We strive to make sure all the hotels we use on our tours are comfortable and have air conditioning. Read more on what to expect from hotels on an ExperiencePlus! tour.
Yet, air conditioning standards throughout Europe and South America are often not the same as you will find in North America or other countries with more modern buildings. In many locations throughout Europe like Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Denmark or mountainous areas, air conditioning isn’t available for a number of reasons. Often, it traditionally hasn’t been needed, as Statistically, the weather in Western Europe has been milder than for example in North America. Building styles, especially historic buildings, have therefore not been equipped to add mechanical cooling as it is known in other regions of the world. This has influenced the cultural approach and expectations towards air conditioning.
Even in hotels that provide air conditioning it is not uncommon to limit its use. This may mean that the hotel will only allow the thermostat to go to a preset limit – say 78F. Or the system is set to turn off at night or when rooms are unoccupied to save energy and resources. Sometimes, one AC unit serves several areas. This may be for cost reasons (electricity is very expensive), for system reasons (the system can only tolerate a certain amount of electrical use), or cultural reasons.
Culturally the difference between European and North American attitude regarding the use of air conditioning is huge. To get an idea of what this means, read the Washington Post’s article on the topic published a few years ago.
We plan our trips in the most preferable months weather-wise to avoid heat. In case of atypical heat in regions, we do our best to provide flexibility to avoid the heat. Our Tour Leaders are trained to handle adverse weather conditions, and may restructure planned days.