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

Should you visit Siena 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 Siena and La Spezia can help you decide which place is right for you.

Siena

Siena is a history, beautiful, and romantic city. It's considered by many to be an absolutely beautiful destination, too. Visitors also love the food, shopping, and museums.

La Spezia

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

Siena and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Siena or La Spezia?

Travelers will generally find more things to do in Siena than La Spezia. While La Spezia is larger than Siena, Siena has more sights and attractions for tourists. Siena is very popular for its museums, historical sights, and impressive beauty, while La Spezia attracts visitors for its beaches. Siena is famous for its beautiful medieval architecture, its delicious local restaurants, and the twice yearly Palio horserace. It is also well known for Piazza del Campo. La Spezia is famous for being the gateway to Cinque Terre.

How is Siena different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Siena 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 Siena. At the heart of the city is Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Piazza del Campo. Other world famous sights include Palazzo Pubblico and Museo Civico, Torre del Mangia, and Pinacoteca Nazionale.

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

Both Siena and La Spezia offer high quality local cuisine and restaurants.

With its innovative style combined with traditional elements, Siena makes for a great culinary experience. The town is all about local flavors and many restaurants use local ingredients in their dishes. Pecorino of Pienza is the local cheese, and you'll also find many cured meats. Local pasta dishes include wild boar ragu and a local spaghetti. You'll also find local meats such as lamb, rabbit, chicken and pork.

La Spezia has a huge number of terrific 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 Siena or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Evening events are nice in both Siena and La Spezia.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in Siena. The nightlife is laid back and relaxed. Most visitors enjoy socializing in the evening and meeting friends at Piazza del Campo. There are often live performances which you can enjoy as well as many cafes and wine bars around town.

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 Siena or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is very good for its beaches. However, Siena 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.

Siena is not a beach destination.

Is Siena or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Siena 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.

Siena has a world-famous historical area. The beautiful old town is filled with medieval brick buildings. At the heart of the city is Piazza del Campo, which is a lively square with many neighborhoods spreading out from there.

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 Siena or La Spezia?

Both Siena and La Spezia are nice shopping destinations.

Siena is a great destination for shopping. The main shopping street in town is Via Banchi di Sopra, which has many boutiques that sell clothing, bags, and other items. The town also has many leather goods, ceramics, and other local items available.

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 Siena or La Spezia Better for Families?

La Spezia is very good for its family-friendly activities. However, Siena is a mediocre city for its kid-friendly activities.

La Spezia is a family-friendly place to visit. 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.

Siena is not always a place people visit with their families. The beauty and history may be lost to the little ones but there is a great atmosphere that even the young ones will appreciate. Kids will enjoy climbing to the top of Torre del Mangia or visiting one of the many playgrounds around town.

Is Siena or La Spezia Better for Couples?

Siena is very popular for its romantic activities. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for couples.

Siena is fantastic couple's destination with fun and romantic activities. With its impressive beauty and long running history, this is a truly romantic city. The atmosphere is relaxed and there are plazas and neighborhoods that are great for exploring. There are also many great restaurants, superb wine, and world class sights that are not to be missed.

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 Siena or La Spezia Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

La Spezia is notable for backpackers. Also, Siena is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit 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.

It's common for backpackers to visit Siena. Many backpackers visit Siena as a daytrip from nearby Florence. While there are some affordable places to stay here, the atmosphere isn't as backpacker friendly as nearby Florence.

Is Siena or La Spezia Better for Students?

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

Many students visit Siena. It's home to one of the oldest universities in Italy, and it's a wonderful study abroad destination for any student who wants to spend some time in Italy.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

Both Siena and La Spezia offer nice public transit options.

Siena has a few public transit options. TIEMME is the bus service that runs in and around town. Many lines pass through the train station and provide service from there.

La Spezia has some public transit options. Buses, trains, and ferry boats offer the main forms of transportation in the area.

Is Siena or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Siena and La Spezia both are high quality when exploring on foot.

Siena is very walkable. The compact town center is best explored on foot.

La Spezia is a very walkable 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 Siena Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Siena?

How long in Siena or La Spezia?

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

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

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

You'll find shopping and museums around the city of Siena. Visiting the old town is also a must. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Siena 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 cultural 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 Siena or La Spezia?

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

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the medieval city of Siena. 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 Siena or La Spezia?

Siena 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 cultural 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 Italy, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy, The Best Historical Tours in Italy, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Italy.

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

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

Which is Bigger, Siena or La Spezia?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 74% larger than the population of Siena. When comparing the sizes of Siena 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.