No need to travel to the other side of the world to experience silence. France has remarkable places where you can stay silent for a few days, in the Drôme, in Occitanie, in Dordogne, in Brittany. Here’s what you need to know before booking, and how to recognise stays where silence is a real practice. (To understand what happens to you during these wordless days, read first: a silent retreat, what’s it really like?)
What a silent retreat truly is
Not all ‘calm’ retreats are silent retreats. In a real silent retreat, participants do not speak, not during meals, not between practices, sometimes not at all for several days. Silence is not a constraint but the central tool: without conversation, attention turns inward, and that’s where the work begins.
Between total silence and a simple quiet stay, there is a whole range of formats: daily silence times, silent mornings, meals taken without a word, with guided discussions the rest of the time. For a first time, these hybrid formats are often the most suitable entry point. Imposed silence produces nothing good; silence that is chosen and taken at a manageable pace, accompanied by people who know what they are doing, is where the experience becomes fruitful.
Finally, be wary of the word "silent" used as a claim about atmosphere. An isolated lodge where cars do not pass is not a silent retreat; it’s a calm place. The difference lies in the supervision: who maintains the silence, how, and what the venue does with it.
How to recognise a stay where silence is maintained
A few signs are reliable indicators. The programme announces precisely when to be silent and when to speak, not a vague promise of ‘disconnection moments’. Silence is supervised by experienced teachers, often from a meditation practice, able to support what comes up when the noise stops. And the venue fully commits to disconnecting: wifi cut off or absent, phones put away, no half-measures.
On the other hand, if the website mixes ‘silent retreat’ with wine tastings and convivial evenings, the silence is decorative. This is not a flaw in itself, but it is probably not what you are looking for.
The stays in our selection that truly make silence and disconnection a practice are gathered on the Silence & disconnection page. We only list a venue when its official source really highlights silence, not when the word is simply used to set a mood.
Budget, duration and travel: the essentials
Expect €300 to €600 for a 3 to 5 day stay with full board. Venues operating on a donation basis, such as some meditation centres, can cost significantly less: you pay for accommodation at cost price and for teaching according to your means. This offers a real saving, but also a philosophy: the practice is not a product.
For a first experience, three days are more than enough. The way it unfolds is surprisingly predictable: the first two days are used to "unplug", the mind continues to turn, makes lists, negotiates, and the third is the one where something happens. Leaving for less than three days means leaving at the exact moment when it starts.
One final tip: prioritise a venue accessible by train and then local shuttle or taxi. Switching off also means, not arriving stressed after six hours of driving. Arriving slowly is already part of the retreat.
Who is it for (and who not yet)
A silent retreat is suitable for anyone in a state of ordinary mental fatigue: overload, screens, constant demands, continuous decisions. If your first reflex in the morning is your phone and you can’t remember the last time you got bored, you’re exactly the target audience.
It is, however, not recommended during a period of acute psychological crisis, recent bereavement, severe depression, or overwhelming anxiety. Silence amplifies what is there, it does not resolve it. This is not a treatment, and reputable teachers are the first to say so. In case of doubt, speak to a professional before booking, and prefer a short format with guided discussions.
And if complete silence intimidates you, there is a very effective first step: a digital detox retreat, without screens but with conversations. Many people thus regain some of the benefits, the attention that rests, the time that slows down, without the intensity of complete silence. The path is often this one: first, switch off the screens, then, a few months later, try a period of silence.