Rates may vary according to hours required and distance travelled. Please contact Elite Limousines for an accurate quote to your requirements. All rates are inclusive of chauffeur gratuity and fuel surcharge. Other transfer rates are available on request. Additional Information - Please note all rates are indicative. For an accurate quote, please contact Elite Limousines on +39 347 6428915. Surcharges may apply according to time of day, day of the week, local public holidays or special events, please check at time of booking. Indicative rates quoted may vary according to currency fluctuations and do not include waiting time, parking, tolls or telephone charges. All time based journeys will be charged by the hour from the time the vehicle leaves the local office to the time it returns. Further terms and conditions may apply, please see our terms and conditions page for details.

CITY OVERVIEW

Situated minutes to the east of Cinque Terre by train, and sidling up to the exquisite Lerici and Tellaro, this hard-working port town and home to Italy's largest naval base is routinely overlooked. But it's not only an affordable place to overnight if you're heading to the Cinque Terre, it's really worthy of exploring – the winding streets of the old town are hugely atmospheric and there are plenty of cosy trattorias showcasing the Ligurian kitchen's finest. La Spezia's bustle peaks on 19 March, the feast day of the city's patron saint, San Giuseppe (St Joseph). Celebrations see a giant market fill the port and surrounding streets, and the naval base (off-limits the rest of the year) opens to the public. La Spezia, formerly Spezia, is a major naval base, located at the head of the Golfo della Spezia, southeast of Genoa. The site was inhabited in Roman times, but little is known of its history before 1276, when it was sold to Genoa by the Fieschi family. It became a maritime prefecture in the French Empire and then part of the Duchy of Genoa in the Kingdom of Sardinia. After the transfer of the military fleet from Genoa in 1857, it became a naval headquarters, and in 1923 it became the provincial capital.

Visiting La Spezia

The city is located on a narrow strip of land surrounded by the sea and mountains: Monte Parodi, which overlooks the city, gives a splendid view of La Spezia and its Gulf, and divides it, at the same time, from the Cinque Terre, a natural paradise unique in the world which must be visited when in the area. Also visible from above is the dockyard. La Spezia is home to one of the biggest navy yards for the Italian navy, the Marina Militare. At the base of Monte Parodi there is a fork in the road: continuing on, instead of turning towards Riomaggiore, visitors can reach Portovenere. The local area surrounding the capital offers a number of tourist sites. In addition to the closeness of the Cinque Terre, there are also a number of other locations, both cultural (museums, churches, castles, forts) and natural, like the many panoramic viewing areas, the many beach facilities along the coast of Sarzana and others on the Gulf of Poets.