Adult opposite gender siblings sharing hotel room

Twin beds are not an oddity. I traveled with my older sister and my uncle over the last 4 years we were able to book twin beds in Spain, France, Italy, Sweden, and Germany to save money. Today most sites like booking.com or hotel chain search engines allow you to specify filter your search by the type of room twin versus double bed. You will not have a problems finding hotels with twin beds in Germany.

Also you could just get single twin rooms usually very small but they exist. I have a travel companion and after trying the twin bed way we decided to do single twin rooms because a snoring problem.

I travel alone, and I like my own double or queen bed because I'm tall. Too often, I get two twin beds anyway - sometimes they can be pushed together, sometimes not. Anyway - point is, it is extremely common in Europe to get a hotel room with two twin beds. Use a website like Booking.com where you can see the exact room configurations with pictures to book a place.

I travel in Europe with my sister and we never have any trouble finding hotel rooms with twin beds. I strongly suggest you simply reserve those types of rooms.

My male and female children are just a bit older (24 and 26). While sharing a room would not be an issue, sharing a bed would be an issue.

Having traveled a number of times with friends and on a number of RS tours where I shared a room with a tourmate, it is pretty easy to find rooms with two beds. Sometimes the two beds are pushed together, but they are made up separately.

Ask for a room with ”2 beds” rather than ”twin beds”. ”Twin beds” is common to American English and not universally understood.

I would have no problem sharing a room with my brother or sister, but I would absolutely want my own bed. It will be no problem finding rooms with 2 beds in Germany.

Many times when we reserve a double-bed room it turns out to be two twins pushed together, with separate duvets for each person. No problem to push them apart a few inches so they're absolutely separate beds.

This is a complete non-issue. What is actually more common are rooms billed as double which are actually 2 single beds pushed together.

I don't think there will be any problem for one to find such rooms in all but a few hotels geared exclusively to couples.

The confusion seems to stem from a Rick Steves comment/note that some many hotels have twin beds with a shared headboard and separate beds (which might have been an issue from when he arranged rooms for 2 strangers to share). That is in any case a 1980s design thrown out by now, mostly, with heavy colored wallpaper and lava lamps.

What do the kids think?

My experience is that sometimes there are two single mattresses and sometimes there's one double mattress. You can't be sure unless you contact each hotel directly. Also, if the hotel has both types, even if you reserve "twins", they may not be available when you arrive, especially if you turn up late in the day when most of the rooms have already been allocated.

I often use booking.com or hotels.com to book rooms. If you do a trial booking, the site will often give you a choice of a double or twin room.

I usually travel with a friend and we share a room but not a bed. I reserve a twin room and not a double room, and have not had a problem getting a room with two twin beds.

Two twin beds in a room in Europe is not an oddity at all. It's called a "Twin" room...as opposed to a "Double" room with 1 large bed for two people.

Single,
Twin,
Double,
Triple,
Quad

That's the lingo you need to use when booking your room. Some hotels will even provide separate beds in Triples and Quads...all you need to do is ask.

My sister and I had no problem finding twin beds. That being said if you can't I don't find this to be an issue as long as they don't think it's an issue. It's usually just 2 twin beds pushed together anyway.

I would rather spend the night in jail than share a room, let alone a bed, with my brother. Love the guy - but no way!

If his kids don't mind, I don't see a problem.

We just returned from three weeks with our 20 year old twins, one boy and one girl. The hardest part of accommodations was finding three bed minimum. We got family rooms a couple times, one double bed and two twins. Apartment rentals were easier to see the bed situation. One hotel told us it was two twin beds, it wasn't so mom with daughter and dad with son for the one night. My kids would never want to sleep next to each other.

You could also get a triple for the two of them. Even if two beds were pushed together, the third would be separate. And they'd have a bit more space. That said, triples are less common than twin or doubles. But it's an option.

