the Rue du Gros-Horloge in the old city center. You'll find independent boutiques and well as upscale vendors.

La Spezia has a variety of shopping areas worth visiting. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Is Rouen or La Spezia Better for Families?

Kids will enjoy a visit to either Rouen or La Spezia.

Rouen is a family-friendly place to visit. This beautiful city is filled with nice parks, free museums, and towers that offer views over the city. Kids will enjoy climbing the clocktower, eating pastries, or riding a bike around town.

La Spezia is a family-friendly city. 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 Rouen or La Spezia Better for Couples?

With fun activities for couples, both Rouen and La Spezia make for a superb place to visit.

Rouen is a very popular place to visit for couples. The beautiful city makes a great retreat for couples who enjoy good food and nice architecture. There are many hidden gems around town that make this a favorite French city for many couples.

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

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

La Spezia is notable for backpackers. However, Rouen is a mediocre city for backpackers and budget travelers.

La Spezia is a great town to visit for backpackers. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

Rouen is a challenging destination for budget travelers and backpackers due to the higher prices. Backpackers may struggle to find a hostel with a social setting, but for those who make it here there are many beautiful things to see.

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

Rouen 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.

Rouen has some very good public transit options. The city has two agencies that offer public transportation. Métro du Rouen is a tramway that runs north to south from Boulingrin in the north to Saint-Sever, where it branches off into two lines (one to Technopôle and one to Georges Braque). There are also buses and rail connections to town.

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 Rouen or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Rouen and La Spezia both are superb when exploring on foot.

Rouen is a very walkable city. There are many parts of town that can easily be explored on foot.

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.

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

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Rouen?

How long in Rouen or La Spezia?

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

Couples should spend more time in Rouen than La Spezia. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Rouen 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 Rouen 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 Rouen or La Spezia?

You'll find shopping and museums around the city of Rouen. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Rouen 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 Rouen or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the historical destination of Rouen. 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 Rouen or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the relaxing city of Rouen. 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 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 Rouen or La Spezia?

Rouen 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.

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 Vineyard & Wine Tours in France, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in France, 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 Rouen and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Rouen much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Rouen would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rouen 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 Rouen.

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

Which is Bigger, Rouen or La Spezia?

Rouen has a larger population, and is about 23% larger than the population of La Spezia. When comparing the sizes of Rouen 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.