Must Paris apartment rentals have A/C for July visit?
 

Our family of five is thinking of visiting Paris for the first time this July. Many of the posts on this board say to make sure you have a/c because it can get quite hot. I've looked up apartment rentals from vrbo, paris perfect, vacation in paris, and rent paris but not many of the listings include a/c. The few that do either aren't available for our dates or don't sleep five comfortably. Can anyone weigh in? I've been mostly checking the 6th and 7th areas since most of the posts have made that area out to be the best as far as safe/convenient/good for teenagers, younger kids & adults.

In late May, the temps and the humidity were in the mid-80s, and coming back to a non-airconditioned room would have been pretty miserable after a day prowling the packed streets of Paris. I can't speak for everyone, but it's a must-have for me.

I agree. It's risky to not have it.

I would certainly recommend A/C in Paris in July. I recall that in July 2003, just a couple of days after we left, there was an awful heat wave in Paris and other parts of Europe.

Yes. We've needed A/C twice in Paris during June and July--it can get quite humid. We're heading back in June and our apt. rental has A/C.

You could consider expanding your search to the 1st-8th.

Good luck!

Has anyone rented an apartment in a great area WITH A/C that could accomodate five? Thanks for the input so far. I'll definitely make sure there's a/c!

The short answer is yes - I would never take a hotel or apartment without real AC in Paris in July. (I have been there more than once in the summer when it was in the high 90s and humid.)

However, it really depends on your tolerance for heat:

can you sleep if you're sweating?

do you think 90 is really hot or just comfortably warm?

are you aware many stores, museums, transport etc in which you will be spending the day also don;t have AC?

Separately - what about the location/condition of the apartment? Will there be a lot of street noise when the windows are wide open? Is it safe with the windows open (ground floor)? Does it have cross ventilation?

Only you can decide.

I found a wonderful-sounding apartment for July last summer, in a good (but maybe noisy?) location on the Seine, but it didn't have A/C.

After taking advice from more knowledgeable people this forum, I cancelled the apartment and went for a hotel with A/C. It cost more (almost double, and this was a 2* hotel but should probably be rated 3*) but we were very grateful for the A/C, and I found I didn't regret one little bit paying more for the A/C...

PS We stayed at Hotel Monge in the Latin Quarter, paid 110 euros per room per night, and had a triple and twin room (for 4 of us, being me, 14yo daughter and 12yo sons). Great location, and good reviews on this forum if you do a search.

I had a Paris stay in July 2004, and had solicited opinions about A/C on this forum, and the consensus was to get it. Even though that July was not nearly so hot as others (probably only getting into the mid-80s during our stay), it was humid as could be, and I found that A/C was wonderful to have.

Yes, it must. Good luck! ((#))

Hi, yes you need it. This question comes up a lot and all you really need to think about in order to answer it is to consider staying in a large US city--New York, Chicago, Washington DC--for a vacation in July w/o AC. No one would ever choose that and Paris is every bit as hot!!:)

We ran the risk in early June and got away with it, but I wouldn't try it in July.

In July, absolutely you'll need A/C. I've sweated it out in hotel rooms without it at that time of year but don't care to repeat the experience.

I thought all Paris Perfect apartments had A/C. Am I wrong?

Gotta chime in here. Owning an apartment in Paris and having been there in both July and August of two different years, we did not need A/C. We live in Texas, which is HOT and are very spoiled regarding A/C in the spring/summer months. However, our Paris apartment is on the ground floor facing a small courtyard, and seems to keep very cool. (Yes, I know, many find the ground floor terribly un-chic, but it's really quite convenent, cool and we get a private courtyard, to boot!) We have plug-in fans, and are quite comfortable. That said, I have to guess that on the 6th floor of our building, it would not feel the same at all. Perhaps if you find an apartment that you love on the third floor (American, second floor French), second or first floor AND have floor or ceiling fans, you should consider this. Of course if it is some crazy 105 degree weather, it's going to be hot no matter what, but I'll say that some Euro A/C systems even in nice hotels don't keep pace with such heat. I would also suggest you extend your search beyond two neighborhoods. I hope your family has a wonderful trip and stays cool!

