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

Should you visit Toulouse or La Spezia?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Toulouse and La Spezia can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Toulouse

Toulouse is a vibrant, friendly, and relaxed city. It's a large city, so you'll find plenty of things to do around town. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. Visitors also love the food, shopping, and museums.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a lively, convenient, and cultural town. It's also popular because of the shopping, nightlife, and food.

Toulouse and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Toulouse or La Spezia?

Travelers will usually find more to do in Toulouse than La Spezia, as it is bigger with more sights, attractions, and activities for visitors. Toulouse is more popular for its museums, food, nightlife, historical sights, shopping, big city activities, and impressive beauty, while La Spezia is known for its beaches. La Spezia is more touristy than Toulouse and is known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Toulouse is popular for its impressive old town, many museums, and delicious local cuisine. It is also home to Basilique Saint-Sernin.

How is Toulouse different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Toulouse 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 Toulouse. There is a long running history with countless landmarks and museums. Highlights include Basilique Saint-Sernin, Place du Capitole, Muséum de Toulouse, and Fondation Bemberg.

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

Toulouse is very popular for its restaurants. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its restaurant scene.

Eat your way through Toulouse, as it has many local or world renowned restaurants to choose from. There are many unique regional recipes that make use of poultry, cold meats, and foie gras. Toulouse sausage, cassoulet, Poulet à la Toulousaine, and Foie gras d’oie are all popular local dishes.

Dining out in La Spezia is an experience not to be missed. 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 Toulouse or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

Toulouse is a very popular place for nightlife and partying. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its evening party scene.

Toulouse has a large number of nightlife venues. You'll find a large number of students in town so the nightlife scene is active and fun. For the most lively atmosphere head to Carmes, Saint-Cyprien, or Place Saint-Pierre.

La Spezia has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. 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 Toulouse or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is a town with good options for the beach. However, Toulouse is not a beach destination.

Plenty of visitors enjoy relaxing on the beach in La Spezia. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Toulouse is not a beach destination.

Is Toulouse or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

Toulouse is a very popular place for its old town. Also, La Spezia is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its historic old town charm.

There are many historical things to see in the old town of Toulouse. The old town is filled with terra-cota buildings and pedestrian walkways. The area flows out around the Capitole and is crossed by the Garonne.

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 Toulouse or La Spezia?

Toulouse 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.

Toulouse is well-known for its shopping. There are many great shopping districts around town including Place du Capitole, The Saint Georges district, and Rue Alsace Lorraine.

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 Toulouse or La Spezia Better for Families?

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

Because of its large number of kid-friendly activities, Toulouse is very family-friendly. The city's known for its space industry so the La Cite de l’Espace (Space Museum) is a favorite attraction for kids and adults alike. You can also visit Aeroscopia, the airplane museum. La Halle de la machine is a truly unique and impressive playground. The city also has many other museums and outdoor spaces to explore.

You'll find plenty of kid-friendly things to do in La Spezia. 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 Toulouse or La Spezia Better for Couples?

Both Toulouse and La Spezia are very good destinations for a couple's getaway.

Toulouse is a great city if you're traveling as a couple. There are many beautiful parks, gardens, and walking paths. Make sure you take a stroll along the Canal du Midi and visit Jardin Japonais Pierre Baudis. This is also a great city for visiting a spa.

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 Toulouse or La Spezia Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

La Spezia is great for backpackers and budget travelers. However, Toulouse is not a good destination for backpackers.

Plenty of budget travelers and backpackers visit La Spezia. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

Toulouse is a challenging destination for budget travelers and backpackers due to the higher prices. It's not a major stop off for many backpackers in Europe so you won't find as many hostels as you do in other cities.

Is Toulouse or La Spezia Better for Students?

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

Plenty of students visit Toulouse. You'll find a diverse student population with many international students.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

Toulouse and La Spezia both offer good public transit to get you around.

While Toulouse offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. There are a large number of bus routes that travel both locally and regionally.

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

Is Toulouse or La Spezia a more walkable city?

Toulouse and La Spezia are very good when it comes to walkability.

Toulouse is a very walkable destination. Within the city center it is very walkable and easy to explore on foot.

La Spezia is very walkable. 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 Toulouse Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Toulouse?

How long in Toulouse or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Toulouse and La Spezia. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Toulouse than in La Spezia. Usually, 2-4 days is a good amount of time for Toulouse, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

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

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

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

One day in Toulouse or La Spezia?

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

The town of La Spezia offers nightlife and food. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

A weekend in Toulouse or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the vibrant destination of Toulouse. 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.

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

Five days in Toulouse or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the vibrant city of Toulouse. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. Most people head to the area for the food. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

La Spezia 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.

A week in Toulouse or La Spezia?

Toulouse 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 great place to explore. One week is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. This town offers something for everyone.

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

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

Which is Bigger, Toulouse or La Spezia?

Toulouse has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of La Spezia. When comparing the sizes of Toulouse 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.