What to do to escape de heat in Paris?
 

Hello. I'm in Paris and it was too hot today, still is! and tomorrow will be pretty much the same but with some rain. I don't mind the sun and heat during the day but my mom is going through menopause (shh! she would kill me if she read this) and isn't very amused. We got here today, walked from the Chatelet metro station to Notre-Dame and she was already sweating like crazy.

So what could we do tomorrow to hide from the heat? I just read the Louvre only has A/C in some areas but what about Orsay, Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps?

Thanks, I think/HOPE it will get better on Saturday!

I don't remember about dept stores, you can try the movies, I often do but beware as some of them do not have A/C either. I was surprised, but I nearly died in one cinema once in July in Paris. The newer ones usually do, I think (have AC). They have lots of ones that show some English-language films in St Germain and Montparnasse, and the Champs-Elysees. You have to look for whether it says "climatisé" in the window or around somewhere. I think the Grand Action in the 5th is, for one. It is at 5, rue des Ecoles, but tends to have a lot of art films. So is the UGC Odeon at 124 bd St Germain (Odeon metro).

Swim? http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2...ools-in-paris/

http://suite101.com/article/a-summer...ol-off-a226417

Um, Paris in the summer can be VERY hot - I've hit days in the upper 90s several times I've been there. IMHO in midsummer you really need to have a hotel with good AC for days (and nights) that are unbearable.

Sorry - all of the upscale hotels will have AC. If the heat is too bad head for one and have a meal or a drink or whatever and spend a couple of hours cooling off. Just don;t try to sit in the lobby for hours without buying anything.

Too late to change hotels, I was here 5 years ago in July and it was never this hot, just sunny... Thanks for your suggestions.

Changing my wardrobe as I am leaving on Sunday for Paris-hope that it isn't so hot to drink wine :)?

Go to the Louvre and spend several hours in the Richelieu Wing, which has good a/c.

Look for "climatise" in shop and restaurant windows.

Know, though, that even air conditioned places (especially museums) aren't particularly cool, especially when filled with people or after you've been there a while.

When we experienced more than a week straight in Paris with temps in the high 90's, we were most comfortable at a shady table on a sidewalk cafe with a nice breeze, a boat ride on the Seine (where the air is usually cooler and the breeze cools you off).

To my recollection, some museums, even without air, were comfortable because of the thick walls as few windows such as Musee Carnavalet, Moyen Ages, etc. Not places we'd go, but the Sewers and the Catacombs are reported to be cool.

The trick, especially for your Mom, is to not get too warmed up, especially with a lot of walking, because it takes a long time to cool down when there's no a/c.

If you're really desperate, book a coach tour to someplace. The air conditioning on those is usually quite effective.

I liked the Bateaubus (sp?) boats on the Seine -- we would ride from one interesting sight to another instead of our usual walking. Or you could check area temperatures and take a half day trip out of town during the middle of the day.

Batobus. But they have limited stops, are expensive, and you often have to wait up to 20 minutes for them. Cool concept, but not for getting around Paris expediently.

The heat ends with the storms today. Then people will put their sweaters on again.

We were there 2 weeks ago when it was still cool with on and off rain, but I've been dodging the heat the last 10 days in the south of France, and it's now a bit of a scorcher in Nice. So I feel your mother's pain.

The museums are either air conditioned or feel that way -- the musee d'Orsay was recently remodeled and now very climate controlled, so would be perfect.

The catacombs -- absolutely perfect on a hot Paris day!!! Make sure you wear sneakers or decent walking shoes you don't mind getting a little dirty. Having a flashlight helps. You'll even need to bring a little sweater for the catacombs -- it's that cool!

Au Printemps has better a/c imo than Galeries Lafayette, but both have a/c. I'd say the only warm moment at Galeries Lafayette your mother might have (other than opening her wallet to pay for something there) is on the ground floor in the perfume/makeup section,since there are hoardes of warm bodies in that whole area (lots just there to snap photos of the stained glass ceiling) and too many smells going on.

Loook for a/c signs in cafes and restaurants. Many small shops also have a portable a/c and you'll find it almost directly upon entering.

Finally, the boat trips really do cool you off!

Run under the sprinklers at the Paris Plage.

We had a pretty good shower around 17h, but then it just steamed off the pavement and became muggy. Giant storms are expected before midnight. In fact a lot of evening activities have been cancelled due to the weather warnings.

Go have a cold drink or afternoon tea in the massive lobby of the Grand Intercontinental on the Opéra.

Merci bcp everybody, I read her most of your comments this morning and she decided to take the Batobus. We had a great day. It was hot before the rain, she sweated a lot again but she was happy. We'll keep the other suggestions in mind if the temperatures go up again!

What about the hop on/of bus tours? They say they have a/c....

I was so surprised when some posters who were there earlier in the month mentioned it being cool. I have been to Paris 3X in the summer and always it was HOT. In fact, it is the standard I use w/DH when I want to talk about scorching heat!! (i.e, "this heat feels like being in Paris")

I was here most of July in 2007 and it felt hot only when walking in the sun and the was always a nice, fresh breeze. We would go out wearin sweaters, take them off in the afternoon and wear them again in the evening. I thought it wouldn't have changed much. And what doesn't help th heat is that there's no A/C almost anywhere.

The Expedia page of my hotel said it did have but it doesn't. I emailed them inquiring about it a few weeks before coming here after reading some reviews. It's a nice little hotel but hot as hell.