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

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

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is a charming, picturesque, and impressive 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 convenient, cultural, and lively town. Other reasons to visit include shopping, nightlife, and food.

Strasbourg and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Strasbourg or La Spezia?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Strasbourg than La Spezia. It is bigger and it has more sights, attractions, and activities for travelers. Strasbourg is very popular for its museums, historical sights, shopping, and impressive beauty, while La Spezia attracts visitors for its beaches. Strasbourg is famous for its charming beauty, its impressive cathedral, and its quaint houses. It is also well known for The Strasbourg Cathedral. La Spezia is famous for being the gateway to Cinque Terre.

How is Strasbourg different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Strasbourg 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 Strasbourg. It is filled with grand monuments and historic landmarks. Many are concentrated in La Petite France and highlights include Strasbourg Cathedral, Barrage Vauban, Ponts Couverts, and Église Saint-Thomas.

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

Foodies will find both Strasbourg and La Spezia both to be high quality destinations.

The food selection at local restaurants is excellent in Strasbourg. The cuisine combines French and German flavors for rich and hearty flavors. Popular dishes include Tarte Flambée, Alsatian Sausages, and Baeckeoffe (meat and vegetable stew). Also make sure you sample the Sauerkraut, munster cheese, and Reisling wine.

Eating is part of the travel experience when you visit La Spezia. 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 Strasbourg or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

If the nightlife is your priority, you'll find nice options in both Strasbourg and La Spezia.

If you're looking for night time activities Strasbourg has a few options to choose from. It's most famous for its monuments and charm, but the city also has plenty to do at night. The liveliest areas are The Krutenau (for students and tourists alike), The Grande-île, and La Petite France.

There's a variety of activities in the evening 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 Strasbourg or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

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

Strasbourg is not a beach destination.

Is Strasbourg or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Strasbourg 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.

Strasbourg has a world-famous historical area. Known as La Petite France, the old town is filled with charming squares, historic monuments, and beautiful architecture.

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 Strasbourg or La Spezia?

Strasbourg is a very popular place for its shopping opportunities. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its shopping areas.

Strasbourg is well-known for its shopping. The city center is filled with pedestrian shopping streets and boutique stores. For some of the best shopping make sure you check out the main thoroughfare of Grand'Rue. If you want to pick up some trinkets or souvenirs, head to Place de la Cathédrale, and for department store shopping head to Galeries Lafayette Strasbourg.

Many visitors go to La Spezia to go shopping. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Is Strasbourg or La Spezia Better for Families?

You'll find nice kid-friendly activities in either Strasbourg or La Spezia.

Strasbourg offers lots of family activities. Kids who love animals will enjoy a visit to Zoo de l’Orangerie or La Montagne des Singes. If the kids need to stretch their legs you can head to Deux-Rives Garden or on a rainy day check out Planetarium De Strasbourg or the Historical Museum of the City of Strasbourg.

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.

Is Strasbourg or La Spezia Better for Couples?

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

Strasbourg is a great city if you're traveling as a couple. It's arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the region and it is filled with romance. There is beautiful architecture, romantic restaurants, wine tours, and flower filled parks. The scenic squares and grand cathedrals offer a truly perfect couples 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 Strasbourg or La Spezia Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

La Spezia is a great town for backpackers and budget travelers. Also, Strasbourg is not as popular, but is still a nice city for backpackers.

La Spezia is very popular with the backpacker crowd. 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 Strasbourg. The city has a handful of hostels that offer affordable accommodation for those on a shoestring budget.

Is Strasbourg or La Spezia Better for Students?

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

Plenty of students visit Strasbourg. Students appreciate the mix of traditional culture and international opportunities.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

Strasbourg 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.

Strasbourg has some very good public transit options. The city has six tramlines and a number of bus routes.

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 Strasbourg or La Spezia a more walkable city?

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

Strasbourg is very walkable. One of the best ways to explore the city is 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 Strasbourg Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Strasbourg?

How long in Strasbourg or La Spezia?

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

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

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

One day in Strasbourg or La Spezia?

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

With shopping and nightlife around the cultural town of La Spezia, there's plenty to do. Anyone can find something fun to do here. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

A weekend in Strasbourg or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the impressive destination of Strasbourg. 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.

With nightlife and food around the destination of La Spezia, there's plenty to do. It offers something for everyone. Many people spend a weekend here. In a weekend, you should have a good grasp of this town.

Five days in Strasbourg or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the picturesque city of Strasbourg. 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, a popular town, is full of activities for travelers. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

A week in Strasbourg or La Spezia?

Strasbourg 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.

La Spezia is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours from Paris, The Best 2-Week Tours from Paris, 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 Strasbourg and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Strasbourg much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Strasbourg would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Strasbourg 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 Strasbourg.

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

Which is Bigger, Strasbourg or La Spezia?

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