A Travel Price Comparison for Spain Toledo vs. Alicante for Old Town, Attractions, Food, and Families

Should you visit Toledo or Alicante?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Toledo or Alicante, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Toledo

Toledo is a fascinating, beautiful, and ancient city. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. And you can't forget about the shopping, museums, and nightlife.

Alicante

Alicante is a cultural, colorful, and authentic city. Other reasons to visit include museums, nightlife, and food.

Toledo and Alicante: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Toledo or Alicante?

Travelers will generally find more things to do in Toledo than Alicante. While Alicante is larger than Toledo, Toledo has more sights and attractions for tourists. Toledo is very popular for its historical sights and impressive beauty, while Alicante attracts visitors for its beaches. Toledo is more touristy than Alicante and is popular for its medieval buildings, ancient landmarks, and fascinating history. It is also well known for the Catedral de Toledo. Alicante is famous for its sandy beaches, vibrant nightlife, and authentic restaurants.

How is Toledo different from Alicante?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Toledo or Alicante?

Spend time exploring the excellent sights and museums in either Toledo or Alicante.

With a variety of museums, monuments, and historical sights, a trip to Toledo can be an interesting and educational experience. This medieval city is filled with ancient landmarks including the iconic Catedral de Toledo. In the old town you'll find many many historic buildings and a fascinating Jewish Quarter. Other notable sights include the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes, the Alcázar de Toledo, and the Museo de Santa Cruz.

You'll find a good number of museums and monuments packed into Alicante. This port city has a number of cultural and historical sights that are worth checking out. Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Museo Arqueológico Provincial de Alicante, and Basilica de Santa María are among the most well known.

Is the Food Better in Toledo or Alicante? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Picking the best cuisine and restaurants between Toledo and Alicante can be difficult as they are each excellent in their own way.

The food selection at local restaurants is excellent in Toledo. The city offers a great cuisine at a reasonable price. The dishes are influenced by the city's diverse past. You'll find many meat dishes due to the area's long running tradition of hunting. There are also classic dishes like carcamusas, which is pork covered in a tomato sauce. Dishes in general tend to be heavy and saucy with filling and delicious flavors.

Eating is part of the travel experience when you visit Alicante. It's by the sea, so you'll find plenty of seafood. Rice is the main staple for many dishes in town. This is also a vegetable growing region, so many recipes incorporate fresh vegetables. Popular dishes include arroz a banda, arroz con costra, and olleta alicantina.

Is Toledo or Alicante Better for Nightlife?

The nice nightlife scene is relatively similar in Toledo and Alicante.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in Toledo. Most tourists visit the town as a day trip, so things can quiet down somewhat at night. There is a large student population that frequents the bars around town and help keep things lively.

Alicante has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. For the city's best nightlife, head to El Barrio Antiguo, which is the old district. This is where you'll find the highest concentration of bars and clubs, many of them having live music.

Is Toledo or Alicante Better for Beaches?

Alicante is a nice place to visit for its beaches. However, Toledo is not a beach destination.

Alicante has a beach worth visiting. If you step away from the touristy areas, you'll find some nice sandy beaches with blue water. Playa la Fustera is northeast of the city and popular with families and couples. If you have a car you can drive to the town of Moraira, which is near several nice beaches as well.

Toledo is not a beach destination.

Is Toledo or Alicante Better for its Old Town?

Toledo is terrific for its old town. Also, Alicante is still popular, but not quite as popular for its historic old town charm.

Toledo has a unique history which comes to life in its historic area. Perched on a hill and spilling out around the cathedral, this Spanish old town is filled with historic landmarks.

Alicante has an old town worth visiting. The old district is filled with charming streets and some interesting museums. There are also a number of good restaurants in the area.

Is the Shopping Better in Toledo or Alicante?

Shoppers can find a variety of nice stores in both Toledo and Alicante.

Plenty of visitors enjoy shopping while in Toledo. Calle Comercio is the main shopping street in town and there are two major shopping malls in the new part of town.

