A/C in Paris apartments

If there's no mention of it in the VRBO listing, then they don't have it. A/C is a selling point - so it would be crazy to not mention it when trying to attract renters to a property. As for importance... I booked a place one August in Paris that did have A/C. That particular summer the weather was quite cool for most of my multi-week stay in Paris (cool enough that I was wearing jeans, long sleeve shirts and a jacket most days) - there were, however, at least 3-4 days that it was very hot outside and the a/c was totally worth the extra money laid out. Even on some of the cool nights, I shut the windows and turned the a/c on very low just to block out some of the street noise from below. As someone who has lived in a lot of apartment buildings in different metropolitan areas prone to muggy, hot and humid summers, a/c is always worth having if you can swing the extra cost. Heat rises and there's nothing worse than trying to sleep in a muggy, hot and humid apartment with little to no cross breeze because of the surrounding buildings.

You have hit on one of the reasons I am not thrilled with most of Europe in July and August. Just too dang hot and they haven't discovered A/C; not in apartments, hotel rooms, restaurants, yuu name it. And when they do exist they are miserably undersized. BUT!! If this is your big opportunity Dress cool!! and have a blast. Actually the heat gives you an opportunity or excuse to bring little more than thin flimsy nylon cloting (i buy fishing clothing from Bass Pro). They are cool and the sweat washes out easily in the sink and dries over night.

Personally yes, for me its a non starter if there is no a/c . It is possible that you may not need it, I have been in Paris in August when I didn't but I swear if you need it , you need it, all day touring around in heat and crowds, without a cool retreat I would lose my mind. Leaving windows open for ventilation is usually not effective, first because of street noise,, second because sometimes you only have windows on one side of apartment so you don't get cross air movement.. also there is rarely any nice breezes in Paris, its not like where I live on the ocean. If a/c is not mentioned, they do not have it. If they had it they most definately would mention it.

I own a couple of tourist apartments in Budapest and during the renovations everyone thought I was over reacting by installing air conditioning and just pure insane for putting in the size units that I did. Still I only travel to Europe in the summer if work requires. Also remember that the tradition is that the great opera houses and theaters are closed in July and August. Why? Because the theaters are not not air conditioned.