Where to Stay in La Spezia?
Affordable Gateway to Cinque Terre
La Spezia is the perfect place to stay for your Cinque Terre adventure, much more budget-friendly and quieter than the actual Cinque Terre Towns. Here are my favourite hotels and hostels in La Spezia.
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Where to stay in La Spezia:
La Spezia is the bigger city right below the five towns of Cinque Terre. It’s location and amazing train connection (just 5 minutes to the first village) makes it an amazing accommodation option that is more budget-friendly and quieter.
If you are planning to visit Cinque Terre by train, you’ll want to stay close to La Spezia Centrale station, as that is where the train goes from. Alternatively, somewhere nearby one of the bus routes will work great, as they cost only 1.50€ and go straight to the station.
The historical centre “Centro Storico” is also only a 15-minute walk to the station and a lovely area to stay in with lots of restaurants and shops.
The harbour area is equally beautiful and often has events going on like the mussle festival when we went (it was delicious). I’d recommend staying here if you plan to visit Cinque Terre by ferry. It takes longer and is a little more pricy than the train, but the views are stunning.
For any hotel in La Spezia you want to book as early as possible to get a good deal!!
Top Affordable Hostels in La Spezia:
- COSTELLO – super high-quality hostel, close to the train station
- Grand Hostel Manin – located right in the historical centre, it offers nice rooms and kind staff.
Hotels for different budgets in La Spezia:
$ affittacamere JustKey – affordable, great location for trains
$ Novecento Boutique Hotel La Spezia – beautiful rooms, decent prices, great location
$ Hotel Corallo – nice rooms, direct bus link to station, kind staff (we stayed here, they sold the bus tickets at reception)
$$ Lina Suites & Rooms – stunning property, right by the main station
$$ Hotel Venezia – super convenient for Cinque Terre
$$$ Porto Lotti Suite Hotel – this is a luxurious stay by the Marina, it is further from the centre so really only for those booking a boat trip to Cinque Terre or wanting to enjoy a fancy getaway
Is La Spezia a good place to stay while visiting Cinque Terre?
Yes, La Spezia is an amazing alternative to staying in one of the 5 villages of Cinque Terre. The Cinque Terre card that includes the train also includes La Spezia, and the first village is only about 5 minutes by train.
La Spezia tends to be a little quieter (not quiet but a little less hectic) than the 5 villages and a bit more affordable. Plus, I actually love the city with its winding streets and delicious restaurants that don’t cost a fortune!
Things to Do in La Spezia
La Spezia is actually pretty underrated in my opinion. It’s a super pretty town that is perfect for just wandering. It’s really only known for being the “gateway to Cinque Terre”, yet it has so many things to do:
- Explore the winding streets of Old Town
- Visit Castello di San Giorgio
- Try some local food at the market or one of the many Ligurian restaurants
- Check out one of the festivals, they seem to always have one on
- check-out the nearby beaches of Lerici or Portovenere
- Stroll along Costantino Morin Promenade and enjoy the seaside views with mountains in the background
- Check out the The Thaon di Revel Bridge
- Wonder at the Naval Technical Museum La Spezia
- Go on a boat cruise
How to get to Cinque Terre from La Spezia?
From La Spezia, you can either get the express train to the five villages of Cinque Terre, or go by ferry.
By Train:
I found the Cinque Terre Train Card worth it, as you get unlimited train travel between all 5 villages and La Spezia, access to all hiking trails as well as free use of the station’s toilets (which was actually so useful). The Cinque Terre Express Trains go every 20-or-so minutes and only take a few minutes between each of the villages. The pass costs 29,50-35 €, depending on the day.
By Ferry:
Alternatively, you could get on the ferry at La Spezia, which stops in the 4 seaside villages of Cinque Terre (Corniglia is at the top of the cliff so no water access). The ferry timetable is quite restricted and takes a lot longer than the train. The cost is 42€ roundtrip. You can also buy one-way passes at the ferries between the towns.
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