We are going to France the last week of June. Bayeaux for 3 nights (to tour Normandy) and Paris for 5.
All input welcome!
We were in Paris the first weekend in June and they were having a heatwave and temp was 30 Celsius. 2 days later it was back to normal which was 21. I'd try for AC if you can find it.
There's no way to know if you will want or need AC, unless you know someone who can reliably predict the weather 7 months in advance (no such person exists). It's mostly "luck". Also might have something to do with your own personal tolerance for heat.
Paris is crowded during the summer. First week of June won't be as bad as, say, July, but still...it's Paris. People want to go there, you will experience crowds. I'd pick the neighborhood you want to be in (near the things you want to see/do) and accept the fact that you'll be sharing that space with others.
Kim - Montmartre, Le Marais , and St. Germain des pres are central and are not too crowded with tourists. Also the link below has another neighborhood that is not packed with tourists.
Bourse / Montorgueil (2nd) Arrondissement
I'd need to have AC but I don't tolerate heat very well. I've been in Paris in a heat wave and it was miserable so it would be a must for me. For 5 nights I'd probably go with a hotel just to get AC.
Keep in mind too that the days you are planning to be in France are the longest of the year which means long hours of sun and little night cooling during a heat wave.
I'm with Pam. I'm actually rather heat-tolerant when I'm out sightseeing, but that doesn't mean I like it. And I find being stuck in a hot hotel room in the evening and at night very unpleasant. A/c would be a must for me in Paris, as well. You certainly might find that you don't need it when the time comes.
For Bayeux, it's less risky but still a risk, since super-hot weather isn't completely unheard of; it's just rather unusual. I'd try to avoid top-floor rooms, and I'd read all the available reviews, looking for complaints about hot rooms. You can see actual, day-by-day historical weather stats for Bayeux going back about ten years on the website timeanddate.com. As you can see, there were four days during June 2019 and during June 2017 when a/c would be really critical, but there were no hot days during June 2018. June 2017 had one 81F day. Take a look and see what you think.
Kimberly,
I looked up the weather this past June and on the 28th in Paris it was 87F. In Bayeux it was 91F. Two days later 72F. This is an entirely personal decision on your part. You cannot predict the weather in too many locations on earth. Outdoors you can keep to the shade, go in and out of places which are cooler or A/C controlled. If you have the night time tolerance for heat, I would take a chance. If not, I would choose a hotel with A/C. Keep in mind, Europe, for some unknown reason to me, does not have window screens either.
Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to bet on a heat wave and find AC in Paris.
What about Bayeux? Does it stay cooler there since it's closer to the Channel?
Yes, it's usually cooler, but not guaranteed not to be hot. Refer to my post upthread.
What do you mean by "central"? Metro greatly expands my idea of central. Centrally speaking, we have stayed on the Champs Elysees and as far out as the Gare de Lyon area. Much preferred the out lying but, with metro, central location
The bonus with air conditioning is that if your hotel is an area that street noise in the evening, you can keep your windows closed. In a heat wave -- I was there for the record-setting 42-degree celsius reading in August -- I kept cool in my room but many businesses and especially bistros were sweating it out with, at most, a couple of fans.
“Montmartre, Le Marais , and St. Germain des pres are central and are not too crowded with tourists.“
These are some of the most touristy areas of Paris and Montmartre is definitely not central.
Notre Dame is the center of Paris, so the closer you are to Notre Dame, the more central you are. There, and along the river, are the most beautiful areas of Paris, imo.
My favorite areas are Ile St Louis (the little island next to the bigger island where ND is), the 5th (Latin Quater), the 4th (Marais) and the 6th (St Germain).
In these areas, you’ll be able to find plenty of areas that aren’t crowded but the main streets and side streets off main streets will have lots of people and lots of tourists at the end of June.
To really get away from tourists you need to stay in the 10th - 17th and the 19th - 20th arrondissements... but they are not central.
Yes, you can take the métro or bus to get anywhere in Paris but i prefer to stay in a central part of Paris and walk to most places.
Apartment rentals in Paris that offer units with AC and elevators: https://www.apartmentsdulouvre.com
I will be back there in December 2020. Enjoy your trip.
Thanks to all! I ended up booking flats with AC in both Paris and Bayeaux. Ended up on Ile de la cite after all. Maybe since ND is closed for repairs the ile won't be as crowded as usual?! Here's to hoping! Thanks for all the advice!
Ile de la Cité will still be full of people - just spent a month in Paris and ND hasn’t affected the island in the least.
Unless it's unusually hot, you won't need AC. Will it be unusually hot? I can't say. I've been to Paris in May, June, September and October. I've had almost all nice weather but never felt I needed AC.
