Spain v Italy. Which is best?

[Parrot Face]

Done most of Spain and in recent years we've covered a lot of Italy. Presently in southern Italy in the heel. So different from rest of Italy. Started wondering which of these two countries I'd prefer. Please try not to skew the thread by talking about other preferred countries. Will start with a few controversial points. Spain is cheaper. Italy is classier. Spain goes out of its way to lure the English eg. English breakfast. Italian resorts keep their national identity.

 

[gpat]

Spain by a mile. But we don't go to places where they sell English Breakfasts. There are many. If that were not the case then Italy.

Spain in cheaper and classier if you follow that rule

 

[Richard n Ann]

We went to Italy a few years ago, Ann liked Pompey but I hated the country as a whole.
Expensive diesel.
Knackered roads. (so must use tolls)
Really bad and angry drivers. They love not indicating at a roundabout so you have to stop... I started doing it back out of spite
The citizens seem to hate each other.
More migrants wandering round staring at you than Italians.
To top it off the weather was shite.
Seeing the lovely weather in Spain we couldn't get out of the place fast enough.

 

[Brains]

I've only really spent a lot of time (months) in the very north of both countries.
Personally I prefer Italy.

 

[Guigsy]

My wife likes the "mañana mañana" chill of Spain. I like the bustle of Italy.

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[Chris]

I love Spain but Italy wins hands down on food but the beer is expensive.

So Spain

 

[Bobandfay]

Spain

 

[Sapper520]

…….going to have to think about this one.

Love the beautiful interior of Spain, fantastic empty biking roads (the type with an engine), food in traditional bars and non tourist towns great, with friendly locals.

Italy, having only done the north so far, some great biking roads, but not as good as Spain. Some great places to eat and drink, friendly people (the places we’ve been), beautiful around the lakes. Only two countries we’ve had to deal with constantly worse driving, but won’t mention them so it doesn’t go off topic.

If it was purely based on cost, then Spain. But We’re happy to go back to either……so not much help.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Spain, but I’m biased.

I’ve yet to find a nice place in Italy.

 

[Parrot Face]

Peschici

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[Hydrocell]

I was in Italy in September very nice but also very very expensive so unless you have had a win on the lotto Spain is your best bet

 

[Hydrocell]

Went to Venice for the day this was my 13th time there, two cans of Fanta not in st marks square €11 we was going to have food but couldn't get the mortgage lol

 

[dunnah01]

Italy

 

[dunnah01]

Spain

 

[Landy Andy]

Most places are better than Spain.

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[Paulypaul]

Started wondering which of these two countries I'd prefer

Surely, you can only decide that

 

[gpat]

Most places are better than Spain.

No offence, but what places have you visited to come to that opinion? It's a genuine question. I am intrigued.

Sure we hate Benidoen, torremolinos etc. But Salamanca, Cordoba, the northern Atlantic coast, the northern Mediterranean coast (in places), the western med (atlantic). Stunning places. I cant think what's not to like.

This summer, nice bar in Salamanca. Large beer, nice glass of local wine. €4.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Went to Venice for the day this was my 13th time there, two cans of Fanta not in st marks square €11 we was going to have food but couldn't get the mortgage lol

We had lunch at one of the restaurants in May over the back from the tourist part and I didn’t think it was anymore expensive than other places we visited.
Also had coffee and cakes and that was reasonable.

 

[VXman]

I always thought I'd prefer Italy having visted Lake Garda, Venice, Rome , Pompei etc in my pre motorhome days. Also pre motorhome Spain for me consisted mainly of beach resorts.

Having toured Spain the the motorhome last Autumn and in Italy now I'm starting to change my views.

Food - probably prefer Italy for the pasta and pizza but Italians are rude and appaling drivers. Southern Italy is a dump. The roads are appalling and there is rubbish everywhere. North Italy is better. The Dolomites and Tuscany were lovely. Motorhome parking is more hit and miss in Italy and can be expensive.

