Lumpy beds without enough covers?

I'm a light sleeper and have insomnia so the right conditions for optimal sleep is always important to me... we've stayed in lots of hotels in Paris and have rented 2 apts and we've never had a lumpy bed. Even in budget hotels the beds weren't lumpy. I don't know how much good it would do, but you could contact the hotel you're considering, before booking, and ask about their beds.

As for warmth, if staying in a hotel, just ask for extra blankets as soon as you check in (don't wait until night when maids are gone, and blankets may be gone to other guests).

You could also wear thermals (shirt and leggings) to sleep in under flannel or fleece pj's.

I can't remember the last time I slept in a hotel in Europe that provided anything different from a duvet. These aren't my favorite bedding options in the summer, but perfectly warm in the winter.

I'm not sure what precaution you can take against an uncomfortable mattress, though, except maybe stay at a more expensive hotel.

If you really think that sleeping might be a concern... as your doctor about a short course of a prescription sleep aid.

"What brought this to mind is dreaming of a trip to Paris during the Christmas holidays when the lights and stores are decorated to the hilt. Expect the visuals would be over the top."

I'm not sure what you are expecting, but my experience in Paris over the holidays is that stores are not "decorated to the hilt", nor are the visuals "over the top." Christmas decorating there is much more tasteful and restrained than what you find here in the U.S. I rather prefer it to what is too over the top here.

I've never encountered a lumpy bed in Europe, though I'm sure there are some. Do what Susan suggests and request an extra blanket right away if what is on the bed seems inadequate to you.

My wife has back problems, and most beds hurt her back.

When looking at European accommodations online, I pay especially close visual attention to the thickness of the mattresses and whether anyone in recommendations has said something about the quality of the bedding. We often skip on mattresses that look very thin. And we often request extra pillows if the original pillows are too thin.

Inspect the rooms you're going to stay at. If the temperature's not comfortable and the beds/bedding don't meet your standards, go stay elsewhere.

Switch to London for visuals. The barfing elves are especially over the top.

Carol, if you have never seen any reports on comfort and warmth of beds in Paris, I expect it is because there have been no complaints, at least not on these boards. You can be sure there would have been many, otherwise. Be sure to check a 10 day weather forecast before leaving for Paris in the winter, take warm PJ's, verify ahead of time that your hotel will have properly heated rooms if you are worried (TripAdvisor or call the hotel) and you should be OK. Do not expect "over the top" decorations .... that's not the French way of doing things, but you will be impressed by the beauty of the city at Christmas.

@ Carol,

Comfort is subjective. Some people have higher and lower standands then others.

@ home, my room is the coldest/hottest in the house since it faces the Soutth-West (SW) corner of the house and its exposed to the sun or not daily. Older construction and minimzl insulation helps, but not alot.

So im use to the extremes and it comes with me on my trips. I did notice that sometimes the duvet was somewhat heavier/warmer than im use to sleeping at night and i would end up kicking it off the bed only to end up colder. Its just something that is more common over theere. Most of the times i can get by with a light blanket or even bed sheet since almost all of the places ive stayed at so far has been warm enough for me. In my first time in Amsterdam, i did find out why my room was so noisy all day/night it was because the window/door was open. they had those full size tiliting door/window and i didnt notice it was open. No problem sleeping other than the noise.

As far as lumpy beds, again, i havent had that problem. all of them were more comfy then may old worn out matress at home.

All i can say is that im usually so worn out after a day(s) walking/seeing/doing, i have no problem getting some sleep.

One thing i learned about sleeping in cold weather and this was when we would go camping in a tent trailer. Wear your clothes to bed if you need to. Its not as comfy as the other way, but ive found out, its warmer.

happy trails.

If a great bed is a top priority, then I agree with the suggestion to consider a top hotel. Check out the Intercontinental or Four Seasons. Marriott beds are consistently quite good…much less expensive than the other two I mentioned. If budget is a bigger concern, then the first two are not going to be options for you. BTW, you’ll find plenty of reviews on tripadvisor for hotels and B&Bs. If you are interested in renting an apartment, then you’ll find reviews on places like airbnb.com.

I've never stayed at a hotel that had a duvet anywhere in France, Italy or Belgium, they all had sheets and blankets. In Germany, England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland, most only had duvets. I think it depends on the country, generally speaking. Since Carol is talking about Paris, I think the odds are greater that whatever hotel she stays in will have sheets and blankets.

@ Carol,

if you find your accomodations not that great after your frist night, you can always ask the front desk if there are any newer beds (softer/firmer/whatever) or ask for a warmer room or more covers.

all they can do is say no.

happy trails.

Thanks everyone for good advice. As I get older a good mattress is a necessity to me. But that said I won't allow that be a deal breaker when it comes to traveling. I turn off the heat in bedroom always, even in coldest weather so that isn't an issue. Enough covers is important. So the suggestion that I request extra blankets early on is a good idea. I will do this in the future. I usually decide I need another blanket around midnight. So far I have not traveled to Europe in the winter.

And covered duvets without a top sheet does seem to be the standard on beds, especially in Scandinavian countries. I do not have a problem with this and like the idea that everything touched by body is freshly laundered. A duvet can be too warm though. To solve this I have taken the cover off of the duvet and using the cover only.

Interesting to hear about Paris not being as decorated as I might imagine. Guess I have been pulled in by pics and videos. I am an amateur artist, lights and color are eye candy to me. Would like to see the French flair at its best.

Thanks again everyone. So far this trip is just a small nugget of fun in my imagination. Isn't that where most great travels start?

I like reading tripadvisor reviews. While I don't consider any single review perfectly reliable (some may be planted), reading a lot of them will give you a good idea what to expect and whether you will like the place or not.

Beds are important to you. If I read one review about uncomfortable beds, I might ignore it as an isolated opinion. If it's a recurring theme in the reviews, I'd cross the place off my list.

For me clean and quiet are my biggest concerns, a recurring theme about cleanliness would eliminate a place from my list.

Hi Carol,
You've got a lot of great advise about beds though I recommend wearing long type underwear while sleeping, not clothes. I was curious about your desire to see the Christmas lights in Paris. I Googled the Eiffel Tower and Champs-Élysées at Christmas and discovered they do go all out when decorating the tower and the street, restrained doesn't seem to apply, quite magnificent if I do say so myself. Tasteful, I guess that would be up to what one likes and dislikes in Christmas displays. I wish I could attach some photos but Google or Bing it to see!

While the Champs-Élysées is beautifully lit over the holidays, in my experience (5 years ago) the only thing different about the Eiffel Tower was that in 2008 it had blue lights as Sarkozy was the President of the EU. On New Years Eve at midnight the lights returned to the normal white lights.