I'm in the preliminary stages of trip planning. I will be traveling w/ 5 people & we'd like to rent a place, but airconditioning is a must, any suggestions? We're not concrete yet on where we want to go in Provence. We are renting a car and should be fairly flexible.

not sure you will need it? unless this summer is like last, they are pretty far north (think upstate New York) so it won't be unbearable, likely...

Finding a house rental may be difficult, as most people in Provence do without a/c. Since a fair number of houses are built with thick walls to keep the heat out, a/c isn't necessarily needed. However, we've stayed in places without a/c during the summers before last year's heat wave and would have been very happy to have a/c. It can get pretty hot--we sometimes resorted to driving around in the car with the a/c on to cool down for a while.

I'm not sure what flygirl means by "they are pretty far north."

It's true that Provence is on a ine with upstate New York. but I'm not sure how that impacts the question. It really has nothing to do with temps - temps is euopre are warmer father north than in the US - otherwise London would have weather like Toronto.

Separately upstate New York can be hell in the summer withoug AC - so that analogy doens't work on two levels.

London DOESN'T have weather like Toronto? here I always thought it was worse...

I dare say Provence summers are rarely hot enough to have AC - this depending on your comfort norms and levels of course. and I'd be willing to bet many upstate NY homes (older ones at least, not new construction) do not have central AC - maybe by now at best window units or retrofits.

on an average basis summer temps there would be analogous to summer weather in Provence (except that Provence and the Midi will be much sunnier, and perhaps a wee bit cooler).

I don;t think the poster was asking about central AC - just AC. Most home AC in the US isn;t central - just window units - but it still works just fine interms of staying cool.

And I know its strange that the moderating effects of the ocean currents keep western europe warmer in the winter but often cooler in the summer than comparable locations in the US/Canada - but still true.

Upper New York State and Toronto - (even northern Vermont and New Hampshire - well, from what I've experienced these can be just as hot and sticky at NYC in the summer and I don't know anyone who live in these places that don't have a/c. Sure some might have window units - but they have a/c.

We spent late-May/early-June in Provence a few years back and were only glad our hotel had a/c - only one night could we sleep without it. And another time on the Cote d'Azur, about mid-June, also glad to have had a/c.

You just have to do a good search to find what you need, otherwise, you'll be miserable without it.