<i>I don't know if it makes me special or if we are all used to too much comfort. When in India I see a lot of people sleeping on the street under heat. Not sure their priority is AC. </i>

It's what you're used to.

If they could afford to travel to Europe, they would probably want A/C if it were hot.

What makes you think they don't NEED, never mind want AC?

The DEATH toll in Pakistan for the recent heat wave was over 1,700.

From http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33236067

"Heatstroke - which can occur at any temperature over 40C - requires professional medical help and if not treated immediately, chances of survival can be slim."

40C is 104F - throw in the effect of humidity and the heat index can reach that point with temps in the 90s or even 80s. See: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ama/?n=heatindex

Weren't there quite a lot of deaths in France a few years back because of the heat?

BTW, that cold drink should not be alcoholic if it's really hot. You're already sweating, you don't need to add a diuretic.

I hope visitors from abroad who are planning their first summer trip to the Bavarian Alps don't get taken in by claims that you won't need AC in your lodgings. That is literally hot air.

I fell for that claim a couple of years ago, even canceling a hotel with AC for a place w/o it in the mountains, and my wife became sick from the heat as a result. Those thick walls that people brag about became nighttime ovens after dark and the mattresses, which absorbed heat during the day, became sweat boxes at night.

As for Garmisch being cooler than big cities, we were in Oberramergau, much smaller than GP, the first week of June this year, when temps were cooler than now, but our guesthouse still became like an oven in the daytime. Fortunately, the room did cool off after dark, but I would not expect that now.

My advice to travelers, book a hotel with AC. Let the climate change deniers suffer to their heart's delight, but don't let them spoil your vacation.

Also ridiculous is the claim that high heat with low humidity is much better than high heat with high humidity. Hot is hot. When temperatures go above 90 degrees F, and you do not have access to AC anywhere, your choice is between being fried and being broiled.

<i>Also ridiculous is the claim that high heat with low humidity is much better than high heat with high humidity. </i>

Not really. In hot and dry, sweating does a better job of cooling you than hot and humid. A 95°F/35°C dry day will feel hot but I can still get stuff done. A 90°F/32°C humid day will make me wish I was dead.

I've just met a polar bear telling me they will not travel to Europe if there no heating.

"IMO air conditioning IS an unnecessary luxury in European cities."

Sorry, I strongly disagree. I'm very happy we had it everywhere we stayed in Spain in May and June…not to mention Paris fall during a hot stretch. If you want air conditioning, get a place with air conditioning.

((H))

@pariswat
<<I sleep perfectly well at night. Always have.>>
Count yourself lucky!

Yup.
Toch kan ik niet begrijpen dat er zoveel over AC gesproken wordt.

So, today I am in Potsdam. Fair sized town if not a city. The high today was 27C - 81F. Low humidity. So, I shouldn't need AC, right? Totally, totally, WRONG. My room faces west. It is now 22:00, the sun has set, I have the window and door open, minimal clothes, and I AM TOO D*** HOT.

Since the high tomorrow will be 33C - 91F - very good thing I am moving to Berlin where, since I didn't listen to the no-AC fanatic on this board, I WILL have AC.

thursdaysd - I remember our room in Potsdam being pretty hot too, even in September, as it was up in the eves of our hotel and got baked by the sun during the day.

important question - have you enjoyed Potsdam?

Annhig - it's the same hotel. They offered me a cheap upgrade and I had forgotten I had booked a single to avoid the top floor. And I had to close the window because an insect got in and thought I was dinner.

But yes, I have enjoyed Potsdam. No jet lag, even though the flight from Boston is very short, and I saw a lot. Just ate not bad Indian for dinner! (Trad German yesterday.)

Note: my Boston hotel room was also on the top floor under the eaves. It was very hot in Boston two of the days I was there. The hotel had central air. My room was always comfortable. Case closed.

I love ac in order to sleep, opening a window is nice if it is quiet. I think my ac was not on about two weeks this year. We opened our windows in Germany in Nov. The heat was so hot in one hotel we stayed at in Munich.
But, I booked an apartment in May in Florence because it had AC only to find out in could not be turned on till June. The bugs were horrible and we were hot. We had no fans and we got the landlord to buy mosquito plug ins for us. Lesson learned.

My colleagues with no AC have been saying that they're not sleeping well and/or are sleeping in their cellars just to cool off. Many are feeling run down. We had the AC in the bedroom on last night and slept like logs. Last year, we screened our windows and put in a screen door to the terrace so that (when the AC is off, as it usually is) we can enjoy wide-open windows day and night with no disturbances from mozzies, wasps, moths and other critters that belong outside.

flpab - we have taken the mossie plug-in all over the world with us since we were eaten alive in Amsterdam of all places one April. The only place we needed it so far was in NZ in December about 18 months ago.

They have rules about the turning on [and off] of heating and A/C in Italy, which are not up to the individual hotelier unfortunately.

Thursdaysd - hard cheese. I still remember how hot that room was, and it was about 4 years ago. Glad you are enjoying it otherwise though.

ann - happily I am now in Berlin. The Motel One has lovely AC!

Motel Ones are nice aren't they? We looked closely at the one in Leipzig (stopped inside but couldn't get a room for our dates) and they're in Dresden as well. They're a good moderately priced hotel chain. The AC for hot summers days is icing on the cake!

WT - I don't know the Motel One chain but will certainly look out for it now.

As well as the A/C do they have free wifi?

Annhig, are there other countries with laws like that? Most places we have been have no ac. Spain in Oct but think we will be ok there on the sea.

annhig - I think it's a new chain. I did notice in the lobby a sign that they now have five locations in the UK. And yes, free wifi.

The room isn't very big, and the closet is a couple of rails in the open, but it looks just like the photos. It's clean, cool, big TV, free wifi and plenty of hot water. Breakfast extra. This one is practically in a big mall with a good food court, although doesn't open until 10:00.

Looks like I will be broiling next week too. I don't think there are any central places to stay in Schwerin with AC, and it's supposed to be 90 again my first night there. I just checked booking.com to see if I could change my reservation, but nothing with AC.