What is a "Double"? I have been getting ready for a trip to Europe for 6 months. I get so confused by the travel guides and web sites--they keep mentioning things like: Pensioners; 'half' pensioners; singles; and doubles. Does it mean two double beds? Can I and my 10 year old son sleep in one bed and my wife and 14 year old daughter in another bed, for the (listed) price of a double? Please help so I can get on with our plans. I cannot afford to spend much time on the telephone (time-wise asking questions and/or money-wise, we are FAR from well-to-do). Thank you for any help you can provide. [Our Itinerairy: Paris and a train to Rome; on a 'lean' budget; for two weeks.]

Dave, <BR>There are four basic types of rooms you'll encounter: the "single room: will consist of one bed which may be a single (twin)bed or a double bed. The room rate is based on a "single" person, regardless of bed size. A "twin-bed" room is just that; a room for two people in two single beds. A "double" is a room with one double sized bed for two people. "Family" rooms are usually oversized rooms consisting of a double bed and one or two cots. Regarding pension - half-pension. The "full pension" encompasses the cost of room and board, that is, a bed and two or three meals including breakfast. "Half-pension" usually entails the cost of the room and breakfast only.

My experiences have been such that a double means a room for 2 people. It doesn't always mean a particular type of bed. You need to ask what the bed accomodations are. We have stayed in a double room, in Europe, that has 1 Queen size bed. We have stayed in a double that contains 1 double bed. We have stayed in a double that had 2 twin beds. Again you have to ask. 2 years ago we took our then 9 yr old son with us. We got rooms that were triples. The room we had in Paris(at Folkstone Hotel near La Madeleine - made reservations through Best Western here in the States) had a double bed & a single bed for a triple. That room also had air conditioning, & the bathroom was en suite, meaning within the room. (Rooms with a shower - which I prefer - rather than a tub, are usually less expensive mainly because I think a shower takes up less room in the hotel building than a tub. In London our triple room at the Hotel Russell consisted of a large room(even by American standards) & large bathroom. The beds were 2 beds, each might have been a touch larger than a twin, & a sleeper couch that could have passed for a double bed if we would have needed a quad room - for 4 people. Hope this helps clear alittle of the confusion. <BR>

Thank you for helping to clear those things up for me, whew! One last set of questions: Can we both 'fit' in the twins and/or doubles? And, how much extra per person are the rooms in Paris and Rome (ballpark or %)?

<BR>Dave, <BR>You'll have to inquire at your hotel about the number and size of beds, and how many people will fit in the room. <BR>European hotel rooms, especially for <BR>budget accomodations, on the average are quite a bit smaller than American hotel rooms at the budget level. I have stayed in moderately priced hotels in France and Italy, hotels very highly recommended, where the room for two was so narrow we could sit on the bed and touch walls on either side. <BR>I think you need to tell the hotels that there will be four of you, that you would prefer one "family" room <BR>with at least 1 large bed for yourself and your wife plus at least two single beds for the kids. See what they suggest. If you do a Search on this forum for hotels in Paris and Rome you may find some good suggestions. <BR>If you can't fax, many have email addresses or can be reached via hotel web sites. Good luck.

Dave, <BR>I don't think that you would really want to share a twin bed. Over a 2 week period, You might not get the sleep you need to sustain you for the following day's walking. Rooms are some what small to begin with. It may be very cramped trying to fit 4 people into a room set up for 2, or even three. You should probably look for something that says Quad(4 people) or family rooms. Or you might want to get 2 rooms. Or you may also think about getting an American style hotel such as a Holiday Inn etc. in which rooms can have 2 double beds. <BR>My triple room in Paris in 1996 was about $135 per night. I usually try to find a place that costs about $40 to $60 per person per night. That usually includes the amenities in a room that we want. There are chains in America such as Best Western, Holiday Inn etc that you can contact with 800 numbers to get info. There are also websites that give descriptions & costs of a number of hotels in Paris or Rome. I have been on those websites. Others may be able to give you website names but I don't remember the names. You can do a search for Paris Hotels or Rome Hotels. Again, it isn't a matter of how much an extra person in the room costs, because in most rooms, you cannot fit in another person, unless you get an American style hotel. Good Luck. Our next trip to Europe will have the same problem for us, because my wife & I will be traveling with our 2 sons. <BR>