Rick Steves' Expert Tip For Dealing With The European Heat Like A Local

As the dog days of summer drag on, you may be wishing for a vacation in a cooler locale. However, if you're heading to many parts of Europe, that isn't happening. In fact, summers have been getting hotter in Europe, even forcing some iconic areas to shut down. Still, many European countries are popular destinations, and lots of people don't have a choice in terms of when they and their families get vacation time. If you're heading across the Atlantic during the summer, you should know that Europe doesn't always deal with heat the way we do in the U.S. If you're traveling to places like France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, or Spain during the height of the summer heat, you may have researched hotels with air conditioning. However travel pro Rick Steves says that might not help as much as you think it will — and you'll need to adjust your approach to air conditioning if you want to blend in with the locals. On his website, he explains, "Even if your room has AC, don't expect it to be as robust as back home. Rather than cranking the AC all the way up, USA-style, Europeans have a different philosophy: AC is just for taking the edge off."

However, the experienced traveler has some great tips for surviving and enjoying European summer trips, including taking off the heavy blankets that may be on your hotel bed. In addition, Steves and his protégé and co-author Cameron Hewitt both suggest asking for a fan at your hotel if the AC isn't doing enough to cool you down. You can also make sure the curtain in the room is closed during the day so the room doesn't heat up, take a cool shower before bed, wear pajamas in breathable fabrics like cotton and linen, and put ice in front of the fan so it blows cool air on you.

Rick Steves has some other tips for when you're out doing some European summer sightseeing. First, he says that you should bring "sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen, and a refillable bottle. Stay hydrated." (It's also the perfect excuse to grab some gelato or ice cream during the day.) You may also want to consider advice he's given before: Steves has recommended hitting some sites early to avoid crowds, and going early (or late in the evening) can be another good way to get around the heat during the middle of the day, particularly if the attractions are outdoors. Many museums and other indoor sites have timed tickets, like the Louvre in Paris or the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, so you can book those for when the sun will be at its peak.

Steves recommends scheduling some breaks in air conditioning, or at least shade, to cool you down. He also says that going with the flow in places like Spain and Italy, where breaks are taken during the hottest part of the day, is a good thing to copy. He notes that tourists may want to travel to the hotter parts of Europe during the shoulder season when it's a bit cooler, or choose chillier locations for the months of July and August. Finally, Steves says that we can help combat the climate change that's causing heatwaves by considering how our own travel "leaves a significant carbon footprint," and he recommends doing what we can to help, like looking into trains and other public transportation rather than renting a car, and shutting off the AC when possible.