A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Toledo vs. Novalja for Nightlife, Backpackers, Food, and Families

Should you visit Toledo or Novalja?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Toledo or Novalja, 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.

Novalja

Novalja is a wild, energetic, and backpacker-filled town. This is also a very beautiful destination which attracts plenty of visitors. Other reasons to visit include nightlife and beaches.

Toledo and Novalja: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Toledo or Novalja?

Travelers will usually find more to do in Toledo. Although Toledo and Novalja are popular destinations, Toledo has more sights and attractions for tourists. Toledo is very popular for its museums, food, historical sights, and shopping, while Novalja attracts visitors for its nightlife, resorts, beaches, and impressive beauty. Toledo is more touristy than Novalja and is popular for its medieval buildings, ancient landmarks, and fascinating history. It is also well known for the Catedral de Toledo. Novalja is famous for its crazy beach parties and popularity with the young backpacker crowd.

How is Toledo different from Novalja?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Novalja 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 Novalja?

Toledo is a great destination for its museums and landmarks. However, Novalja is a town with minimal options for its historical sights.

Toledo offers many unique museums, sights, and landmarks that will make for a memorable trip. 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.

If you're looking to pass the time, head to a museum or historic sight in Novalja. It's a beach and party destination, not somewhere you go for museums or historical sights.

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

Toledo is a great destination for its restaurant scene. However, Novalja is a town with minimal options for its local flavors and cuisine.

Eating is part of the travel experience when you visit 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.

Novalja may not make the list for most foodies, but you'll find what you need while you're in town. You'll find a lot of places to grab a quick bite to eat or a cheap meal around town. There are pizzerias, fast food, and some nicer bistros to choose from.

Is Toledo or Novalja Better for Nightlife?

Novalja is an amazing town to visit for nightlife. Also, Toledo is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for nightlife and partying.

Novalja has a colorful and one-of-a-kind nightlife scene. This is a party island, and you'll find most of the action around Zrce Beach, which is about a 20 minute drive from town. The party scene appeals to the young, backpacker crowd and there's live music, DJs, and parties that last well into the morning. Zrce Beach has a huge number of bars and clubs including three clubs that are listed on the Top 100 DJ's Magazine Best Clubs List.

Toledo has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. 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.

Is Toledo or Novalja Better for Resorts?

Novalja is a decent place to visit for its luxury resorts. However, Toledo is not a resort destination.

Novalja has a few resort options worth checking out. Most of the accommodation is in the form of apartments or hostels. There are also some hotels on the island, but because the number is limited they can be quite expensive.

Toledo is not a resort destination.

Is Toledo or Novalja Better for Beaches?

Novalja is a very popular place for its beaches. However, Toledo is not a beach destination.

You'll have a great beach vacation in Novalja. You'll find a mix of beaches near town including hidden gems that feel remote and undiscovered as well as wild party beaches like the famed Zrce Beach. Many beaches are pebbly or have coarse sand with turquoise blue waters.

Toledo is not a beach destination.

Is Toledo or Novalja Better for its Old Town?

Toledo is very popular for its old town. However, Novalja does not have a historic old town.

Toledo has a world-famous historical area. Perched on a hill and spilling out around the cathedral, this Spanish old town is filled with historic landmarks.

Novalja does not have a historic old town.

Is the Shopping Better in Toledo or Novalja?

Toledo is a popular place for its shopping opportunities. However, Novalja is a town with minimal options for its shopping areas.

Toledo offers some nice shopping areas. Calle Comercio is the main shopping street in town and there are two major shopping malls in the new part of town.

Shopping in Novalja can be found for those interested. This isn't the place to go shopping for clothing or local items. You will find some beach and souvenir shops around town though.

Is Toledo or Novalja Better for Families?

Toledo is a popular place for its family-friendly activities. However, Novalja is a town with minimal options for its kid-friendly activities.

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.

For families, Novalja is not always the best place to visit. While there are family-friendly places to visit like some beaches and waterparks, at its heart this is a party destination that is known for its wild parties and crazy crowds.

Is Toledo or Novalja Better for Couples?

Toledo and Novalja are both nice to visit as a couple.

Toledo is a nice destination for couples. 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.

Novalja makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. Stunning beaches, blue waters, and surreal landscapes make this a one-of-a-kind place to visit. But romance isn't on most people's minds, as this is first and foremost a party destination.

Is Toledo or Novalja Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Novalja is an amazing town to visit for backpackers and budget travelers. Also, Toledo is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for backpackers.

Many backpackers frequent Novalja. Famous for its wild parties that attract backpackers and young travelers, this island destination has become a hotspot for backpackers and party-goers. There are hostels around town that offer a cheap place to crash.

Toledo is a good city to visit for backpackers. 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.

Is Toledo or Novalja Better for Students?

Toledo is a great destination for students. However, Novalja is not popular with students.

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

Novalja is not popular with students.

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

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

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

You'll find some public transit in Novalja, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. There are local buses around the island or you can rent a personal vehicle like a motorbike or scooter.

Is Toledo or Novalja a more walkable city?

Toledo is a great destination for its high level of walkability. Also, Novalja 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.

Novalja is a somewhat walkable city. In town, you can reach most places on foot, but if you want to explore further you'll need to find another way to get around.

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

Should I spend more time in Novalja or Toledo?

How long in Toledo or Novalja?

It's fun to spend time in either Toledo or Novalja. Generally, people tend to spend more time in Novalja 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 Novalja.

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

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

One day in Toledo or Novalja?

In Toledo, you'll find nightlife and food. Most visitors spend time around the old town while in the area. This city offers something for everyone. This would be the perfect place to spend one day, as it has just the right amount of activities.

Many travelers enjoy the nightlife when visiting the destination of Novalja. It's a great spot for a beach vacation. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

A weekend in Toledo or Novalja?

In Toledo, you'll find food and shopping. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. A weekend here is typical. Visiting the old town is also a must. A weekend is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Toledo has to offer.

Novalja is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. Don't miss the nightlife, as that's what most people do. 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 Novalja?

Toledo is a great place to explore. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. Five days is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. Anyone can find something fun to do here.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Novalja. Don't miss the nightlife, as that's what most people do. Most people come for the beaches. 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 Novalja?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Toledo. Many people enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting Toledo. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. One week may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing.

Travelers enjoy the nightlife when visiting the wild destination of Novalja. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from. Many visitors spend time at the beach while visiting the area. 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 2-Week Tours from Dubrovnik, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Split.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Toledo and Novalja, we can see that Toledo is more expensive. And not only is Novalja much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Novalja would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Novalja 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 Toledo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Toledo than you might in Novalja.

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

Which is Bigger, Toledo or Novalja?

Toledo has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Novalja. When comparing the sizes of Toledo and Novalja, 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.