Monastery Stays in Italy

If you are a no-frills traveler interested in an unconventional place to stay in Italy, consider a monastery!

I learned about Monastery Stays from one of my travel books.  I booked all of my stays through the Monastery Stays website.

Advantages:
- safe place to stay, generally run by nuns or priests
- relatively inexpensive although some small B&Bs and hotels may charge similar rates after you add in the Monastery Stays booking fees
- depending on the location you choose, free breakfast and internet may be included

Disadvantages:
- some of these monasteries have their own booking site, so check first, and you could save on the middleman booking fees
- not all of the clergy and staff at these small places speak English, so it is best to learn basic Italian
- these are NO FRILLS places- a very simple bed, no television, and there may be curfews, too

Of note, the places I chose allowed males and females to share a room, though you should check for each location (detailed on the Monastery Stays website).  There was no pressure to participate in any religious activities although you will doubtless hear bells when service starts and will see crosses, etc. in your room.

Overall I was pleased and would stay there again.