Duomo di Firenze in Florence, Italy (Photo via Hans Brunk)
Another reason is that air conditioning, while certainly common in southern Europe and larger hotels all over the continent, isn’t usually as powerful as you may want it to be. This is especially true regarding the units located in apartments or older hotels. Even when you have A.C., it’s probably not going to crank out arctic air like the one back home. Furthermore, sometimes there are limits on how low you can run it and/or settings in place that make sure it doesn’t run while you aren’t in the room.
Lastly, many of us have a tendency to overindulge in Europe, and alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals can all serve to amplify the affects of heat.
How should you beat the heat in Europe during summer?
Colosseum, Rome, Italy (Photo by Lauren Breedlove)
Early to Rise, Late to Bed
It doesn’t matter where you are on the European map or what sort of heatwave you’re in the throes of, conditions won’t be oppressive between six and nine in the morning, as these are almost always the coolest hours of the day. While nighttime can still be stuffy, once you get past eight, you won’t have to worry about being beaten down by the sun.
While you can’t slide all of your tourist activities into these hours, it’s the perfect time to take walks to scout things out for later (thus spending less time out and about during the hotter periods of the day) and avoid the crowds at photogenic beauty spots.
Wherever you can, book tickets to attractions ahead of time to cut back on any time spent standing outside during peak heat hours. And if the attraction is located outside, book later in the day when there will be fewer crowds (day trips tend to overwhelm attractions during midday), and you won’t have to wait outside as long.
Crowds of tourists at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece (Photo Credit: Janeen Christoff)
What To Wear
Regarding clothing, wear a hat and loose-fitting, breezy outfits made of light colors. These will keep you cooler than tight-fitting dark-colored gab, regardless of whether it’s “wicking” or not.
Apply and re-apply sunscreen, hydrate like you’ve never hydrated before and always rest in the shade where you can. And when it comes to the aforementioned alchohol and caffeine, you’ll want to keep things in moderation in those departments.
It’s not all gloom and doom, the summer season in Europe offers long days, fun beach experiences and scores of other travelers to meet and make memories with, but the heat can be a downer if you don’t take precautions.
So just take the precautions and you’re sure to still have the time of your life this summer!
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Publish date : 2024-06-19 21:00:00
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