Is it true that hotel beds in europe are smaller?

I don't think the beds are physically smaller but you will find a lot more twin beds in double rooms, and the double bed is often the standard double bed instead of the more common queen size that you find in the states. However, this could be more true of the 1, 2, 3, star hotels and B&Bs. Our very limited experience with 5 stars is that they will have queen and king beds. I am 6-2, normal weight so I don't think of the beds as being a problem because I am a little used to hanging over the end anyway. I don't think there is a definate answer to your question.

Gina, my in-laws entire family is 6'1" to 6'10". They haven't had any complaints about the beds in Europe other than that they are standard lengths (they all sleep on extended length beds in the US). So, if your husband is fine with a standard bed in the US he should be fine with a standard bed in Europe.

Of course there are ALWAYS exceptions to this rule, but this is not only outside of the US.

I'm "only" 5'8 and I once had a bed in Barcelona that was too short for me. Also I've found that what's a double bed in France or Italy would be considered as twin in the US. It may be wise to email your hotel and ask about bed sizes. Anything from 160x200cm would be appropriate for the two of you.

In Italian hotels you will sometimes find the width of the beds to be less than in US hotels, doubles rather than queens.

We havent experienced beds that we thot much smaller than American ones, if at all. There are plenty of ROOMS that are very small tho. We had one in Innsbruck that was so small there was little room to turn in the place!

Rick Steves is 6 foot 2. I bet if you look for hotels in his guide books, you can't go wrong with the size of the beds.I'm sure that is one of the things Rick looks for in finding decent hotels to put in his guide books.
I'm only 5 foot 1, and even sleep well flying coach! LOL!

I agree with Paul. I had read the comment many times about a double bed being the size of a twin but have never encountered it in nearly 300 days of travel. Several times have found two twins sheeted together to make a big double.

I too have never seen this double bed in Europe that is the size of a twin bed in America, does America have freakisly large twins,, LOL. I have been to the STates and I do think that when you hear the term "dobule room" that most North Americans consider that to mean a room for two people that would most likely have QUEEN size beds in it, often two queens or one king. You will NOT find this in most non five star or American Chain hotels in Europe.
A double room will have a DOUBLE size bed, NOT a queen, and a twin room will have two single beds, often pushed side by side to fit in the smaller rooms.
Hubby is 6'4' 200 lbs, he manages fine, but, yes feet sometimes hang off, hes used to that anyways. We just make sure not to get a bed with a foot board.

Euro twin beds are actually longer than US ones, although not as long as the extra long ones that are in US college dorms. They are also narrower in Europe, but not by much.

I would get twin beds and push them together, since you would lose some needed width w/a double. Fancy hotels have queen-sized beds available for the asking.

So all our Euro bottom sheets hang too long at the bottom and are too narrow at the sides. Since we move back and forth so much, I just have US and Euro bottom sheets and change accordingly.

Vive la difference! And happy euro dreams.

I don't notice that European beds are smaller than American . . . I've had some pretty abbreviated beds in U.S. hotels (not the big chains or really nice hotels, of course) but I DO notice this whole "duvet" thing in European hotels, B&Bs & guesthouses. I don't like the duvet system - especially since I'm not sleeping alone & every time my husband rolls over he takes the whole duvet with him & I'm left . . . er . . . hanging out! I much prefer a bottom sheet (fitted) & a top sheet (that can be tucked in), but that doesn't seem to be the way things are going -

Are European beds smaller? No, but in some cases American beds are bigger.

Lee: Good point!

Can't say what is the standard in Italy, but in German there a standards for beds in any hotel with a star. The German hotel and restaurant association, which is the organization that awards stars to German hotels has a set of rules. In any hotel with stars, the single beds have to be at least 90x190 (35-1/2 x 74 1/2). In four and five star hotel the bed must be about 4 inches longer. Double beds must be twice as large.

In the US, single bed are about the same length but two person bed, except for king size, are a lot smaller.

But what size beds do we actually see. Are we comparing what people have at home, or what they get in motels?

Although it is common in Europe to find a single bed in a hotel, that is rare over here. Usually you find, even as a single, that you have a queen or king bed. So, I would say that a single person in Europe gets a smaller bed. But two people in Europe probably get the equivalent of a king, so most beds for two over here are smaller.