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

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

Toulon

Toulon is a off-the-beaten-path, real world, and industrial port city. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. Visitors also love the food, beaches, and shopping.

La Spezia

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

Toulon and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Active nightlife
  • Good scuba and snorkeling destination
  • Popular beach
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
  • Good for backpackers and budget travelers
Pros
  • Active nightlife
  • Popular beach
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
  • Good for backpackers and budget travelers
Things to Consider
  • Less museums and historical sights


Is there more to do in Toulon or La Spezia?

Both La Spezia and Toulon have plenty of things to do for travelers. Both provide a wide variety of sights and activities for tourists. Toulon is very popular for its museums, scuba diving & snorkeling, shopping, and impressive beauty, while La Spezia attracts visitors for its food and historical sights. La Spezia is more touristy than Toulon and is popular for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Toulon is famous for its old town, its coastal setting, and its popularity with local vacationers.

How is Toulon different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Toulon
La Spezia

Toulon is a good destination for its museums and history. However, La Spezia is lacking in good options for its museums and landmarks.

Toulon offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. Many of the sights are found in the old town and harbor areas. Some of the most interesting attractions include the Opera House, the Allied Landings Museum, the Naval Museum, and Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-de-la-Seds.

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

Toulon
La Spezia

La Spezia is a well-known place for its local cuisine and restaurants. Also, Toulon is not as famous, but is still a good port city to visit for its restaurants.

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.

Toulon has a delicious restaurant scene that relies on local flavors. There are a variety of cafes and restaurants that are found along the harbor or in the old town. Whether you want waterfront views or a charming street front cafe, there are great options available. Many restaurants offer local seafood but you'll also find pastries, traditional local food, a several Italian restaurants.

Is Toulon or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Toulon
La Spezia

Both Toulon and La Spezia are nice when it comes to partying.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in Toulon. It's a relatively large city and traditionally a sailor's town, so the city has a long running tradition of partying into the night. While it doesn't have the party-hard reputation of some places, you likely won't be bored at night. Head to the harbor area or the beaches around Mourillon for the most lively bars and cafes.

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 Toulon or La Spezia Better for Scuba Diving and Snorkeling?

Toulon
La Spezia

Toulon is a decent place to visit for its diving and snorkeling. However, La Spezia is not a scuba or snorkeling destination.

It's possible to go snorkeling in Toulon. There are a few beaches in the area that are worth checking out with a mask and snorkel. You'll likely see some underwater life hanging out by the rocks in the quieter areas.

La Spezia is not a scuba or snorkeling destination.


Is Toulon or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

Toulon
La Spezia

Toulon and La Spezia are nice choices for a beach vacation.

Many people head to Toulon to enjoy the beach. The beaches are sandy and less crowded than some of the more popular areas. The most accessible beach is Mourillon Beach which has public facilities and restaurants. If you're willing to venture a little farther from the center of town you'll find Mitre Beach which has some snorkeling. Battere Basse Beach is a bit quieter and also has snorkeling. Anse de Méjean is a popular spot with the locals.

La Spezia has a beach worth visiting. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Is Toulon or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Toulon
La Spezia

La Spezia is very good for its historic old town. However, Toulon is not a good port city for its old town.

Many visitors go to La Spezia to see the historical old town. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

You can check out the historic old town in Toulon. The old town has plazas, terraced cafes, and plenty of outdoor shopping opportunities that visitors can enjoy.

Is the Shopping Better in Toulon or La Spezia?

Toulon
La Spezia

Toulon 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.

Toulon is well-known for its shopping. If you're looking for traditional local shopping opportunities then this is your place. There are a number of traditional Provençal markets around town but the most famous is Cours Lafayette. You can shop with the locals looking for produce or flowers. There's also a weekend farmers market, Petit Cours, that is fun to explore.

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 Toulon or La Spezia Better for Families?

Toulon
La Spezia

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

Toulon is a family-friendly place to visit. The city may be known as a hub for the French navy, but there are also activities that kids and adults alike can enjoy. There are several military themed museums, a few good beaches, and local shopping. There's also the enjoyable cable car ride that you can take to the top of Mont Faron as well as several nice seaside walks in the area.

La Spezia is a family-friendly port city. 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 Toulon or La Spezia Better for Couples?

Toulon
La Spezia

La Spezia is a well-known place for romance. Also, Toulon is not as famous, but is still a good port city to visit for its romantic activities.

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.

Toulon makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. Couples will appreciate the walks along the coast or through the harbor. There are also nice restaurants, interesting art galleries, and a few good hotels around town that make for a nice couple's weekend.

Is Toulon or La Spezia Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Toulon
La Spezia

La Spezia is a well-known place for backpackers. Also, Toulon is not as famous, but is still a good port 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 Toulon. It doesn't have the reputation of many nearby towns along the French Riviera, so you can still find some affordable hostels and cafes in the area. You also won't find the crowds so you can enjoy a touch of the authentic local culture.


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

Toulon
La Spezia

Both Toulon and La Spezia offer nice public transit options.

Toulon has a few public transit options. There are buses as well as petits trains (little tourist trains) that you can take around town.

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

Is Toulon or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Toulon
La Spezia

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

Toulon is very walkable. You can walk around the old town and harbor area where many of the sights are concentrated.

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

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Toulon?

How long in Toulon or La Spezia?

