The One Thing You Should Always Ask For When Staying At A Hotel In Europe, Per Rick Steves' Protégé

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If you're heading to Europe on vacation during the summer, you're probably prepared for long lines, lots of crowds, and sweltering heat. In fact, 2025 saw the hottest June on record in Western Europe. (It's enough to make you want to take travel pro Rick Steves' advice and visit European cities in the winter instead.) While you may be prepared with breathable fabrics, lightweight clothing, and an insulated reusable water bottle while you're out and about, you might make the mistake of expecting your hotel to be air conditioned. However, according to Steves' protégé, co-author, and collaborator Cameron Hewitt, it may not be. And even if you do have A/C, it may not be as cold as you might expect. There may also be laws around when hotels are allowed to turn it on in the first place. However, Hewitt has a tip to help out if you find yourself in this situation. On Steves' website, Hewitt says, "If the weather's hot, upon checking into my hotel, I quickly assess the AC situation. If it seems stuffy, I go straight back to the front desk to ask politely if I can borrow a fan." 

It may not be A/C, but a fan can really help you get through the sultry summer nights. However, Hewitt does caution that hotels may not have many fans to borrow. He says that you should check with the hotel as soon as possible to make sure you get one. It's also a good idea to call before your trip to check on what they have. 

You can also do some prep to prepare for the heat before you actually get to Europe. If you're visiting in the summer, pack pajamas in lightweight, breathable fabrics like cotton and linen. You can bring a small travel fan like the PlayHot Portable Handheld Turbo Fan on Amazon that can be positioned on a bedside table, just in case the hotel doesn't have one. As soon as you check in, make sure the blinds or curtains are closed, so the sun doesn't heat up the room. A cool shower before bed may make you feel better, and you can place a cool cloth on your forehead when you hit the sack. It's also not a bad idea to skip alcoholic drinks, as they can interrupt your sleep.

Whether you use your own fan or one from the hotel, check to see if the hotel has an ice machine. A bowl of ice in front of the fan will cool down the air blowing at you. In addition, make sure you're having plenty of cool drinks throughout the day and staying in the shade when you can. That's especially true if you're taking one of the common medications that can make you more vulnerable to sun and heat. Cameron Hewitt says that it's a good idea to try to get used to the heat as part of the experience, rather than getting angry about it. In fact, strong emotion can actually cause our body temperature to rise, according to a 2015 study published in the journal Temperature. However, if you and scorching temperatures just don't mix, you can dodge the heat, as well as crowds and inflated prices, by traveling in the shoulder season instead of the height of summer.