My family is travelling leaving for Italy in two weeks, and we are having trouble finding one-room lodging for a family of 5. Are triple rooms in Italy genuinely "triples" (can fit no more than three people) or can they accomodate 5?

Most likely, the triple will not fit more than three. You could always write to the hotel and ask if they would be able to accommodate your family of five. They might have a solution with two adjoining rooms. I definitely wouldn't try to "sneak" people into the room, as the staff would certainly be on to that. They have liability and fire safety issues to worry about.

Have you checked vrbo.com? It sounds like an apartment will suit your needs more than a hotel.

Triples mean three people.

You could look for a "family room" or maybe a Quad if there was room for a roll-away extra bed. Usually there is a change for the additional person/bed over what the room is meant for.

For a family of five I'd definitely rent an apartment. A 1-bedroom flat will often sleep 5 w/ sofa beds in the living room. And it will be larger, more comfortable, and probably cheaper than 2 hotel rooms.

Hotel rooms in Europe are generally smaller than in the US, you should write each hotel and ask about room size. Sometimes this is listed on websites. I doubt 5 people will fit in a triple; even if the hotel will allow 5 people, in a room of 30- 35 square meters 5 people and their luggage are not going to fit.

Some hotels have what they call "family rooms" which are 1-2 rooms connecting for large groups, some have kitchens or living areas. These can be found in modest hotels and B&Bs, they are not suites in the sense of luxury hotels. They may not be advertised on a website, you might ask about this.

I just wanted to add that in Italy you MUST give up the passports for everyone registered to a room for the police-if not and you are caught, you can be in big trouble with their new anti-terrorist policies.Trust me, the front desk staff always knows who is coming or going.

Thanks everybody,
I've gotten a lot of good info.

Hotel rooms in Europe aren't set up the way a lot of American hotels are (assuming that is your reference); meaning, in the US it is common for a room with 2 beds to be 2 -double- beds that 4 people could sleep on. In Europe, a room with 2 beds is generally a -double- with 2 single (twin-size) beds that only 2 people can sleep on, 1 in each bed.

During our recent trip to Italy - three adults - we've stayed at 2*, 3* and 4* hotels.

The experience is that "double", "triple", "quad", etc refers to how many people there will be staying in the room. And not the room itself.

For example, the same room can be a "double", a "triple" or a "quad". Two people? There are two single beds. Three checking in? They can add a bed, or open up a sofabed. Four people, they push in another.

No, some rooms are too small to sleep 3 or 4, so those cannot be sold as "triple" or "quad". But I'm talking about rooms that are big enough.

But to answer your question, you cannot book a "triple" and then show up with 5 people. Tell the hotel how many people, and they'll tell you if they have a family room or you'll need more than one room.

I hope you've figured out that Italy is a lot like every other country and that unless you can get a room which specifically accommodates five people you need a "triple" and a "double."

I assume some of these people are children as I cannot imagine anyone cramming five adults into a room designed to house only three.

When my family of four traveled to Italy, we routinely stayed in triples. We had our two young daughters with us and they shared a single bed, which wasn't hard at all. So, if they're small kids, you could probably fit in one extra. We had no problems with the hotels; we simply explained that we wanted a triple for four people, and we were charged the triple rate, with the exception of one hotel where we were charged an extra fee for breakfast. It would seem hard to fit in two extra people, though.

A few years ago, there was a TV contest to see how many people fit into a car (a mini).
If memory serves me correctly the wining team was composed by 17 members. Before this, I think that fiting 5 into a room, is not such a great achievement.

Hi Ecorunner,

I'll bring this up since no one else has! Besides not physically having room for 5 people in one room, what about the bathroom issue?? Is your family willing to have 5 people sharing 1 bathroom at home? If not, don't even think about it on a vacation!!!

Go for an apartment or 2 adjoining rooms.

Buon viaggio!