To cancel holiday during heatwave?

We live in France. The heatwave is finishing today
I live in France and tomorrow will be 37 degrees where I live, so probably depends on where OP is going exactly.

I am also puzzled though why OP would book a holiday in South of France in August, if 31-34 is unbearably hot for her. That's the expected temperature, nothing unusual.

I think you are just feeling like this because we have had such intense heat here in the UK. We were looking at holidays but decided to hold off because quite frankly I’m fed up of the heat.

There is a difference though because whilst you are away you won’t be working and there will be pools, beaches to cool down in.

Dont cancel! You’ll have a great time!!

We live in France. The heatwave is finishing today, and temperatures will be returning to normal tomorrow. Use the pool loads, stay in the shade when it gets hot later in the day, you'll be fine.

If your kids no that you are going on holiday I think it’d be mean to cancel their holiday because it’s summer

Why would you book a holiday with what is normal temps for the area?

Would you rather be home in hot temps, in a carpeted house sat on a sofa with 2 children who are fed up... or playing in a lovely pool with your DCs, in a different fun environment.
Don't get it

OP should have booked somewhere like Iceland and gone whale watching instead

Really harsh! A single mum who’s booked euro camp in the first place isn’t selfish.
When you’re a lone parent the entire burden can be too much (eg whether you’ve slept enough to be sufficiently alert to be in charge of the kids whilst travelling). I find it intense even if DH is away overnight and I have huge respect for single parents.
I do think it’ll be okay if you go and you’ll end up glad you did OP, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be wondering if you can make it work aftrr the heat we’ve had.

I thought you were going to say it was a UK holiday. That's normal temps for south of France so why did you book if it's too hot for you?

Just been in Croatia where it was about 35 but with aircon in the apartment and plenty of swimming in the sea it was gorgeous.

But OP knew all of this before she booked the holiday....

Are you staying in a tent? Or will you have a cabin with aircon? We have just got back from
France and it was late 30s when we were further down south. It was unbearable and I wouldn’t have coped in a tent.

I spent all my summers in the south of France in my childhood and teens and that is a pretty normal temperature in summer! What were you expecting? A lot of camping places there are in shaded woods and feel quite pleasant.

I think you’re right to worry about it. As a lone parent of two small boys around a pool you need to have your wits about you, everything is down to you. If it’s really hot at night with no air con and you can’t sleep, and it lasts a few nights, you’re not going to be in top form. I totally get it

its the night time temps that matter more as you’ve no air con. It is going to get cooler so I think you should go for it, but as a LP myself I understand why you’re worried

If you can afford to cancel and lose money a holiday for a reason like this, then it sounds like you can also afford an aircon unit.

What temperature were you expecting in France btw?

Would you get a full refund?

If not, you might as well go and see how you get on.

It may mean waking up and getting out earlier, going back during the day and then going back out later on.

As a Eurocamper since my children were tiny (now older teens) I think you'll be OK if you have air con in the caravan.

We would have a morning doing something (pool, beach, laze at the caravan and read), then a siesta middle of the day, then pool or beach later in the afternoon.

You'll get into a relaxed rhythm. Take lots of books/magazines/card games/bat and ball/football if you can. Have low expectations! If the kids are happy pootling at the caravan with neighbouring children, then so be it.

I think it's worth going. We have had a caravan woth no aircon in high heat and that was hard work.

Wishing you all the best for a fun holiday.

YABU. Have you been a lone parent for very long?

You have to develop a kind of resilience, an armour. You can't just cancel a kids holiday just because it's a bit hot.

We did a Eurocamp in south of France in July- it was mid 30’s at the time but it was fine. We kept the aircon on about 20 degrees through the night and left the bedroom doors open. It was cooler than our house because of the aircon. Also there is the pool, water slides, sea, it was great. My 4 year old loved the kids club so you might luck out and get some time to yourself too.

Those are pretty standard south of France temps. We did eurocamp in France last summer- plenty of outdoor pools to cool down in. Our little chalet had air con aswell. Had a great time with three small boys

i’ve just come back from a 2 week holiday in Europe where it was mid to late 30’s every day. It was hot but absolutely fine as we were in the pool or in the air conditioned villa or by the sea with a lovely sea breeze every day. We were also wearing very little all day every day and not really doing much.

I have come home to London where the heat is stifling, my house is a carpeted, insulated furnace and everything very much feels like a struggle!

You’ll be fine on holiday, it’s at home that heat is difficult to deal with.

I don't. I live on the edge of the Pennines where we typically get a lot of rain. We had a very wet winter and Yorkshire water are saying that they don't anticipate a hosepipe ban because our reservoirs are nothing like as low as they were this time last year even though it hasn't rained for weeks.

This heat is very draining op especially when you are not sleeping well.

And looking after two boys of six and four by yourself must be pretty relentless.

Is there any possibility of adding another adult, a friend or family member, to your holiday booking, so you would have more support?

I'll be honest, I don't know why people book holidays, in August, in the South if France, in a tent, then worry about the bloody heat.

South of France in August is generally low 30s, that is not unusual. It is hotter at the moment but I think the latest Canicule in France is subsiding over the weekend, like ours is. I would say as a future tip if you don't like moderately hot weather, don't book a holiday in southern Europe in mid August.

Much of England is officially in drought.