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in La Spezia than Toulon 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.


  • How many days in Toulon or La Spezia? Ideal Length of Stay
    Toulon 1-2 
    La Spezia 2-3

One day in Toulon or La Spezia?

You'll find shopping and museums around the port city of Toulon. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Toulon has to offer. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

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


A weekend in Toulon or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the authentic destination of Toulon. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this port city has to offer. This port city offers a variety of activities to choose from.

La Spezia 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 Toulon or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the industrial port city of Toulon. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in La Spezia. 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 Toulon or La Spezia?

Toulon is a popular choice for travelers. 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.

Travelers enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the lively destination of La Spezia. This town 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 Luxury Tours to France, The Best Budget Tours to France, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Italy, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy.


Which place is cheaper, La Spezia or Toulon?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Toulon is €119, while the average daily cost in La Spezia is €198. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Toulon and La Spezia in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Toulon 79
    La Spezia 113
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Toulon 158
    La Spezia 226
Compare Hotels in Toulon and La Spezia

Looking for a hotel in Toulon or La Spezia? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Toulon


Hotels in La Spezia


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Toulon Hotel Prices and La Spezia Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Toulon 7.14
    La Spezia 41

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Toulon

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Toulon:

  • Transfer from Toulon Cruise Port to Marseille Provence Airport: $118
  • Private Transfer from Toulon Cruise Port to Marseille city Hotels: $118

Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Spezia

Also for La Spezia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from La Spezia Cruise Port to La Spezia hotels: $22
  • Private Transfer from La Spezia Hotels to La Spezia Cruise Port: $22
  • Private Transfer from La Spezia Port to La Spezia Hotels: $22
  • La Spezia Cruise Port to La Spezia hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $44
  • Private Transfer La Spezia Cruise Port or Train Station to city: $51
  • Private Transfer Porto Venere or Lerici to La Spezia by car / van: $91
  • Arrival Private Transfer from La Spezia to Porto Venere or Lerici: $91
  • La Spezia Cruise Port to Pisa Intl Airport (PSA) - Departure Private Transfer: $93
  • La Spezia Cruise Port to Florence - Arrival Private Transfer: $131
  • Private Transfer from La Spezia Cruise Port to Florence Hotels: $131
  • Private Transfer from La Spezia to Cinque Terre by car or van: $141
  • Private Transfer from La Spezia to Florence : $245

Is it cheaper to fly into Toulon or La Spezia?

Prices for flights to both La Spezia and Toulon change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Toulon 30
    La Spezia 56

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Toulon

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Toulon.

  • Culinary Heritage Guided Walking Food Tour: $103
  • Toulon Traditional Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience : $105

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Spezia

For La Spezia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • La Spezia Cinque Terre Food Tour: $92
  • Tour of Apericena at Sunset and Dinner on Boat: $97
  • Small-Group Street Food Tour: $97
  • La Spezia Cinque Terre Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience: $98
  • Portovenere: Sunset Cruise with Aperitif and Dinner: $98
  • Small-group Street food tour in La Spezia: $98
  • Cesarine: Dining & Cooking Demo at Local's Home in La Spezia: $104
  • La Spezia Cinque Terre Food Tour: $124
  • Porto Venere & Islands Sunset Boat Tour w/ Dinner: $140
  • Market Tour & Lunch/Dinner at a Cesarina's Home: $151
  • Private Cooking Class in an Italian Home: $157
  • Market Visit and Seafood Cooking Class with Lunch: $159

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Toulon 13
    La Spezia 37

Tours and Activities in Toulon

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Toulon are as follows:

  • Guided Tour in Port & Old City: $55
  • Private Heritage Walking Tour in Toulon: $180
  • Provence Abbey of Thoronet Entrance Ticket: $9.91
  • Toulon Private Tour: $282
  • Little Train Ticket: $9.77

Tours and Activities in La Spezia

For La Spezia, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Hop-On Hop-Off Open-Top Bus City Tour Ticket: $18
  • La Spezia Walking Tour: $35
  • From Round-Trip to Pisa Cruise Shore Excursion: $42
  • A sightseeing tour with Italian-inspired music: $43
  • From La Spezia to Pisa with optional Leaning Tower Ticket: $50
  • Private trip La Spezia to La Spezia Cruise Port or Train Station: $50
  • 4-Hour E-Bike Private Guided Tour of the Tellaro and Montemarcello Villages: $55
  • From Florence & Pisa Cruise Shore Excursion: $59
  • From Cinque Terre Tour with Limoncino: $65
  • Boat Tour of the 3 Islands & Portovenere: $66
  • Cinque Terre Tour by Boat: $69
  • Cinque Terre hiking tour from La Spezia port: $72

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Toulon 14
    La Spezia 35

Sample the Local Flavors in Toulon

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Toulon:

  • Cellar Visit & Bandol Wine Tasting (in French): $13
  • Horse riding in the vineyards of Ramatuelle + wine tasting: $98
  • Porquerolles Island and Carmignac Museum of Art with wine tasting: $275

Sample the Local Flavors in La Spezia

Also in La Spezia, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Food and wine tour in the Gulf of Poets with local products: $143
  • boat tour with seafood and wine tasting: $217
  • Lucca city tour and Pisa tower + wine tasting from La Spezia Port: $219


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

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


Which is Bigger, Toulon or La Spezia?

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