I'm searching for a our trip to Italy and one establishment offered a single with French Bed for me and my dear hubby, but how small is it really? After a day of experiencing the city, we'll be tired, so don't need luxury accommodations, but wondered how different a fb is from a regular double....
TIA!

I did a quick search on GOOGLE for french bed and came up with serveral hits. No definition but they look to be beds with large foot and headboards.

Sizes came in twin, full, queen, and king.

More of a syle thing than size.

mm

When I rented one of my apts. in Italy I was told that a French Bed was smaller than a double but larger than a twin. Maybe that is what the Italians call a French Bed?

Thanks mm. Yeah I did that initially and realized I wasn't going to find my answer there. I e-mailed the hotel and they said it's smaller than a double, so I guess it's between a twin and a double?

Anyone else know for sure?

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34554971

A regular French bed is 1m40 wide, which is about 55".

I think when the one hotel said it is "between a twin and a double" they were referring to a double as two twins together -- not what we in the US call a double. Actually it is almost identical to a double bed as we know it. As Myriam says it is about 55 inches. A US double bed is 54 wide.

Patrick, in the apt. I rented, the bed was actually sized between a twin and our idea of a double. Either two very very friendly people or very very skinny people would fit in it comfortably.

For those who don't want to take the time to look at the link given by Travelnut, that was another thread filled with guesses. But Ira posted that he was sent the imformation by a hotel that a French Bed is 140 centimeters, and I'll repeat again like Myriam that IS an official French bed -- about 55 inches -- the same as our doubles (an inch wider in fact).

Christina on that post mentioned however that she has seen "French Beds" quoted as being as narrow as 115 centimeters (45 inches).

The problem is that the term "French bed" is used outside of France by hoteliers as some cutesy nickname to refer to a bedsize that is not normal and that is smaller than a regular double. This isn't a reference to just a normal bedsize as you find it in France. They use that term as it sounds better than some term indicating it's a smaller-than-normal double bed.

A real French double bed is about the same size as those in the US, but that term isn't being used that way. I've never seen that term used by French hoteliers, only German or Swiss or Italian.

If the hotel told you it was between a twin and double, I would believe them. I imagine hoteliers may even vary in what they are using this term for, so I'd take their word for it, but they should have just told you the cm size of the bed. I think using terms like that is silly.

I've never heard of a hotel offering a single room to a couple, either, although there may not be laws against it. But if this is because all rooms are booked up, you really probably don't want a room that is labeled a "single" by a hotel.

A single room (at least in Italy) can be very very small. Not a problem for one person especially if you are just using it for sleeping, showering etc. But I cannot imagine two people sharing a single room, no matter how well they get along. In fact I think that could really ruin a vacation.

In Italy at least, even some double rooms are very small.

Iwritenews, I would check into this some more if I were you. If this is the only room you can get at that hotel I would find another hotel.

I too am surprised the hotel offered a single for two people.