A Travel Price Comparison for Italy Urbino vs. Lucca for Old Town, Attractions, Food, and Couples

Should you visit Urbino or Lucca?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Urbino and Lucca 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.

Urbino

Urbino is a laid back, historic, and undiscovered town. With stunning beauty, Urbino attracts visitors from all around. Other popular activities here include shopping, museums, and nightlife. See Urbino travel costs.

Lucca

Lucca is a popular, historic, and charming city. With stunning beauty, Lucca attracts visitors from all around. It's also popular because of the museums, nightlife, and food. See Lucca travel costs.

Urbino and Lucca: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Urbino or Lucca?

Travelers will usually find more to do in Lucca. Although Urbino and Lucca are popular destinations, Lucca has more sights and attractions for tourists. Lucca is more touristy than Urbino and is popular for its ancient city walls and its many historic buildings. It is also well known for The Guinigi Tower. Urbino is famous for its Renaissance walls, historic center, and authentic atmosphere.

How is Urbino different from Lucca?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Urbino or Lucca?

Lucca is great for its historical sights. Also, Urbino is not as popular, but is still a nice town for its sights and museums.

You'll find a good number of museums and monuments packed into Lucca. There are many interesting historic sights and buildings around this charming town. You can climb to the top of the Guinigi Tower or visit the Roman Amphitheater. Many visitors enjoy walking or biking around the city walls as well. Also make sure you visit the cathedral.

Urbino is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. At the heart of the city are its historical sights. The cathedral is worth a visit, as is The Ducal Palace, but for most visitors, simply soaking up the town's atmosphere is the best experience.

Is the Food Better in Urbino or Lucca? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Picking the best cuisine and restaurants between Urbino and Lucca can be difficult as they are each great in their own way.

Urbino has a number of nationally recognized food spots and restaurants. The city's history has influenced its cuisine. Traditional foods include cornbread, truffles, and meat sausage. While these options aren't as common today, you can still find them if you seek them out.

With its innovative style combined with traditional elements, Lucca makes for a great culinary experience. There are many great Tuscan restaurants inside the city walls. Perhaps the most popular local dish is tordelli Lucchesi. Its a meat filled pasta that has a beef ragu sauce. There are also other Tuscan recipes that include steak, boar, or rabbit.

Is Urbino or Lucca Better for Nightlife?

The vibe at night is nice in both Urbino and Lucca.

If you're looking for night time activities Urbino has a few options to choose from. Because of the large student population, there are usually some fun activities going on at night. You'll find some good bars around town that are fun to hang out at.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in Lucca. The nightlife scene is most lively during the spring and summer months when tourists crowd into the city. For the highest concentration of bars, clubs, and lounges, head to Piazza Amfiteatro, Piazza San Michele and Via Fillungo.

Is Urbino or Lucca Better for its Old Town?

Lucca is an amazing city to visit for its historic old town charm. Also, Urbino is not as popular, but is still a nice town for its historic old town.

Lucca offers visitors a world-class historical old town to explore. The historic city is surrounded by city walls, which you can walk around. Within the walls there are cobblestone streets and a charming atmosphere.

Many visitors go to Urbino to see the historical old town. The historic center feels a bit undiscovered by Italian standards. There are stone houses and the town is built on a steep hill, giving it a beautiful setting.

Is the Shopping Better in Urbino or Lucca?

If you're looking to go shopping, Urbino and Lucca both offer plenty of nice spots.

Urbino has a variety of shopping areas worth visiting. You'll find galleries, book shops, and jewelry stores around town that are fun to pop into.

Lucca is a great destination for shopping. The city is filled with a mix of tourist shops and more authentic local vendors. If you look hard, you can still find some interesting local items that make for a more unique and personal shopping experience.

Is Urbino or Lucca More Beautiful?

You'll find a similar quality of great scenery and beauty in both Urbino and Lucca.

With stunning beauty, Urbino attracts visitors from all around. This walled city has beautiful historic architecture and many areas that are fun to explore.