Be careful of asking for twin beds in Europe. My dad and I traveled to the UK and I had specifically asked for twins beds in a hotel. However, the "twin beds that we got consisted of twin beds together with separate mattress and two duvets. Awkward as heck but luckily it was only for one night. I'd ask for two single beds-most hotels usually have them. As for siblings, I have an older sister and we used to have to share a bed at my grandmas. We both hated it as someone would always hog the covers and take up most of the bed. I don't think I could share a bed with my sister either.

The configuration of the integral bed head and side tables offered no alternative i.e. the beds could not be separated.

However, the "twin beds that we got consisted of twin beds together with separate mattress and two duvets.

Isn't that the definition of twin beds?

An alternative to your adult kids sharing a room, even w two twins, is you and your daughter share a room and your husband and son share a room.

The OP says they are traveling in Germany. I find that a lot of room listings in German will state that they are either a DZ (doppel zimmer) which is two adjacent single beds made into one double bed (whether one mattress or two) or a 2BZ (2 bett zimmer) which means two separated single beds. A lot of times on the website for the relevant accommodations there will be pictures that shows 2 separate beds in a 2BZ (I am usually looking for a room with a double bed so I look at the pictures).

I don't think there is any advantage to using a 3rd party booking site (like Booking.com). In fact, I would suggest that the property's own website will often have a better definition of the type of bed.

If you ask them to pay 50% of the cost of single rooms it won't increase your expenses at all. I would expect adults in their 20's to be able to do this.

In the US, if you get twin beds, they are always separated, never pushed together. I believe the issue was the twin beds were not separated.

Since they are your husband's adult children, I would let him make the call on what would be comfortable for them..........assuming he is paying for their portion of the trip (if you two operate with separate funds). If the funds are commingled in your household, you likely know if the extra 33% will kill your family budget (or if it is more of an irritant to you).

But, for the sake of being a reasonable stepmother, I would suggest deferring to your husband's judgement on this one (again, assuming he appropriately contributes to the household budget).

I would have found sharing a room with my brother unpleasant.....actually very unpleasant (spoiled rotten, could "get away with murder," golden son, a gawd-foresaken tease, etc. issues).

Sounds like this might be a surprise holiday gift (the trip), and what could happen is the desire for your daughter in law and son in law to request boyfriend/girlfriend to come along on the trip (if they have such significant others in their lives), so you might be ready for that twist, too.

The suggestion of the guys (dad/son) and (you/his daughter) sharing rooms could work, but what if his daughter might not want to speak up but would dread the thought of sharing a room with the Stepmother?

Travel is stressful, and sometimes having a peaceful night-time environment can ease the stress.

I have seen very good friends share rooms and then end up having the friendship terminate after a trip. Having one's place of escape and rest is important (though, yes, more costly).

If you also came to the marriage with children of your own, will they be going on the journey?

And, then also (as a couple) be prepared if they are not super excited about traveling to Europe with you two, or if work/other activities may keep them from being able to travel when you want.........but guessing your husband has a general idea if the trip would work for them and thrill them (and I assume he thinks it will). Typically if a parent pays, then the kids (of any age) are all on board :) It is a lovely gift!!!

Have traveled many times with friends and/or family and always got rooms with two separate beds, but, as Laura said, you have to request two separate beds. If you ask for twins you are most likely going to get two beds pushed together but with different bedding on each. And while you are technically not sleeping in the same bed, it would be awkward for me to sleep with one of my brothers this way (love them to death though!) Two separate beds? No problem.

Have you considered AirBnB? I have been researching 3 bedroom apartments which are cheaper than the cost of 2 hotel rooms.

What is the suggested distance between 2 beds to make this furniture arrangement appropriate? :-)

The beds are too close together if I can lay in my bed and touch any part of the other bed. :-)

You would have had a hard time 100 years ago (or less) when entire families slept in one bed.

Yes, I know I am privileged since I have always had my own bed in my own room.

