A Travel Price Comparison for Italy San Remo vs. La Spezia for Food, Beaches, Old Town, and Families

Should you visit San Remo or La Spezia?

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

Should I visit San Remo 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.

San Remo

San Remo is a historic, relaxing, and beautiful coastal city. The beauty of this spot is also one of the main reasons why visitors come. Visitors also love the food, beaches, and shopping.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a lively, convenient, and cultural town. It's also popular because of the food, beaches, and shopping.

San Remo and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in San Remo or La Spezia?

Travelers will usually find more to do in La Spezia than San Remo, as it is bigger with more sights, attractions, and activities for visitors. La Spezia is more popular for its museums, while San Remo is known for its beaches, historical sights, and impressive beauty. La Spezia is more touristy than San Remo and is known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. It is also home to The Maritime Museum. San Remo is popular for its olives, lemons, and flower market.

How is San Remo different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

La Spezia is a decent place to visit for its museums and history. However, San Remo does not have museums and landmarks.

While most people don't head to La Spezia specifically for the museums and attractions, it does offer a few options. 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.

San Remo does not have museums and landmarks.

Is the Food Better in San Remo or La Spezia? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Local dishes at restaurants are fun to try in both San Remo and La Spezia.

San Remo has a number of nationally recognized food spots and restaurants. The local restaurants are charming and sell a number of local specialties. Many traditional dishes are made with rabbit or chicken. There are also vegetable pies and sardenaira, which is a type of pizza that's made with tomatoes, garlic, and anchovies. Also make sure you pick up Baci di Sanremo, which are soft chocolate biscuits that are available in local bakeries.

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.

Is San Remo or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

The good nightlife scene is relatively similar in San Remo and La Spezia.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in San Remo. The city has a number of clubs and bars where you can enjoy a drink or hang out late into the evening. It's a pretty mellow nightlife scene, but there's still plenty of places to go as well as a local vibe that doesn't have the influx of tourists that you find in many of other Italian cities.

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 San Remo or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

San Remo is a very popular place for the beache. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for the beach.

Many people visit San Remo for it's beautiful beaches. The beautiful sandy beaches are nice to visit and it's possible to rent chairs and umbrellas in many places. The main beach in town is Spiaggia dei Porti. Other popular nearby beaches include Spiaggia dei tre ponti, which is a large public beach, and Cala degli Orsi, which is one of the most beautiful public beaches in the area.

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.

Is San Remo or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

San Remo 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 San Remo. The old quarter of Pigna is a Medieval area with narrow streets that feel as if they're frozen in time. The hills offer impressive city views and the area has a unique historic character.

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 San Remo or La Spezia?

Shoppers can find a variety of good stores in both San Remo and La Spezia.

San Remo has a variety of shopping areas worth visiting. There are local and international brands as well as a shopping mall and outlets where you can enjoy shopping.

La Spezia is a great destination for shopping. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Is San Remo or La Spezia Better for Families?

San Remo 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, San Remo is very family-friendly. The area offers plenty of outdoor activities that the whole family will enjoy. There's horseback riding, hiking, rowing, snorkeling, cooking classes, farm tours and more. There are also a number of hotels in the area that have kid-friendly activities.

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 San Remo or La Spezia Better for Couples?

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

San Remo makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. It's known as the city of flowers, and the many beautiful gardens make this a truly romantic place to visit. Couples will enjoy soaking up the city's history and enjoy the vibrant culture and outdoor activities that are available.

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.

Is San Remo or La Spezia Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

La Spezia is a very popular place for backpackers and budget travelers. However, San Remo is lacking in good options for backpackers.

Plenty of budget travelers and backpackers visit La Spezia. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

San Remo is a challenging destination for budget travelers and backpackers due to the higher prices. There aren't many hostels in town, and most backpackers head to more popular Italian destinations. If you're looking for a more off-the-beaten path destination, then this may be your style.

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

Visitors will find good public transit in both San Remo and La Spezia.

San Remo has some public transit options. There are local buses around 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 San Remo or La Spezia a more walkable city?

San Remo and La Spezia are superb when it comes to walkability.

San Remo is a very walkable destination. The old quarter is fun to explore on foot and there are a number of walking tours through town.

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 San Remo Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or San Remo?

How long in San Remo or La Spezia?

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

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

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

You'll find food and shopping around the coastal city of San Remo. Many visitors spend time at the beach while visiting the area. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that San Remo has to offer. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

The town of La Spezia offers nightlife and food. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

A weekend in San Remo or La Spezia?

You'll find shopping and nightlife around the historic destination of San Remo. 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 coastal city has to offer. This coastal city offers a variety of activities to choose from.

La Spezia is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. If you have a weekend, this town makes for a great vacation. While some people choose to spend more or less time in La Spezia, a weekend is sufficent for most. Take your pick from the many activities offered here.

Five days in San Remo or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the relaxing coastal city of San Remo. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. It's also a great beach destination, too. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

La Spezia is a popular choice for travelers. Five days 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. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

A week in San Remo or La Spezia?

San Remo is a popular choice for travelers. It's a great spot for a beach vacation. 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.

La Spezia is a great place to explore. One week is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. This town offers something for everyone.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in Italy, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Italy, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Italy, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Italy.

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

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

Which is Bigger, San Remo or La Spezia?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 81% larger than the population of San Remo. When comparing the sizes of San Remo 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.