Lucca is also a very beautiful destination which attracts plenty of visitors. It's a beautiful city that's surrounded by walls and filled with winding streets.

Is Urbino or Lucca Better for Families?

Lucca is a city with good options for its kid-friendly activities. However, Urbino is not a good destination for its family-friendly activities.

Lucca offers lots of family activities. You can pass through town in a day or two, or stay longer and use it as a base for exploring Tuscany. There are playgrounds for the kids as well as some fun activities like cycling the city walls and climbing towers.

Urbino is not the most family-friendly destination. The city is filled with history and architecture, which may be lost on the kids. There are the classic Italian restaurants which is a favorite among kids and adults alike.

Is Urbino or Lucca Better for Couples?

Both Urbino and Lucca are great destinations for a couple's getaway.

Urbino is a great town if you're traveling as a couple. This walled city is fun to explore and can make for a great romantic stop. The city is walled and has many historical buildings which couples will enjoy learning about together.

Lucca is a very popular place to visit for couples. It's a beautiful city with good restaurants and access to nice countryside. Couples who want to explore Tuscany can use this town as a base to take in much of the region.

Is Urbino or Lucca Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Lucca is a city with good options for backpackers and budget travelers. However, Urbino is not a good destination for backpackers.

Lucca is a good city to visit for backpackers. While there aren't many traditional hostels around town, guesthouses are usually affordable.

Urbino is a challenging destination for budget travelers and backpackers due to the higher prices. It's not well known by backpackers and there are a very limited number of hostels in the area.

Is Urbino or Lucca Better for Students?

Urbino is well known for students. However, Lucca is not popular with students.

Students come from all over to stay in Urbino. The student population is a large part of this small city. University students are usually happy and enjoy many activities and outings into the surrounding area.

Lucca is not popular with students.

Is Urbino or Lucca Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Urbino is a town with a few options for its public transit. However, Lucca is not particularly known for times when you don't have a car.

Public transit is generally limited in Urbino. The town is accessible by bus but not by train.

Public transit is quite limited in Lucca. There's no public transit within the city so if you can't walk somewhere, you'll want to take a taxi. In general, walking is the best option though.

Is Urbino or Lucca a more walkable city?

Lucca is great for its ease of walking around. Also, Urbino is not as popular, but is still a nice town for its walkability.

Lucca is a very walkable destination. Much of the city can be explored on foot.

Urbino is somewhat walkable. Many parts of the city are easy to explore on foot.

For even more information, also check out Is Urbino Worth Visiting? and Is Lucca Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Lucca or Urbino?

How long in Urbino or Lucca?

You'll be able to find lots of things to do in Urbino or Lucca to fill your time. In our opinion, Lucca has more to see and do, so we recommend spending more time in Lucca than Urbino. However, 1-2 days is a good amount of time to spend in either destination.

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Lucca than Urbino 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 Lucca.

One day in Urbino or Lucca?

In Urbino, many people enjoy the shopping and museums that this historic destination offers. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from. Because of this, one day is usually enough time for a trip here.

Many travelers enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting the destination of Lucca. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. One day is often enough time to do most activities.

A weekend in Urbino or Lucca?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Urbino. For many, it makes a great getaway for a weekend. This would be the perfect place to spend a weekend, as it has just the right amount of activities. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

Lucca 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 Urbino or Lucca?

Urbino is a fun place to experience. Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the destination of Urbino. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Lucca. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. 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 Urbino or Lucca?

You'll find food and shopping around the historic destination of Urbino. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

Travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the charming destination of Lucca. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most visitors spend time around the old town while in 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 2-Week Tours in Italy, The Best Bicycle Tours in Italy, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Italy, and The Best Coach Bus Tours in Italy.

When comparing the travel costs between Urbino and Lucca, we can see that Urbino 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 Urbino Expensive? and Is Lucca Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Urbino or Lucca?

Lucca has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Urbino. When comparing the sizes of Urbino and Lucca, 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.