Paris in late August: Air Conditioning?

Must have, IMO.

Average high and low temps are 76 and 58 for late July. If it sticks to the averages, then AC isn't necessary. However . . . . .

Remember too that Parisian homes/buildings are built to take better advantage of the local weather in that they have typically thicker stone walls which cool off over night and remain cooler during the day. But 85 or 90 and humid is still uncomfortable.

http://troi.cc.rochester.edu/~tdip/tomsguidetoparis.htm

Hi Bryan,
... I've seen nothing about A/C in the above guide to Paris, but it has a lot of good information on a variety of subjects. If after reading Tom's guide you still have question(s), just click on Tom's CONTACT ME icon and ask him via e-mail... Keep cool... P

Ive been to Paris in July and Augest.... get a hotel with AC. I have stayed on rue cler at the Grand Hotel Leveque. You need to ask for a street side room if you stay here because the rooms in the back are quite small. The street side rooms are beautiful with AC and have a lovely view of the traffic free rue cler.

Yes you do need AC . We love the Rue Cler area. Have stayed there many times....We stay in the Champ du Mars, however we go to photograph and always go in Fall or Spring.In the summer we would stay in the Muguet or the Relais Bosquet. You will pay more for AC, but these are lovely hotels.

Paris can be brutal in August. We were there in 2002 and the one thing my wife remembers most about Paris was the heat

Bryan,

we were in Paris last year in July-very hot! We stayed at the grand hotel leveque and the air conditioning was welcome. Small hotel but COOL!

The problem with places without A/C is there is NO cross ventilation, no puff of a breeze, nary a hint of a bit of air. I go to Paris in the early fall, stay in an non A/C hotel. Sometimes I end up buying a fan. Would not even consider a hotel w/o A/C in the summer. Lying awake in a sweaty bed...not my idea of a great vacation. You'll wake up tired and ah, cranky.

I have spent the last 10 years in Paris in the summer months. The temperature can vary. I suggest AC, but also buy a can of spray water-Evian is good and carry it with you. Believe me it is worth it.

Eric,, where do you get your info?

MOst places in Paris do not have thick stone walls to keep you cool, I guess you are talking about houses out in the country?

I have always gone to Paris in either July or August, and yes, ONCE , two years ago, I encountered cool rainy weather in August,, BUT, that is only once out the many many times I have been to France.

IMHO ,, unless you are very used to high heat and humidity( which you are not if you are from Seattle) you will roast alive without A/C in Paris and there is nothing worse then returning to your hotel at the end of the day, all sweaty ( most publie places have no A/C in Paris) and opening the door to your hotel room to an oven!! Yuck.

Pay for a hotel with A/C. If you book ahead you can get on under 110 euros easy.

PS Just spend a month in Europe,, and it was so hot in Paris I actually almost got heatstroke, all that cement, and stone just radiates heat at you ... we would stop at any fountain just to splash water on us. As noted, no sea breezes to make it livable, just like being in an oven.

Whenever we have to be in a large city in Europe we look for a hotel in the accor.com chain. We mostly stay at an Ibis. It is very clean, consistant and on the moderate side. We will be staying at the Ibis by the airport next year as it has a free airport shuttle.
Mary Joe

Fall has begun - one can feel the shift in the air. It is cooling of both day and night and some of the early trees are losing their leaves.

Air Conditioning is not considered a necessity any time of year here - many many homes and hotels do without because the typical temperatures are moderate. The past two years have a few days above 85 degrees - but only a few.

I would say you can do without easily.

We just returned from Paris, it was very cool and windy, be sure to have a waterproof wind breaker jacket. We did not NEED AC in our rooms but we where glad we had it to cut down on the outside noise.
Have a great trip.

Bryan,
I just returned from Paris one week ago. Our hotel in the Latin Quarter, Hotel College de France did not have airconditioning. We were on the 6th floor,( elevator goes to 5th). Our room was perfectly cool however, the weather was cloudy and cool, with a few rain showers. The one really sunny day was not hot at all - actually it was perfect. The grey skies did not ruin our trip - it's Paris!! If that weather holds I wouldn't worry about airconditioning - it was cool at night. Maybe we were just lucky but were fine without air. Good luck!

I would definitely get A/C because August usually is brutal as some have already said but we were just in Paris from August 11 to August 17 and it was cool. About 70-72 degrees with a breeze the whole time, what I call "sweater weather." We loved it!

Jona, , did you leave Paris for awhile this summer??

I spent about 12 days in Paris this summer , and all except the first and second one were HOT HOT HOT!! Serveral days in the early 90s and NO BREEZES,, we melted serveral times, I thought I would get sick from the heat. Maybe you are used to it,, but being from the west coast of Canada, I hate it over 80 unless we are at a beach or lake( there is no where to swim in Paris, and the Paris Plage with the misters is not enough!!)

And the reason you don't have more a/c in Paris is because most building are OLD and not fitted with it built in,, and it is expensive to retro fit it, and it is expensive to run it,, electricity being so costly.. I mean , this is a city where many people who live in apartments do not have clothes dryers, but will hang their stuff to dry just to save money.

This is all according to my French relatives.

I would definately get A/C. You may not need it, ( I was there last year for 9 days and did not need it) but I have been there many other years when I was glad to have it..

I never stay in the Rue Cler neighborhood, I prefer other areas.

I have to agree with Pat. In addition to my above post, we were in Paris in '01, '03, '05 and '06 and it was Brutally Hot! The temps were in the 90's and 100's with absolutely no breeze and no cooling off at night. In '03, 15,000 Parisians died from the heat (at least that's what the news kept reporting). I'd rather have A/C and not need it than to need it and not have it.

that was 15,000 in France...not just Paris...2003. And today sept 3, 2008 cold and raining, but yesterday too hot for the dog walk...So, get the air con..Mother Nature doesn't come with guarantees..Some posters have suggested buying a room fan when you arrive..