Alicante offers some nice shopping areas. The city is known for its leather goods, but you'll also find international brands and shopping streets with fashion and different European names.

Is Toledo or Alicante Better for Families?

Alicante is a very popular place for its kid-friendly activities. Also, Toledo is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its family-friendly activities.

Alicante is a very family-friendly destination. This seaside city has many kid-friendly resorts, long sandy beaches, and adrenaline-filled theme parks. There's the Terra Mitica Park as well as a waterpark - Aqua Natura. Tabarca Island is also well worth a visit.

You'll find plenty of kid-friendly things to do in Toledo. The ancient streets are fun to explore. There are city gates, ancient Arab walls, and older kids will be fascinated by a visit to the Toledo Torture Museum. The city is known for its swords, and there are shops that you can visit to learn about this craft.

Is Toledo or Alicante Better for Couples?

Alicante is a very popular place for romance. Also, Toledo is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its romantic activities.

Alicante makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. Nice resorts, long sandy beaches, and nearby vineyard tours make this a wonderful place for a couple's getaway. There are good restaurants and nice places where couples can take a stroll, hand in hand.

Toledo makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. It's an ancient city that is filled with fascinating history and impressive historic sights. Couples will enjoy wandering the medieval streets and visiting the ancient gates.

Is Toledo or Alicante Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Toledo and Alicante are both nice destinations for backpackers.

It's common for backpackers to visit Toledo. Many travelers visit Toledo as a day trip from Madrid, but for backpackers who want to spend more time, there are a handful of hostels in town.

Alicante is a good city to visit for backpackers. There are hostels around town, as well as many budget-friendly hotels, so this is an affordable oceanfront destination for the budget-minded.

Is Toledo or Alicante Better for Students?

Toledo is well known for students. Also, Alicante is still popular, but not quite as popular for its student-friendly activities.

Toledo is very popular with students. The city is popular with students, and you'll find many activities and a lively atmosphere both during the day and at night.

It's common for students to visit Alicante. It's by the water and it's an affordable city, making it a good option for students. The beaches and active nightlife will keep you entertained when you take a break from your studies.

Is Toledo or Alicante Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Visitors will find nice public transit in both Toledo and Alicante.

Toledo has some public transit options. There is a good bus system through town.

You'll find some public transit in Alicante, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. There's a comprehensive bus system through the city and region.

Is Toledo or Alicante a more walkable city?

Toledo is well known for its high level of walkability. Also, Alicante is still popular, but not quite as popular for its ease of walking around.

Toledo is a very walkable city. It's a compact and easily walkable city, particularly within the old town. The bus and train stations are also about a 15 or 20 minute walk from the city center.

Alicante is a somewhat walkable city. There are many parts of the city that can be explored on foot.

For even more information, also check out Is Toledo Worth Visiting? and Is Alicante Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Alicante or Toledo?

How long in Toledo or Alicante?

It's fun to spend time in either Toledo or Alicante. Generally, people tend to spend more time in Alicante due to the larger number of activities and things to do. Usually, 1-2 days is a good amount of time for Toledo, and 2-4 days is enough time in Alicante.

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Toledo than Alicante 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 Toledo.

One day in Toledo or Alicante?

The city of Toledo offers food and shopping. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. With all of its activities, you can easily fill one day here. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

Many travelers enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting the destination of Alicante. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

A weekend in Toledo or Alicante?

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

Alicante is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. With all of its activities, you can easily fill a weekend here. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

Five days in Toledo or Alicante?

Toledo 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.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Alicante. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

A week in Toledo or Alicante?

Toledo is a great place to explore. Visiting the old town is also a must. One week is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. This city offers something for everyone.

Travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the colorful destination of Alicante. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Spain, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Spain, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Spain, and The Best Luxury Tours to Spain.

When comparing the travel costs between Toledo and Alicante, we can see that Alicante is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

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

Which is Bigger, Toledo or Alicante?

Alicante has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Toledo. When comparing the sizes of Toledo and Alicante, 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.