Independent Travel in Europe

Travelling independently means that you will have much more control over your accommodations - you can opt to stay in one type of lodging for the duration of your trip or you can book a variety of accommodations, such as hostels, self-catering apartments, university residences, convents and monasteries, B&Bs, budget hotels, or pensions (private rooms with or without meals). If you decide to stay in self-catering accommodations or hostels offering the use of a common kitchen, you can take advantage of both the cost and health benefits of preparing some of your own meals, as well as experience shopping at the local markets.

If you are looking for peaceful surroundings and don't mind respecting curfews, you could consider staying in a convent or monastery. Convents are similar to guest houses or inns, except that they are run by a religious order. Rooms are sparsely decorated but impeccably clean. Twin beds are the norm, although there may be a few rooms with double beds for married couples. Convent guest houses are mainly found in major cities in Italy, especially Rome, as well as in France and Spain. Monasteries are usually found in rural areas, and accommodations may be in separate guest quarters. These are sometimes free, but guests offer donations in exchange for hospitallity. 

Another option for huge savings on accommodations is house swapping; however, not everyone is comfortable with this type of arrangement. Another factor to consider is how long you want to stay in one location - house swapping usually entails a commitment of at least two weeks.
Another option is to tap into travellers' hospitality networks.

You may also want to consider travelling by train at night if travel times between destinations are six hours or more. Reserve a bunk on a train and save both time and the cost of lodging for one night.

Monastery Stays

The Church of Santa Susanna

Rome's American Parish - includes a page on convents   and monasteries in Italy (Rome, Assisi, Florence, Venice, San Gimingnano and San Giovanni di Rotondo).