How to Survive a Heatwave in Europe without AC

Let me say right up front, I have no tolerance for hot weather. I’ve experienced many heatwaves in Portland, Oregon, and there were years when I had no air conditioning. But there was always a cool place to escape to: the library, a coffee shop or IKEA where I could do my daily walk. In France, it’s a different story.

While nearly 90% of homes in the US have air conditioning, in Europe it's around 20%, and in some countries that percentage is even lower. In France, around 25% of homes have some type of air conditioning. It’s a controversial subject in Europe, and the reasons why air conditioning is not popular are complicated, as this CNN article explains.

My home in France has no air conditioning, nor do I know anyone in my area who has air conditioning. And there are few places to escape the heat. Only a spattering of stores have AC, and the grocery store is not one of them, unless you’re standing in the frozen food aisle. There isn’t even air conditioning at our local hospital. And at medical offices it’s hit or miss. Building supply stores tend to be the worst. Imagine making your way through an entire Home Depot when it's 85° inside. I feel sorry for the people who have to work in un-air-conditioned stores and offices.

Extreme heat can be deadly when you don’t have air conditioning, and you don’t take the right precautions. In fact, heatwaves kills more people than all other natural hazards and extreme weather events.

Having lived through brutally hot weather in France without air conditioning, including two 108-degree days, I’ve learned how to survive and thrive during the hottest days. If your next trip to Europe coincides with a real scorcher, these tips can help you stay safe and cool.

Avoid top floor and south/west facing apartments

When looking for an Airbnb apartment or a hotel room, if there is no air conditioning, be sure to ask what floor it is on and which direction the windows face. Top floor apartments tend to absorb the heat more. So do south and west facing rooms. I normally like to stay in an apartment with plenty of natural light. But during a blistering hot day in Paris, I was happy to return to my cool and dark apartment on the first floor facing the courtyard.

Use fans

If the accommodation you plan to book doesn’t have air conditioning, check the listing or ask whether there are portable fans or ceiling fans in the bedrooms. If the hotel or Airbnb host won’t provide a fan, it’s worth spending 25 euros to buy one.

Use the fans to cool your place down when the temperatures drop in the night. In the evening or early morning place a fan in a window to push cool air into the room. If you have a second fan, put it in another window to blow the hot air out. Or open a window on the opposite side of the room to create cross ventilation. Turning on the exhaust fans in the kitchen and the bathroom can also help to push hot air out.

Cooling down your space at night is especially important if you have several hot days in a row as heat will build up day after day. Even on the hottest days, if the temperature drops into the 60s at night, I can cool the downstairs of my house to 70 and it doesn’t go higher than 76 during the heat of the day. Another trick is to put a bowl of ice in front of a fan to create a mock air conditioner.

Close the shutters

Whether you are staying in a city apartment or a house in the countryside, most homes in Europe have shutters. They may be the traditional wooden type, which I prefer, where you have to manually close them. Or the electrical metal ones that close with a push of a button.

If I know it’s going to be a hot day, once I cool down the house with fans, I close the shutters on the windows facing south, east and west. I keep the north facing windows open for ventilation. If your windows open inward, you can keep the shutters on the outside closed to block out the sun and still open the windows for air circulation.

If you don’t have shutters, close the curtains to block out the sun. If you are in a two-story dwelling, keep the upstairs windows open so the rising heat has a place to escape.

Minimize cooking

Don’t use the oven during a heatwave, and limit use of the stove top. Fix salads, try no-cook recipes or eat out. If you’re staying in a place with an air-fryer, they are a great way to cook a meal without having to heat up the house.

Dress for the weather

Wear loose, light-colored clothes made from lightweight, breathable fabrics. I prefer cotton and linen, but silk, rayon and even some lighter-weight synthetic fabrics are an option. Wear a light-colored hat or bring a UV blocking parasol.

Pack a portable personal fan. I use mine on planes and especially in un-air-conditioned stores and buildings.

Stay hydrated

Always carry a water bottle and keep yourself hydrated. Avoid alcohol and coffee, both of which can dehydrate you. And know the signs of heat stroke.

Avoid heavily touristed sights

If your vacation coincides with a heatwave, it may not be the best time to rush to every tourist attraction. Instead of standing in line in the hot sun for hours or being shoulder to shoulder with overheated tourists, research lesser known but equally interesting attractions.

Chill out during the hottest part of the day

Take a break. Find a shady park or a covered outdoor café. Seek out an air-conditioned restaurant. Visit a museum. Museums need to keep the temps cool to preserve their collections. Visit a church. The stonework and high ceilings create the perfect place for a cool respite. Better yet, if your hotel or Airbnb is not too hot, take a siesta.

If you’re staying in Paris, the city has over 1,400 cooling spots including public pools, beaches, shady gardens and air-conditioned museums.

Cool down before sleep

The hardest part of a heatwave is getting a good night’s sleep, especially if your bedroom is on the second floor like mine is. Long ago, during an Oregon heatwave I was staying at a friend’s house without air conditioning. She recommended taking a cold shower and going to bed with wet hair and the fan blowing. This has been a helpful technique, especially on nights when it doesn’t cool off until early morning, or not at all. I also spray my sheets with water, or I take them out of the drier and put them on the bed while they are still damp.

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An increasing number of hot days is an inevitable fact of global warming. And it may be many years before air conditioning becomes the norm in Europe. But don’t let that stop you from traveling. Just be prepared. Let me know, in the comments below, how you stay cool during a heatwave.