Two people in single room?

B&B owners expect their guests to be honest this is how they supp their living by opening their home to guests.
Tell them in advance and expect to pay more for the second person. Other option stay in a hostel, some have pvt doubles.

Unless the "single" specifies that 2 people can share I really doubt it. All the small hotels / B&Bs we have stayed include breakfast and that is factored into the price.

You cannot put two people in a single room, even if one is willing to sleep on the floor. It is not only not "looked to kindly upon", it may be illegal or at a minimum in violation of fire regulations. And it is dishonest in places where rooms are priced by the person, not by the room. And you won't escape notice by the B&B owner, who expects (and deserves) fair payment for two sets of towels, two breakfasts, use of hot water, etc. Try a hostel, on small one-star hotels with twin rooms and bathroom down the hall.

Yes it will be a problem. When you book, you need to state how many people will be staying in the room. You won't be permitted to put a second person in a room that is only meant for one. You can always contact the pension or B&B and state that you need a room for 2 people for less than x EUROs and see if they offer you something.

Many of the single rooms I've stayed in simply haven't the room for a person to sleep on the floor. Single rooms are often very small. Also, the price difference between a single and a double is often not very much.

I agree that it may be illegal in some places. Also, is the second person going to sneaking in and out of room? I don't think it is fair if you don't tell the owner there will be two of you in room. As previous poster said, try hostels if money is a concern.

Some of the posters responding seem to be assuming that Sarah is trying to be dishonest and sneak the second person into the room. I don't see anything in her post about sneaking around. She is asking if there is a problem with her plan to save money, which seems to me to mean that she does not want to create problems. Sarah, I believe that you must be unaware that most B&B rooms are priced by the person and not just by the room. Therefore, this is not a good plan.

In Europe, the number of occupants is a serious variable in room pricing. It doesn't work like in US where you mostly rent a room and can "crowd it out" if you want. It is unlikely you'd be not charged the difference, or denied check-in, if you show up with extra people.

As everyone has mentioned, the number of people at a B&B does matter. But in my experience in France, the difference is not huge, and is mostly for the extra cost for breakfast. For example, a chambre d'hote we recently stayed at in France had the following cost for a couple of the rooms: Chambre pour : - 1 personne à 46€ la nuit; petit déjeuner inclus.
- 2 personnes à 57€ la nuit; petit déjeuner inclus.

Thanks D.D.! I really wasn't trying to sneak around or cheat honest people out of their money. I quite honestly just wanted some good advice from people with experience! Thank you all so much, even if you did assume I was a meaner person than I am: ) Many cheers and I appreciate all the wonderful input!

Unlikely to work out in uk, i believe. Regulations against things like this (safety). Also, you pay for number of people not the room.
S

This is a common misunderstanding between European lodging and US lodging but is certainly not clear cut. For the most part, european lodging prices by the person, even to the point of charging more for two people in the same room than if one person were there, regardless if breakfast or any other services are included, just as they will charge no more for two people in a quad. Some chain hotels though will charge by the room, and can be a good deal for four. In the US though, charge by the room is not universal either. They still control the number (4 in most rooms) and I have been charged fee's for a second or third person. They just seem to consistently charge more for a better room and not extend a discount to a solo traveller.

I certainly did not mean any harm with my previous post about sneaking anyone into room, just from past experience. A family member wanted us to "share" room in Italy where they would pay for room and we could just "visit" them. Needless to say, I was not going to do that and she was upset with me!! Guess you can ask the place you are staying if this is feasible. Good luck.

Sarah. I rather thought you were sneaking someone in myself, otherwise how do you think you are "saving money" since you know a double room is more expensive?
Point is, in France you will be thrown out of hotel. They have strict fire code occupancy limits and hotels will not allow two people in a single room period.

Aside from fire code violations and ethical issues, each occupant must present their passport at check-in. You can't have a person in the room who is undocumented by the hotel. As others have said, just ask when making the reservation for the most inexpensive 2- or 3-person room. And Ralph, I've met dozens of friendly, helpful B&B owners in Europe. Let me know if you want recommendations.

Okay, okay thanks guys I think I get the point. Just so everyone is aware, it was NEVER my intention to swindle hardworking B and B workers out of their money. I believe I was just unaware that you paid per person, not per room, but I've got it now1 Thank you all for your help and no worries, I will follow the letter of the law while I am in Europe, supporting small business along the way! Many cheers and thanks again!

By the way, Zoe, I'm not sure any hotel or chambre d'hote I've stayed at in France for the last 25 years has required both me and my wife to show our passports. Sometime they ask that one of us write down our passport number on the booking form, but even that doesn't always happen.

Robert, thanks for clarifying that. I've not stayed at B&Bs in France (but in other countries).

The only time have been asked for passport information was in hotel in Italy, Rome actually. Don't remember asking for it in hotel in Positano but not sure, other countries, never been asked.

In Spain, I had to show my passport at every hotel - and my Spanish friends each had to show their ID cards.

I suspect the laws governing ID's and passports at hotels in Europe doesn't always match what the hotels and B&B's do, and also probably has changed over the years. I've read all of the Simenon novels of Detective Maigret of the French Surete, and whenever he was looking for someone he would go around to all the hotels in the area and ask to see their log books listing their occupants.

I am usually asked in Paris and was in Spain this summer also.