Camping next week - heat wave. What would you do?

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We are planning to camp in a tent in Annecy next week and the temperature is forecast to be 36 degrees (feels like
38). We’ll be right on the lake, but that is still very hot. We’re in the Dolomites now and it’s been pleasant.

DD (9) has eczema and is not great in heat

What would you do? My choices are:

1. cancel and come home early
2. cancel and book a hotel somewhere cooler with AC and a pool
3. tough it out. It’s near a lake, you’ll be fine.

What equipment will you be taking with you? Black out tent, electric cool box, gazebo etc?

will there be places other than the river to cool down?

Oh don't cancel!!! You'd kick yourself about missing out on a lovely holiday!

I don't know this from personal experience but I understand French pharmacists are amazing. Can you ask for advice re creams etc? (I have a DC with shocking eczema also so know you have probably tried everything topical out there). But to cancel would be such a shame.

ETA- the hotel and pool idea is a good one. But coming home would be sad.

There was a comparable thread yesterday - also someone camping in France. Lots of good advice on there. Gottes (?) were mentioned (caves?)

i would contact the campsite and ask if there are any pitches you can reserve which are very shady. I’d also look into the area of the lake you will be near and see if there is lots of shade there too. If the answer to both is no then I would cancel and stay in an air bnb.

we camped in 40 degree heat in Canada one year. It was only bearable because we spent most of the day by a river in complete shade, and also our pitch was shady. We happened to have a big plastic trug type thing with us which we filled with water to put feet in.

Thanks everyone. We have a black out tent. I am going to pop to the decathlon tomorrow and buy an additional awning.

This was the encouragement I needed (plus a bit of internet searching telling me the obvious that anything else will be very expensive last minute this time of year)

While you are there if it’s very hot in the day either stay in the lake or head up a nearby mountain. It will be cooler higher up. And drink lots. We’ve just come back from the Med (40+) where the days were ok as long as we were in or near water. The nights were more challenging.

If you are going to Decathlon pick up a tarp and 2 extra poles. This means you can make shade anywhere and it packs very small. We use ours loads. www.decathlon.co.uk/p/multifunction-tarp-camping-shelter-fresh/_/R-p-312174

We’ve camped in blistering heat, we went to places like the aquarium in the day and opened up the tent at sunset to let the air out, it cooled quite quickly, but you may need something to keep mosquitos etc out.

Go! The lake will be perfect. And you can escape up to the mountains if too hot. Or just base your activities around other watery stuff.

There’s Vitam Parc not too far which is an indoor pool thing with water slides (like a smaller cevtreparcs dome).

There’s usually a Wibit in Les Gets (water obstacle course thing) and lake Montriond near Morzine is lovely too.

I think you’ll find it cools down ok in the evening. We’ve camped at Annecy and you lose the sun fairly early in the evening as the mountains are so high so that will help although it will be hot in the day.

I second this, we also have one and it gives good shade on the pitch.

As you are camping, do you have to stay there? Why don't you just break camp and drive north until the temperature is more comfortable? There are plenty of campsites all over France and although the ones with pools and so forth will be busy, I'm sure you will find space in a smaller site in a less touristy area. I've camped in France without booking many many times in August and never had an issue getting a pitch.

Definitely get a tarp as great for making shade. We use ours a lot.
Costco. Ow sell a camping fan for using in the tent. My friend has one and says it works really well.

If you’re worried about cost and booking somewhere else eurocamp could be an option. We holiday twice a year cuz they’re such good value. And if you book a mobile home you get air con (at least all the ones we’ve stayed in do).

But I do sort of agree with others that you should still go ahead with your plans. Buying the extra equipment etc. as I think you’ll all be able to keep cool enough and you’d regret it as it sounds like a lovely location.

To be fair no camping holiday in France is complete without a trip to Decathlon for some spare item or other. The store is airconditioned too!