After spending hundreds of euros per night during peak season, many are shocked to find that their only defense against Europe’s 38 degree heat is… nothing at all.
This frustration has sparked a wave of viral content across platforms like TikTok, X, and Reddit.
Travelers regularly post videos showing their sweltering rooms, mocking the lack of basic cooling in high-priced accommodations across Paris, Rome, and London.
|
Tourists in Rome, Italy, in 2025. Photo by Sui Xu on Unsplash |
Adding to the frustration are unexpected hidden costs.
According to travel portal Europe Express, several properties, particularly in southern European hotspots like Italy, charge a nightly surcharge, often around €10 to €15 (US$11 – 16), for in-room air conditioning.
Temperatures of at least 40 C swept across France, Spain, and neighboring countries in late July, driven by the continent’s fourth heatwave since May.
Studies show Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world, heating up at twice the global average rate.
Yet air conditioning is rare with penetration at only around 20% compared to 90% in the U.S. and Japan.
The primary obstacle lies in the fact that many hotels are in buildings that are decades or even centuries old.
Adding modern air conditioning to a 400-year-old building is extremely expensive, and in many cases physically impossible or blocked by strict building protection laws.
Many traditional European structures were built specifically to retain heat during cold winters.
As Malcolm Mistry, assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, explained in a TIME Magazine report on European infrastructure, homes in countries like England and France essentially “act as a furnace.”
Even if historic hotels want to install modern cooling systems, strict European climate policies create another major problem.
The European Union aims to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, a common cooling agent in AC units that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, by 2050.
Since these structural and policy problems will not be resolved overnight, the burden ultimately falls on visitors to prepare for the heat.
To avoid an uncomfortably hot vacation, careful planning becomes imperative.
Travelers should check room amenities specifically for air conditioning when browsing booking platforms, but it is also wise to contact the hotel directly and ask if it comes with an extra daily fee.
Packing lightweight, breathable fabrics, portable fans, and cooling towels can also make a difference.
Alternatively, travelers can consider shifting their trips away from peak July and August heatwaves to “shoulder seasons” like May, June, or late September, when the weather is more bearable and the lack of an AC won’t ruin the experience.