Spain on the other hand was a revelation away from the coast. The history, the towns, the architectureq and lots of free parking for motorhomes. Fabulous.

Both have their plus points but Spain is winning for me at the moment.

 

[scotzsue]

We were in spain earlier in the year and are on our way home from Italy.
Neither is better they are just different, love both but not for the same reason.
Did think i was in Germany whilst in Italy, saw very few other nationalities while we were away.

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[jumar]

Viva España...,

 

[DBK]

My book on motorhoming in Spain outsells the one about Italy ten to one - which is one measure of the popularity of Spain.

We like both countries but there is no denying it's a long way to drive to reach the south of Italy.

I think Italy has more challenges, the roads, litter in some places and the popular places can get very crowded but it has delights to offset these. But I can understand why some don't like the country because of these downsides. Spain is generally more accessible on many levels and much less demanding than Italy.

 

[peterc10]

Italy for us. Food best in Europe as long as you avoid restaurants catering for tourists.

 

[Northernraider]

Love Spain

I tolerated Italy. That said the North around the dolomites is beautiful, didn't think much of the east coast and haven't done the west or south.
But wasn't keen on the food, the roads or the expense.

Spain is beautiful, better weather, friendlier people, cheaper for food and fuel , and if you avoid the tourist traps like Benidorm and calpe its heaven on earth .

Good ferries to Greece from Italy though so that's a bonus

 

[Gaston aires]

Espana por favour. Italy is sooo expensive, stylish but expensive.
Phil

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[jumartoo]

Well, we live in Spain so ...

Since Covid, when we were less likely to travel far, we've found a whole new side to the country that we didn't know existed. We're now even reluctant to take our three month summer trip anywhere other than the North West of Spain.

We had many a trip in Italy in the past, and we were always relieved to exit without being involved in a motoring accident of some kind.

 

[cliffanger]

We’ve just come back from Italy.

We hated the crappy roads, we loved the food.

We loved the people, we hated the drivers.

We didn’t like the fact that campsites weren’t able to be booked, but we were assured they had space, only to arrive and be told ‘another large camping car has taken the last space - that happened more than once.

We hated the tatty, overcrowded campsite pitches, and the biblical Infestation of flies.

We love Galicia, we love Almeria, we love Costa del Sol, but we also love inland Spain, and as Funsters will know, WE LOVE BENI!

So Spain would get our vote every time.

 

[VXman]

Well, we live in Spain so ...

Since Covid, when we were less likely to travel far, we've found a whole new side to the country that we didn't know existed. We're now even reluctant to take our three month summer trip anywhere other than the North West of Spain.

We had many a trip in Italy in the past, and we were always relieved to exit without being involved in a motoring accident of some kind.

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And I could post a few hundred of the gorgeous photos we have from our current trip in Italy. Many would put these to shame. But I won't because it really doesn't prove anything.

I loved Spain last year and may well go back again sometime (need to do the North West and Portugal) but for the moment there is so much more to explore. Doing Germany and Italy on this trip. Need to do the Balkans, want to do Scandinavia. So much of the world to explore.

 

[jumartoo]

And I could post a few hundred of the gorgeous photos we have from our current trip in Italy. Many would put these to shame. But I won't because it really doesn't prove anything.

I loved Spain last year and may well go back again sometime (need to do the North West and Portugal) but for the moment there is so much more to explore. Doing Germany and Italy on this trip. Need to do the Balkans, want to do Scandinavia. So much of the world to explore.

I wasn't trying to prove anything, except that Spain doesn't just cater for the British Breakfast Brigade.

(I have many more, better photos also, but just posted a selection to show a different aspect).

 

[Parrot Face]

Agree with comments about southern Italy... Roads bad and litter left at side of the road. This might be because of their equivalent to our north - south divide and council funding. It seems that the south is a lot poorer than the north. People don't seem to dress as expensively and there are fewer flash cars. In the towns there isn't as much rubbish, more evident on roads and lay byes outside of towns. Having said that the UK is having similar issues with many lay-bys closed to prevent fly tipping.

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