Single Bed vs. Double Bed

I don't think I would book the single. When you book a double you are saying that you don't want two twins, which is the other alternative for two people staying in a room. I think that a lot of European hotels--smaller ones--use two twins to create a double so that they have greater flexibility. If you book a single and show up with two people, I think that they will believe you are trying to put something past them. From the hotel's perspective they incur more costs for two people aside from the room--towels, breakfast etc--than they do with one. Also, bear in mind that when you book a single, you get a much, much smaller room! Maybe someone who has traveled as a couple can confirm this.

Pam

That is a very bad idea. In the US we are accustom to a hotel charging a flat rate for the room so one or two generally don't make much difference. However, most of Europe, especially fewer stars hotels and B&B, charge per person and often include the breakfast in that price. However, have noticed a few 4 or 5 stars charging flat fees.

The single beds in Europe are very small, they are mor elike a twin here.
I noticed that the hotels mention the price and for home many people and how many beds. Sometimes it says single room sleep 1 or two people and the price is the same. I don't know if this true for the more expensive hotels, but the budget ones I've checke din the past were saying that.
I guess the best way is to email the hotel and ask or call.

A single room will pretty much invariably have one twin bed. In addition to the afore-mentioned reasons for not booking a single, sleeping two people on a twin bed will be far more uncomfortable than the minor inconvenience of the crease down the middle.

[Rick] I've found that we sleep on one single bed even if there are two singles pushed together. Yes, a double bed would be more comfortable, but I've yet to find many double beds.

As mentioned, typically single and double refer to the people, not the beds. You can try to specify one larger bed in a room by indicating "matrimonial" in the appropriate language, but no guarantee that it will be one bed unless you can converse with the staff. Most of the budget places I stay have a variety of sleeping combinations in order to capture the needs of as many customers as possible. When requesting a double, I have been shown rooms ranging from an obvious single with a slightly wider bed to what was easily a quad, and once a two bedroom apartment. Basically what is available and works is what you will be offered. This is true more among small places, the larger places maintain more true doubles and have more standard rooms.

How is there a problem sleep on your own sides of bed. You can " cuddle" for awhile then go to sleep on seperate sides, this is just a trip not your whole life.
Booking a single will in many( most budget to moderates anyways) places get you a TINY room meant for one person, and one set of towels and one single bed. All that sacrifice for a "cuddle"?

Sleeping apart while on vacation? That doesn't sound very fun.

Ah, Pat, I suspect that they are young! Or perhaps his SO is not pregnant or perimenopausal. They do not yet have a need for personal space in bed. Personally, the idea of a bed that's close but separate has a lot of appeal. He can have his multiple covers and I can avoid them.

Matt in 7 trips to greece I have booked rooms for self, and for others many times. When I specify "Matrimonial Bed" my friends have always been given a double bed. If 2 people want twin beds pushed together I ask for it. if it is 2 women traveling, we ask for two single beds (separate). The simple technique is to be SPECIFIC. I have never just asked for "a double room." That is why if a website offers both an e-mail and a form to fill out, I always choose the e-mail because then we can be specific about details. I don't make hoteliers guess.

I started booking our hotels - 9 of them - back in January and quickly realized what some have already suggested here. In this country, we book a double and get two doubles or a queen or even a king. In Europe, I have been surprised that no one seems to have a queen, but it makes sense for budget hotels, pensiones, etc. not to because of less flexibility in accommodating a variety of situations. Can you put the two mattresses on the floor if you want to sleep as one? Perhaps it would be more comfortable. Personally, I'm with the person who intimated the joys of sleeping in one's own bed for the most part during this trip - me in mine with my husband in his - no getting knocked in the face overnight. But we've been married 4,000 years and I have a vague memory somewhere in my distant past of being horrified at the thought of sleeping apart.

Doreen: I am trying to remember how many European hotel rooms I've been in that are large enough to put two mattresses on the floor. Not too many.

i think the "two singles as a double" will be a constant source of frustration in your european travels. i agree with others...i wouldn't want to cram two people in a made for single room. Euro rooms are already small enough let alone the single euro rooms!!!!! so maybe think of some solutions to try to make do with the two singles pushed together. i just got back from my trip last week. was with friend so we had a double room. had two singles pushed together to make double bed. she returned back to US after 2 nights so I had 2 nights alone and really wanted to stretch out to take advantage of space of the "double". the annoying crease in the middle (which was edged by wood frame) downright hurt!!! so...i took an extra blanked, folded it it over longwise about 4 times, put it over the crease but UNDER the flat/bottom sheet, put the sheet back on. It helped to "pad" the crease and definitely not as noticeable when I laid on it.