Is no air conditioning a problem in Paris first week of July?

it, of course, depends on the weather... last time I saw Paris it was July and it was 100 degrees.. I am from Atlanta so heat isn't a big deal.. it was awful ..thought I'd die.. moved Hotels to get AC ... only the Hotel who said they had AC had none.. had to put towels in bath tub water and sleep with them over us under a fan.. given to us by the hotel maids who felt sorry for us.. hotel later refunded room price, the weather later broke and it wasn't so hot ..so good luck

It would depend on if you enjoy hot, humid, and still air all at once. The only thing good about July is that it's not as bad as August.

Joan, I have been to Paris many times in July and August. I have roasted ... BUT, one August it was so cool and rainy we had to go out and buy more long sleeve shirts and pants as I told friend to just pack sundresses and skirts for hot weather.
I went a few years ago in late may, and I was FREEZING,, would have worn gloves if I had them, then seriously, 3 days later it was hot out. Weather is nuts there and no one can predict if you will roast or not. Now, I usually stay in hotels, and always get hotels with a/c, but haven't always needed to use it.. but this year we are going to try an apartment, and yes, it is very hard to find apartments with a/c,, they do exist but its harder, and not cheaper then getting a hotel room,but yeah yeah you get the kitchen, lol ( which is what I am generally trying to get away from on holiday anyways) . Take a look at Parisbestlodge, they have some apartments with a/c( we got one the Esmeralda) BUT I notice most of the ones they have for 4 people are counting a sofa bed as sleeping for the 2 other people, ok if they are young kids. I think they have one with 2 bedrooms, but one was a loft up stairs, "I hate those though. Thierry at Best lodge is great to deal with though, he has a great reputation, and will try and suggest what he has that may fit your family. Good luck.

As others have said, it could be hot or not hot, there is no way to know. We've been in Paris in July 6 times in the past 11 yrs and sometimes it's been cool and pleasant and sometimes scorching hot. We're from northern California and not used to hot weather at all, but not having it when it was hot wasn't a problem at night when we were sleeping (I can't sleep with a/c on anyway). It was a huge problem though when we were out and about trying to enjoy Paris. That was miserable because virtually nothing in Paris is air conditioned. And when a place does claim they have a/c, it's not noticeable. July of 2010 heat wave I spent a lot of time in the Luxembourg Gardens, it was the only place I could find relief from the heat, plus it's one of my favorite places in Paris so it was enjoyable. Even if we had had a/c in our apt or hotel room, I don't want to be there during the day.

Air Conditioning is for more than just cooling down the room. It also lets you close the windows to keep out noise and cigarette smoke and bugs... There's no way I would want to be there in July without AC.

Hi Joan, here's the other side of the coin. I'm renting an apartment in Paris for the month of August and it does not have a/c. I'm not particularly worried. I grew up in Minneapolis and I can tell you in July and August it's HOT and HUMID. My parents didn't get a/c in the house until after I had moved out. I live in Denver now and it gets HOT (but not humid) in the summer and I rarely turn on the a/c in my place. Looks like you live in NJ and I know it gets pretty hot/humid there in the summer too. Can you live without a/c for a week in NJ during a hot summer? If not, you probably want to get a place with a/c in Paris. If you can get by without it at home, you can probably get by without it in Paris. I guess it just depends on you.

It certainly could be a problem. Not necessarily but right now we don't know.

I will NEVER get a hotel in Paris in summer without A/C again. I'm not some wuss - I actually enjoy warmer weather than most people (don't hate humidity either). I haven't lived in an apartment with A/C since I grew up in Sacramento, and I've lived in Oakland (ok admittedly doens't get too hot there), Rapid City South Dakota, and Stuttgart, Germany. The latter two usually have at least a few weeks of really hot and humid days per year. And I'm FINE without A/C. A heatwave in Paris in June nearly killed me. The thing is, with most small hotel rooms, you don't get any cross-ventilation. So even though it might have cooled down to say, a semi-comfortable 80 degrees outside at night with a slight breeze, our hotel rooms were still over 90 with completely still air at midnight. Not even joking. I would take A/C over just about any hotel amenity in Paris aside from basic cleanliness. It's necessary. Apartments may be different, most apartments I'd think would have windows facing different directions so you could get cross ventilation. Also more likely to have fans than a hotel room.

Having been to Europe several times during hot summer months I would definitely want AC. Even if you suffer in the heat of the day sightseeing I definitely do not want to sweat all night and then try to shower and get cleaned up for another day of sightseeing.... it is really draining to be hot all the time with no relief. I would also lower my standards on something else to get the AC. Stayed in Rome with temps in mid 90s and was really happy to return to my Holiday Inn... missing the ambience, but loving the AC.

Another benefit of a hotel with good A/C is that if you are there during a heatwave, you can return in the hottest part of the afternoon to your hotel for a nap. On the really hot days smart people head somewhere cool and then as evening comes the city comes alive again with people hanging outside on sidewalk cafes until the wee hours of the morning.