Before You Make a Bed and Breakfast Reservation

Is the B&B really located near the places you want to visit? Bed and breakfasts can be found in the middle of nowhere, so even if the address says "Nashville" (or any other city), it doesn't hurt to double-check. (And if you want to be in the middle of nowhere, make sure you really are!)

A full, homemade breakfast is one of the things that attracts my husband and me to B&Bs. But not every inn provides a full breakfast -- some offer continental fare while others only have cold cereal available for guests. If you don't want to be surprised, make sure you ask before making a reservation.

Be sure that the room you're reserving has the kind of bed you want, whether that means king, queen, or two twins. And ask about the closets and drawers -- some inns have rooms with no closets and very limited drawer space. As long as you know what you're getting, that's not necessarily a problem. But you want to know before you arrive.

Some B&B inns, particularly in Europe, have bathrooms which are shared by more than one guest room. If this is important to you, make sure you have a private bathroom. (Most private baths are actually in your room, known as en suite, but some private baths are accessible only through a public hallway. You miay want to ask about that as well.) If bathroom lighting is especially important, you should ask about that as well.

If you're allergic to anything, especially food or pets, be sure to let the innkeeper know before committing to a stay. Most B&Bs will make every effort to accommodate dietary needs. Pet allergies can be more difficult to work around since the inn is often the innkeeper's home -- the B&B's web site should mention it if they own pets, but be sure to ask anyway.

If you're planning to bring a child or children to a bed and breakfast, definitely talk to the innkeeper first. Some inns have strict no-children policies, some allow children over a certain age, and others might allow children but discourage them except in unusual circumstances. Even if an inn allows children, it's often best not to bring them out of respect for other guests.