A/C in June in London

Based on our experience, (and we are from Virginia so we are used to hot and muggy summers), I wouldn’t book another flat or hotel without it if we were going in that season. We went at that same time in 2022. It wasn’t the days as much, but the nights when we were unable to open our windows. We got pretty uncomfortable and a couple nights slept very fitfully. If I could find an accommodation where I could open the windows, I may reconsider, but if not, I will always go with AC moving forward if I return in June-Early September. The place we stayed offered several fans, but the room just held heat so badly. Plus, if we ran all the fans, we couldn’t charge our phones, devices bc we would overpower the older flat’s system and would trip the breakers. That was an headache, too. This is just our experience, however. Everyone has different opinions on this. Good luck in deciding!

Did this once in London in 2004 (late May). Sweltered. Haven’t done it since.

We went same time of year as you are talking about. Stayed at Premier inn because of air conditioning. Then highs were in the 50s for the five days we were there!

So no guarantees but summers on average are warmer than they used to be.

June 29 2019 it was 95 degrees in London, I was miserable. ymmv.

Nobody in London needs air conditioning, ever.

It may or may not be so warm outside that you need it for cooling. But I would not plan in any large city to not have A/C as there is likely just too much light and noise to want to have the windows open. Especially if you are fighting some jet lag so that your sleep cycle is altered.

It depends on the type of building as to whether you need AC. Most hotels are too hot without it, even in London. Modern apartment buildings can also get very hot but rarely have AC. Older homes, for example if you were going to rent a flat or house, don’t need it and won’t have it

Laurie, if I found a flat up on a second/third floor, etc. that had the window opening option I would take earplugs for the exact reason you mentioned. Would work for me, but maybe not everyone else. I usually take them anyway to be honest, bc I am such a light sleeper. The sound of a heating unit, or AC or even a refrigerator running messes me up.

We found that we really needed it, and were very glad to have it, during our own visit in June a couple of years ago. Would have been pretty miserable without it.

It's an impossible question for a British person to answer for an American. Helen's probably right about hotels though. As a culture, we've largely decided we don't need it, in our homes at least.

Bug screens are another thing we seemingly have no need for in the UK that those from North America may miss.

Nobody in London needs air conditioning, ever.

My opinion is different.

I lived in a flat in London without AC and it was tolerable. The windows opened, there was good air circulation, and I had a fan.

However, hotels can me different. I stayed in one where the window only cracked open and there was no fan. It was stifling. I now only book hotels in London with AC. I was very happy to have AC when I visited in September 2023 and the temperature was above 90 F.

You probably won’t need AC, but if you happen to be there during a heatwave you might regret it.

@Camborne2018 you’re being goofy, right? ;-)

I almost died this past summer. Our flat is lovely and modern amd has a deck with a sliding glass door so we get a slight breeze inside but OMG it was sooooooo hot! Baking. Sweltering. Ack!

I know London used to be nice and cool in the summers… but not any more. I would hold out for A/C.

I was in London last year mid-August (I usually prefer April/May or late Sept) and had a few days of 90 + degree heat--I couldn't wait to get back to my lovely airconditioned room every night! I won't consider a room anywhere without A/C.

if you are traveling from June through Mid September, I would recommend getting a room with AC. I go to England 2-3 times a year and have experienced several heatwaves in every summer month. The older we get the less we can tolerate as far as heat and lack of sleep goes. I remember one year (2019) staying near Cambridge, we just got in the car and then walked around the freezer section of the supermarket just to get some relief!

The hotel does not have A/C. What are the odds I will regret this?

Do you have and use A/C at home at that time of year? If so, you are likely to regret it.

Very few hotels have windows on more than one wall so getting a 'breeze' to blow through is basically impossible.

For liability reasons I suspect most hotels restrict how far a window will open for security ( people braking in) and safety ( people falling out).

Almost all the Premier Inns seem to be air conditioned. I recommend them highly.

I've certainly never turned our air-conditioning in a London hotel in summer - it never seems to get hot enough to need it. Having said that, living in a hot country, my tolerance level nay be different from yours.

I purchased several years ago two portable air conditioning units, one for the living room and one for the bedroom.

Last year I used two standard fans, one in each area for a few days during the one short heatwave we had in July, but I never once wheeled out the air conditioners. note to self - before the first heat wave check the remote control batteries.

June seems a bit early to be worrying about air conditioning.

For decisions like this I recommend examining at least the last five years' weather history on the website timeanddate.com. It shows actual, historical, day-by-day temperatures for just about anywhere a traveler might go. Most of the time there are several data points per day. I see that June 2024 wasn't bad at all, though it got up to 86F one day.

London weather -- June 2024

On the other hand, June 2023 was quite bad (as far as I'm concerned), with 12 days over 80F, 3 of them with highs of 88F.

London weather -- June 2023

I'd also look back a few more years. Just use the pull-down box at the right, just above the graph, to change the month and year displayed. Use the Search box at the upper right to change the location.

I'd definitely much rather roll the dice in June or September than in July or August. I've survived a couple of non-air-conditioned stays in early September myself, when I was traveling alone and had no one to share the lodging cost, but I knew it was risky. When a friend travels with me, we go straight to an air-conditioned Premier Inn. Not sleeping well at night because the room is too hot can lead to a miserable following day, which to me is more costly than paying a bit more for air conditioning (or compromising somewhat on location to get a/c).

Nobody in London needs air conditioning, ever.

Of course they do. It all depends on where you're staying and what the temperatures are. As many have stated hotels are not designed to allow free movement of air and those with windows that do open can only be opened a small amount. I've certainly appreciated A/C in a London hotel when it was hot.

Do I need A/C at home? No, because I live on top of a coastal hill and I can open my windows and doors fully to allow a sea breeze to flow through and a decent fan is enough to ensure a comfortable nights sleep.