South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Traveling to Europe? Here’s how to beat the heat wave
Over the last few weeks, visitors from the United States to Europe didn’t have as good a time as they expected. Temperatures in excess of 100 degrees over a wide area, including even London, meant that traveling in much of Europe wasn’t pleasant. Although I wasn’t in Europe during the time, I’ve been through three summer heat waves in Europe, and excessive heat does not improve any aspect of the European experience. Although the situation is getting better, air-conditioning is still less prevalent than in the U.S., especially in the more northerly areas and in budget-end hotels and restaurants.
Climate mavens tell us to expect more of the same, not less. That means anyone looking toward a future trip to Europe, whether leaving next week or planning next summer, should face the likelihood of hot midsummer weather. I’ve collected some suggestions about how to avoid the worst miseries.
No observation could be more obvious. But tweaking your schedule by a few months, either way, can get you away from the worst risks.
Over many decades of visits, in all seasons, I’ve concluded that the best time to visit Europe is April through early June. Temperatures are generally well below seasonal highs, and visitor centers are not peaktime crowded. The main risk is rain. I spent two weeks in the Netherlands and Germany this past mid-May; the weather couldn’t have been better and I had no problems getting into museums, restaurants and other attractions.
October is in second place. The main drawback
Go later or earlier.
If you’re planning a trip to Europe, visit from April through early June, when it’s cooler and less crowded.
is that sunsets are earlier.
Don’t count on extended train travel. Most modern trains — and all high-speed trains — ride continuously welded rails. They’re pre-stressed to allow for expansion due to heat. But when the temperature of the rail goes above a critical temperature, around 115 degrees, railroads have to slow trains or cancel service totally.
Beware rail travel. Head for the countryside.
Almost everywhere, central cities are hotter than the surrounding countryside, and air-conditioned rental cars are now plentiful and not overly expensive. Touring the countryside in a rental car and staying in country hotels is my favorite way to tour Europe.
Even when the valleys swelter, resort areas at 4,000 feet or more above sea level usually cool off in the evening. And ski areas are usually less crowded than, say, seashore visitor centers in the peak summer season. In previous heat waves, I’ve successfully found respite in the Swiss Alps and in Spain’s Sierra Madre.
Hit the slopes.
This might sound like a counterintuitive idea, but if the north is
Head south.
going to be as hot as the south, you’re more likely to find air-conditioned hotels and restaurants in southern areas than in the north. Among Accor’s budget F1 and Etap brands, for example, the only air-conditioned units in France are in the very South.
Beware late summer river cruises.
In recent years, many late-summer river cruises have canceled or substituted buses due to low water. And when you buy a deluxe river cruise, you really don’t want to be schlepped from one hotel to the next on a bus. Currently, one major operator notes low water on the Elbe. And several sources warn that late-summer trips can risk low water on many rivers.
Get cancel-for-anyreason interruption insurance.
My travel insurance sources say that, at least so far, travel insurance providers do not view a heat wave as a “covered reason” for cancellation. If you decide that you really don’t want to cope with 100 degrees in London or Berlin, you don’t want an insurance company beancounter to tell you that your policy won’t pay your cancellation fees and penalties.