My mom had 12 brothers and sisters. They all lived in a 3 bedroom house with one bathroom. My mom shared her bed with 3 of her sisters. Only her parents had a bedroom to themselves. The rest of the family slept wherever they could find a flat spot. I would have been miserable. They were happy :-)

We are footing the bill, so we'll need to decide what we can manage

He or she who pays the piper calls the tune. The decision is up to you and your husband -- not anyone else including your children.

If you are feeling generous toward your kids and want to give them more space, get them separate rooms. If the budget can't afford that, they can share a room; just get two beds.

This is pretty simple; it's not rocket science.

This has been a fine example of two (or more) cultures separated by a common language -- in my LLBean catalog the sheets and comforter section lists sizes 'twin, full, queen, king' -- so "twin" refers to a size of mattress, and it sometimes happens in lodging in Europe that to get to that size two smaller mattresses are stuck together -- so it took me a while when reading this thread to understand that by "twin" the writer, and many commenters, meant two beds that might or might not be right next each other.
Again, to me "twin" is a size and not a quantity.
In US hotels a twin room usually is to distinguish it from a king room or queen room, but places with a lot of space to waste or the opposite (tight quarters) would clarify by photo or description just how many twin or queen or king beds would be in the room, i.e. a double would have two twin beds.
Glad I could help clear this up :P /s

I just checked on Booking.com about this issue. You can refine your search by checking the Twin beds box or the Double bed box. Most hotels will have both.

You can click on rooms designated as double or twin to see the configuration of the beds. That's the only way you can understand how they are set up.

Some twins are actually touching each other with no room to separate them. Some have a walking space between them. Some doubles are one solid mattress. Some are twins pushed together.

After you find some hotel (or other) alternatives, Google the lodging and go to their website. There you can possibly see more pictures and information. You should be able to contact them by email to explain your situation. You might be able to get a better price by contacting them directly, especially since 2-3 rooms may be involved.

Well, 35 responses have been given to the OP’s post asking for advice about her adult children. She has not commented on any of them. Save your breath to cool your porridge, people.

Yes, Norma. One question and run. No feedback, no dialogue.

The echoes around the empty room get louder.

Not strictly true about no engagement since the top post has been extended at least twice.

Oh, well, then ..... we know attention has been paid in one manner or other. Hmphh.

And Marco, clever of you to spot that the OP had added to the original post, rather than post separate comments. I wonder how many other noticed this. Strange thing to do without noting that an EDIT is being made.

When I know the question and am following the thread I don't go back and make sure I read it correctly. On some of our threads on here that would mean reading the OP dozens of times.

On the other hand if I see that there is a big EDIT or >>>> or some other attention getter I will look to see what's on.

I don't want them to be uncomfortable and comments about the stress of travel straining relationships are worth considering. They both know how to get on eachother's nerves.

This bit that the OP added later is probably the key. A two week trip spent together in a small room is not likely to give anyone fond memories. That space and time to be alone is important when you're spending time with the family.

Here's what I'd suggest- When you're in one place for a few days, get them separate rooms. When you have a one night stay somewhere, maybe they could share a room. Like the night before a flight, etc. They can suck it up for a couple of nights scattered throughout the trip. Especially if they have had some space on their own the rest of the trip.

And here's something you might not realize. Often kids just leaving college are hyper sensitive to the bonds of family holding them down. Even when you haven't been helicoptering, or my-house-my-rules-ing them. This surprised me when the first two graduated from college. I've come to think of it as a developmental stage, like a kid not letting you help with his shoes so he can do it himself. Something to consider. Try not to do all activities together. Give them more space than you think you need to, and then they'll probably join you more than they'd planned. I call it the biting-the-tongue stage of parenthood.

Next time I see a question from an OP who only has 1 post, I'll skip it.

Just back from 7 weeks in France and Spain.

My husband and I sometimes requested two twin beds so we wouldn't be fighting over the duvet, but twice these twin beds were much too short for him (he's six feet tall). He said, "This is a kid's bed!" That never happened with double beds.

I don't know how tall your kids are, but it's something to be aware of if any of them are tall.

My husband and I sometimes requested two twin beds

Why would you need four beds!