As of June 9th, Americans have the green light to travel to France. If you’ve booked the first ticket available to the most visited country in the world, here are some things to expect and tips for your stay this summer.
I just spent a month in France. During our time, my husband and I interchanged staying in hotels and with family in the southeast and southwest regions of France.
- Air conditioning is not common.
Air conditioning is not a common amenity in people’s homes. In the Auvergne-Rhone-Alps region, the hottest region in France, we stayed in an upper-unit apartment with upstairs bedrooms. There were two a/c units, located only in the main-level living room and kitchen. Even though there was a/c, the cold and refreshing air had a hard time reaching the upstairs bedrooms. To drive airflow efficiency, we bought a fan to move the cool air up the stairs and into the bedrooms. Nothing high tech, I know, but it worked!
During our stay in the Occitanie region there was a heat wave engrossing France and this area took the crown for having the hottest temperatures in France for a number of days with temperatures of 90 degrees or more. Here, we had fans but no a/c.
In the humid area of Nouvelle-Acquitaine, we had no a/c and no fans. This was tough. We also had a run in with tiger mosquitoes here, and, consequently, the windows were shut at all times of the day. This made our stay even more uncomfortable. I found myself thinking what an American wimp I am. Have I grown ridiculously and disproportionately accustomed to 1st-world living? In contrast, My husband’s relative are twice my age and slept like babies so the answer is yes, undoubtedly yes.
For our Avignon stay, we discovered our hotel standard room booking(the cheapest option) didn’t come with a/c. We had to upgrade our room to have this amenity. Air conditioning involves an upgrade? Who knew? As it turns out, because the recently green lit tourism and travel had yet to hit its peak the hotel was pretty empty and they offered to upgrade our room for free. Woohoo! While the French are accustomed to living without it and have adopted strategies to cope in hot temperatures, I spent many nights in a warm bedroom wishing for a ceiling fan.
Travel Tip: If you book a hotel or airbnb stay, be sure that the dwelling details list includes air conditioning or assume you don’t have it and you will be sacrificing this luxury for a cheap deal.
2. There are no window screens.
I grew up in the midwest where pests like mosquitoes and flies were a constant nuisance and window screens are commonplace. Though I haven’t traveled to every part of the U.S., my assumption is that window screens are a pretty standard home furnishing. In France, the opposite was true for hotels or homes: they do not have screens on any of their windows or doors. They do have blinds of some kind like electric or wooden shutters to take refuge from the sun. It’s this observation of no screens to keep out pests that led me to discover maybe the number 1 difference in France and the U.S living: things aren’t made for consumer convenience first in France as they are in the United States. Of course, the French have strategies for dealing with the heat, humidity, and pests by meticulously keeping track of the hottest and coolest parts of the day, such as keeping the blinds closed during the day and advantageously opening their windows at night to let in the cooler air. In some places, the combination of no screens, the hot sun, and pests resulted in keeping the windows and blinds closed most of the day and night. This cooled the house and ensured a pest free environment.
Travel Tip: To enjoy the beautiful provencal sunshine, go outside even during the hot temperatures. Choose temporary inconvenience over comfort to make the most of your stay — there’s so much to see!
3. Take refuge from the heat by booking a stay by the water.
The French are obsessed with the Mediterranean sea. Everyone flocks to the south of France during the summer. I now know why. The Cote d’Azur has multicolored hues of blues and is spectacularly beautiful to regard in person. Aside from this more aesthetic reason, the sea is a natural refuge from the sun and heat. You get the benefit of a cool, sea breeze and the water temperature is refreshingly chill.
Travel Tip: If the salty sea (or crowded beaches) is not your thing, choose a stay in a small sea town or in another maritime region along the Atlantic coast, you will still get the benefit of lower temperatures because of your proximity to the water and can walk the local boardwalks for the beauty.
4. Pack light and loose-fitted, breathable clothes.
In general, I love having options and this very much applies to clothing choices for vacation. By the end of my packing, I was at 22 kg for my suitcase just 1kg under the 23kg limit. Looking back, this was a mistake for a few reasons. First, I packed clothes I didn’t need in the summer heat like long sleeve shirts and pants (I don’t know what I expecting-a cold front in summer? It never came.). Second, I didn’t have a lot of wiggle room to pack purchased souvenirs or clothes acquired on my vacation. Third, I immediately noticed the French wearing thin fabrics and bright colors in the south. While they do look stylish (tres chic!), this is mostly practical, keeps them cool, and prevents them from walking around as one big sweat bucket.
Travel Tip: If you want to buy things while in France, pack light so your luggage has the room and weight capacity to bring it back home.
5. Enjoy an aperitif in a shaded cafe in the afternoon.
To understand the French way of life just live in their climate for awhile. Before my stay, I didn’t fully understand the purpose of an aperitif. I thought it mainly served as a happy hour-spending time with family, coworkers, or friends talking. However, this is a habit of necessity in the summer. After copious amounts of walking and seeing the sights on foot, seizing the shade in a plane-tree-adorned square with a fresh, chilled drink revitalizes the body and spirit.
Travel Tip: Make time for an apertif in the afternoon. You will find your feet rested and ready for walking adventures once more. Try a cold glass of local Rose or Perrier with syrup.