I'm afraid that advice is out of date.

Ten or fifteen years ago, hot weather was very rare in Paris, and it was actually possible to get by most of the time in summer by just opening a window or two. But global warming has had a very marked effect on the city and the region, and today summers become very hot indeed. A temperature of 105° F would have been unthinkable thirty years ago, but temperatures above 100° F are no longer that exceptional. You need A/C during the warm months of the year, or you risk ruining your vacation. Maybe you'll get lucky and the summer will be as cool as Paris summers used to be, but that is less and less likely with each passing year, as the temperature continues to rise.

Because these changes have occurred so rapidly (over barely more than a decade), many travel books and travel writers have absolutely no clue about them and continue to make recommendations based on the Paris climate of the olden days. But everything is different now. You have been warned.

Yes, do get an apartment with a/c if you visit in July. I visited this past July for the first time and it was very very hot. It was humid too. The hotel I stayed at had very effective a/c and believe me, I surely appreciated it.

Certainly, I don't want you to ruin your vacations. But my opinion is not out of date. It's simply an opinion. It's quite current, based on our trips every summer for years now. In fact, we make three trips a year, so I've seen all type of weather. But as you can see, you won't find too many who agree with me and will tell you that you can have a great vacation without A/C. None of our friends who have apartments in Paris have A/C, French or American. And I never hear any of of our friends complain about the heat in Paris -- most of them welcome it, particularly those who live there. I can't say any of our friends who have rented our apartment who felt their trips were ruined by not having A/C. I even know one woman who spent the entire summer there writing a book during that bad heat wave a few years back, and said she was just fine. I will say that more of our friends were put off by the cold in the winter and complained about that, as opposed to the heat of the summer. But perhaps if you feel you must have A/C, you should consider a hotel instead of an apartment. Regardless, have a wonderful trip, with A/C or without. :-)

We stayed in a Paris Perfect apartment last May. The owners told me none of their apartments have air conditioning because it is not needed. I'm not so sure about that. And, I wouldn't risk it. The Parisians seem to have better tolerance for hot weather, especially with the very high cost of electricity.

All three rooms of our apartment had huge windows facing west. So, for several hours each afternoon, the sun (on sunny days, of course) shines in brightly. There was excellent cross-ventilation and all windows had blinds, but I would just not risk staying there in hot weather without air conditioning.

We're renting the same apartment again this year - in September.

There may or may not be a spell of hot weather during July this year, but if there is you'll want to have air conditioning.

I'd say get the AC, if possible. We were in France in 2003 during the heat wave and in Italy in 2005 during another heat wave. Seems like alot of unusually warm weather for not needing AC. On each trip, we had a place that was advertised as having AC, but did not when we arrived. One hotel only had AC on one floor, and an apartment we rented, the owners took out the AC. It was hot, but we learned how to successfully use shutters to keep the apt. cool.
Have a great and cool trip.
Travelatte

If you can get the AC, go for it. We lived through five summers in Brussels with no AC and except for the summer of 2003 it was manageable (but we would have enjoyed having it anyway those other years).
You might be able to get by ok without AC if the apartment has hardwood or tile floors, gets afternoon shade, is well ventilated on a tree-lined street. I've been in the Marais and the 16th in the summer and the top floor place we had in the Marais was significantly hotter than our shady spot on a wide, tree-lined street in the 16th--even though the official Paris temp was the same in both areas. (The tiny streets of the Marais and other older neighborhoods also trap pollution on warm, muggy days.)
It's also true that the AC in the Paris apartment may not give you a whole lot of cooling, esp. if the unit is an older "portable" machine with the hose that sticks out the window--the older models aren't that efficient.
If your apartment doesn't have AC, make sure it has enough fans and preferably at least two bathrooms because you'll probably want to take showers more than once a day if it gets hot. If the apartment does not have AC, do NOT take it if it gets afternoon sun. On a hot day, with long hours of sunshine, it will feel like an oven.