Almost 90% of women feel unsafe travelling solo and many are turning to monasteries for refuge

New analysis by Monasteries.com  reveals 88% of women feel somewhat threatened travelling alone in the UK and Europe.

81% of solo female travellers are over 45 and a leading travel expert says many are choosing to stay in monasteries and convents to feel more secure.

The last time I travelled alone was to Turkey in January 2020, I was 39, and it was the first time I felt unsafe. Strange, as I had travelled alone many times before to war-torn and dangerous countries like Haiti and Angola.

The last time I travelled alone was to Turkey in January 2020, I was 39, and it was the first time I felt unsafe.

On this trip I was visiting friends who worked with Syrian refugees. They didn’t have space for me to stay in their house, so I booked a room at a hotel about a mile away.

I was met at the airport by a Turkish travel rep who directed me to the coach that would take me to Kuşadası, a small beach town on the Aegean coast. The rep was probably in his twenties, and I was friendly to him but not overly. He had my number from the travel agent, and knew where I was staying as he was on the coach when it dropped me off at my hotel. He also knew I was alone.

I didn’t think anything of it, until he started messaging me. Asking me to come out with him and his friends, or to come and visit his friend’s house nearby. It may have been totally innocent, but I felt vulnerable and unsafe.

So reading the recent research by Monasteries.com that 88% of females feel somewhat threatened travelling alone, whether in the UK or Europe, I totally understood.

So reading the recent research by Monasteries.com that 88% of females feel somewhat threatened travelling alone, whether in the UK or Europe, I totally understood.

Lily Smith, a travel expert from Monasteries.com, says: ‘Women are increasingly setting off on their own adventures, with 27% of British women saying they are considering a holiday alone. 81% of solo female travellers are over 45 years old. There are many factors that may have influenced this statistic - a newfound confidence as you get older, children leaving home, divorce, or just a desire to experience new things.

‘Naturally, safety is an important consideration for many solo travellers or, for that matter, for groups of maturer women travelling together. While 37% of women feel safer in a holiday property rental and 35% in a large hotel, according to recent research from the women’s travel resource JourneyWoman, that still leaves many women who don’t feel secure in traditional holiday accommodation.

‘For that reason, many women are surprised but delighted to discover they are able to stay in monasteries and convents both here in the UK and in many countries across Europe.

‘That might be a surprise to some people but, remember, monasteries have offered sanctuary to pilgrims and travellers for centuries, with a vow of ‘hospitality’ a feature for many religious orders. That means monasteries, convents and abbeys are often more welcoming, encompassing and friendly than an anonymous hotel.

‘Often, the only major restriction might be a curfew, which is typically between 10pm and midnight. For many solo female travellers, however, the safety this offers may actually prove an attraction.

‘Furthermore, the abbeys, convents and monasteries at Monasteries.com, for example, start from as little as €40 a night and provide low-cost city centre stays in some of Europe’s most-visited cities. For example, the Casa Il Rosario in Rome is opposite the Roman Forum and close to the Piazza Venezia and Trevi Fountain, with ensuite double rooms available for less than €50 per person.

‘Far from having to take a vow of silence, guests often get the chance to meet like-minded travellers at many monasteries and abbeys. Food plays a very important role in monastic life, with guests often encouraged to come together for meals and friendly conversation.’.=

I have never stayed in a monastery when travelling abroad, but I realise the reason I felt safe when visiting ‘dangerous’ countries like Haiti and Angola, was because when I arrived I stayed with mission organisations, which would provide a similar sense of ‘sanctuary’ as the monasteries.

The people and places of God are still a sanctuary, and although I don’t think I will be planning a solo trip for a while, if I did, I would definitely stay in a monastery. Are there any with a pool on site? 

To plan your solo holiday in a monastery, there is information about locations and how to book here.