Heatwave - dreading holiday in Paris next week

[HotGrapefruit]

DH and I are booked to go to Paris next week. The average highs in June are around 23 degrees, which is about the max I can handle. But the forecast is up to 40 every day. This wasn't what we were expecting at all.

I'm dreading it. The metro doesn't have aircon and neither do any of the places I've booked to eat (I've now cancelled them all). We had an assortment of walking routes planned, but none are going to be realistic.

We've spent a fortune on a lovely hotel room and Eurostar travel, so I can't bear to cancel the whole thing.

Does anyone have advice or reassurance or am I just going to absolutely hate it?!

Oh and I've just remembered I went to Paris in June years ago and it was also very hot. We had been before so did some day trips outside the city where it was a bit cooler.

I think the trick is just don't push it.

Lower your expectations for how much ground you will cover, be gentle on yourself about allowing yourself a taxi where you might have taken the metro otherwise and focus on air conditioned museums and leafy parks. Those things are some of the nicest aspects of Paris anyway imo. Full on sightseeing can wait!

I was in Paris a couple of years ago during a heatwave. I am also in my fifties. It was fine. We went to quite a lot of museums with aircon and places like the Hemingway bar at the Ritz (also with aircon). There's lots of aircon, just find some restaurants and things to do that have it. The metro was hot but not unbearable. Take a fan and wear loose cotton/linen. It will be OK.

Also, even without aircon plenty of things are actually better than you'd think. For instance we went to Brasserie Lipp which doesn't have aircon and it was a perfectly reasonable temperature inside despite being roasting out.

I would find Versailles challenging in the heat. It is a LOT of walking just because of the scale of the place - and you have to get out to Versailles too. Crowds always make heat worse.

Ooh I'd like to go to Brasserie Lipp - that's worth knowing, thank you!

You're welcome! The Hemingway bar was also a real highlight. You need to queue up and get there early, but once in you can have a really lovely (expensive) cocktail and they bring you a little multi-tiered thing with snacks. The snacks get constantly replenished, the room is beautiful and the presentation of the cocktails was absolutely gorgeous. And it's really cool in there!

I understand your worry, high temperatures can sometimes be dangerous especially as you get older and depending on your overall health.When I was in Paris last August it got up to around 34/36 and that felt really hot there, however I was doing a lot and there was plenty of opportunity to cool down. Most cafes and restaurants seemed cool and breezy even if they didn't have Aircon. Also being a capital plenty of shops with Aircon to nip into. Remember the temperatures shown are the peaks so most likely the peak will be 40 and the rest of the day may be more around mid 30s.

Yep...mid-twenties would be the expected norm.

I know there's been a lot of comments along the lines of "it's summer, what did you expect", but having it this hot in northern France this early is unusual.

We're in south western France and in an average year wouldn't expect anything like the run of hot days now forecast in June.

If you have any thin cotton dresses in your wardrobe, take those rather than anything that is going to be tight round your waist.

I hope you manage to have a nice time.

No, you're not thick. A lot of people have been caught out by June, which is usually a nice reasonable temperature with the worst of the summer heat being reserved for July and August, being hotter in recent years. Look at Michael Moseley and all the other people who went to Greece in June a couple of years ago and got fatally caught out.

OK, I see what you mean about the pass holder places. (It's Interrail by the way, unless you're not resident in Europe including the UK?) They can sell out if you don't book them well in advance- I was planning a jaunt to go and see Pulp in Eastern France in July and I dickered around with booking travel arrangements and then it was too late to get passholder reservations (I can NOT afford standard rail tickets!), so now I can't go. I'm happy enough to take the last train of the evening outbound, but in order to get back to Cornwall on the same day I have to take a mid afternoon Eurostar at the latest. My silly fault.

There's a great Facebook page called Interrailing for the Older Crowd if you want to give it a go another time.

It’s Paris not the arse end of nowhere, thru do have air con! Just plan your day to get out early, use the metro lines that have air con and be prepared with lots of water, sun cream and a fan. Amazon do some great hand held ones that have a long charge duration or the neck ones. If you convince yourself you’re going to be miserable then you will be.

I came here to suggest a parasol or umbrella too. I am milk bottle white and struggle in the heat but having a light umbrella makes all the difference. Combine that with other sensible suggestions you’ve had here for staying cool and you should be fine.

A neck fan, face mist, plenty of factor 50, cool linen clothing, sensible….keep hydrated….either that or call insurance company and explain and try to change the destination.

Get up early (even 6am if you can be bothered) and remain inside/take a siesta from 11am-3pm. Don't go out in these peak sunny hours x

Exactly. People have short memories.

We went to Germany last summer, because I thought Southern Europe would be too hot, but it was a 35 degree heatwave there too! We went to the Teknikmuseum in Sinsheim, which is housed in a series of metal hangars with no A/C, with lots of planes on the roof that you can go in, again with no A/C under the baking sun. It was pretty intense! I mentioned to a member of staff that we were finding it uncomfortable in the hot weather, and she said "Well summer's always like this here!"..........long pause......."at least it has been for the last few years" 😬

@HotGrapefruit , take the train from Gare de Lyon to Moret sur Loing, a lovely medieval town. The river is quite shallow near the banks, people often bathe or kayak there. It's great for a day trip when it's hot 😊

I probably wouldn't go. Are your Eurostar tickets rearrangeable for another time? Re hotels sometimes i have had luck cancelling even if there is a no cancellation policy by asking politely, or rearranging for another time so they don't lose the money completely. I don't imagine you having a good time, sorry. and i know i am going against what everyone else is sayign!

Scuttle between the art galleries.
Take a parasol.
Wear long, longsleeved shirt dresses.
Picnic in leafy parks.

Lyon has an amazing variety of museums so there will be plenty to enjoy despite the heat. The cinema and miniature museum is particularly good.

If you havent looked at the Lyon City Pass have a think about it- it covers all your transport in the city.

Apologies if you already know all this! It's very underrated as a city, probably because it's not all that pretty but there's loads to do.

feet! bras! These are important in heat.

Indeed! Never travel without feet if it's forecast to go over 30! 😆

I recommend a cool towel. Saved my trip to florida a few years ago.

There are many restaurants with outdoor tables in Paris - they will have umbrellas or be under shade and often have misters too.

Don't go to Versailles. 36° in September 2023 wasn't what we were expecting when we booked, but what we got. It was awful.
A sunset cruise on the Seine,otoh,was lovely.
Museums,galleries,churches (the Church of the Val de Grâce, in the Fifth,was new to us and well worth a visit,and very cool) and large shops are the way to go, plus buses and trams are mostly air conditioned. Metro not always but,of course,quick.

I understand your reluctance as I don't tolerate heat very well at all.

I dunno. If you leave them, at least they won't get sweaty!