A Travel Price Comparison for Italy Trento vs. La Spezia for Food, Couples, Backpackers, and Attractions

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

Trento

Trento is a youthful, high energy, and dynamic city. The beauty of this spot is also one of the main reasons why visitors come. Visitors also love the hiking, shopping, and museums.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a convenient, cultural, and lively town. Other reasons to visit include shopping, nightlife, and food.

Trento and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Trento or La Spezia?

Travelers will usually find more to do in La Spezia. Although Trento and La Spezia are popular destinations, La Spezia has more sights and attractions for tourists. La Spezia is very popular for its nightlife, beaches, and historical sights, while Trento attracts visitors for its museums, hiking, and impressive beauty. La Spezia is more touristy than Trento and is known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. It is also well known for The Maritime Museum. Trento is famous for its beautiful mountain scenery and its historical buildings.

How is Trento different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

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

Trento offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. Perhaps one of the most popular sights is Castello del Buonconsiglio. The Museum of Science is also fun for kids and adults alike and the Duomo is beautiful.

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

Local dishes at restaurants are fun to try in both Trento and La Spezia.

The food selection at local restaurants is excellent in Trento. The food in the region is influenced by nearby countries such as Austria. Carne salada, which is like corned beef, has a long history in the area. Schüttelbrot is a local flatbread and meraner wurst is a bit like a hot dog. You'll also find salamis and various cheeses.

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 Trento or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

La Spezia is very good for nightlife. However, Trento is not a good destination for nightlife and partying.

If you're looking for night time activities La Spezia has a few options to choose from. 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.

Most people don't head to Trento specifically for the nightlife scene, but you can find a few options. Despite the large student population, there aren't a lot of bars and clubs around town. Most parties are held in private residences, so visitors may find the nightlife scene a bit slow.

Is Trento or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

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

Trento is not a beach destination.

Is Trento or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

La Spezia is very good for its historic old town. However, Trento does not have a historic old town.

La Spezia is a good destination for visiting its old town. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Trento does not have a historic old town.

Is Trento or La Spezia Better for Hiking?

Trento is a very popular place for its hiking trails. However, La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

Many visitors explore the nearby hiking trails while visiting Trento. The surrounding countryside has many beautiful hikes and stunning viewpoints that make for a great outing outside of town.

La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

Is the Shopping Better in Trento or La Spezia?

If you're looking to go shopping, Trento and La Spezia both offer plenty of nice spots.

Plenty of visitors enjoy shopping while in Trento. Head to the main shopping street, Via Balenzani for boutique shopping. You'll also find artisan shops and other unique vendors around town.

La Spezia offers some nice shopping areas. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Is Trento or La Spezia Better for Families?

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

Trento offers lots of family activities. Outside of town you'll find plenty of outdoor adventures that the kids will enjoy. In town, there's history and fun kid-friendly museums.

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 Trento or La Spezia Better for Couples?

La Spezia is great for romance. Also, Trento is not as popular, but is still a nice city for its romantic activities.

La Spezia is a great town if you're traveling as a couple. It makes a nice base for visiting nearby sights if the more popular Cinque Terre area is too overwhelming.

Trento makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. The town mixes old and new in a beautiful setting that makes for a great romantic getaway. Nearby there are outdoor adventures and in town there's a beautiful atmosphere and great restaurants.

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

La Spezia is great for backpackers and budget travelers. Also, Trento 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 Trento. There aren't many hostels in town, but there are some fun activities that backpackers will enjoy.

Is Trento or La Spezia Better for Students?

Trento is very popular for its student-friendly activities. However, La Spezia is not popular with students.

Trento is a very popular place to visit for students. It's a popular study abroad destination and you'll find plenty of interesting places to explore in the area.

La Spezia is not popular with students.

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

Trento and La Spezia both offer nice public transit to get you around.

While Trento offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. The city has a number of bus lines through town.

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

Is Trento or La Spezia a more walkable city?

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

Trento is very walkable. Much of the city can be explored 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 Trento Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Trento?

How long in Trento or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Trento and La Spezia. In our opinion, La Spezia has more to see and do, so we recommend spending more time in La Spezia than Trento. In general, 1-3 days is a good amount of time for Trento, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

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

Couples should spend more time in La Spezia than Trento. 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 Trento 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.

One day in Trento or La Spezia?

You'll find shopping and museums around the city of Trento. Hiking can easily take up a good amount of your time here, too. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Trento 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 Trento or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and food around the dynamic destination of Trento. Hikers are also drawn to this area. 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 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 Trento or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the youthful city of Trento. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Many visitors also spend a good bit of time hiking. 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 Trento or La Spezia?

Trento is a popular choice for travelers. Make sure you spend some time hiking while you're in the area. 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 cultural 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 Bicycle Tours in Italy, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Italy, The Best Coach Bus Tours in Italy, and The Best Adventure Tours to Italy.

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

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

Which is Bigger, Trento or La Spezia?

Trento has a larger population, and is about 15% larger than the population of La Spezia. When comparing the sizes of Trento 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.