Europe Travel Hits Peak Heat—Tips To Survive Charon’s Heatwave

Americans are heading to Europe this summer, but southern Europe particularly is in the grip of its second heatwave in as many weeks. While extreme heat is easier to manage in our homes, it’s not the case on holiday, where access to the same equipment such as air conditioning and water resources isn’t as easy. Here are some useful tips to survive the heat.

This Summer, American Are Traveling Up To 100% More Than Last Year

TripIt published its results on bookings and searches for the summer with August and September promising to be busy months for U.S. to Europe travel—Europe takes all 5 spots for international departures, with tourists heading to London, Rome, Athens, Paris, Milan (Cancun, Toronto, and Montego Bay are further down the list).

Booked flights in August are up 78% on 2022 figures and in September, international flights will increase by 100% on 2022 figures and in both upcoming months, U.S. travelers will spend an average of 13 days abroad.

Tips To Survive The Current Charon Heatwave In Europe

Here are several tips and tricks provided by local authorities and tour guides operating across Europe that will help travelers navigate the current heatwave, known as Charon—named after the ferryman who carried souls to the underworld in Greek mythology:

• remember that just one minute of delay in the first flight of the day, will lead to a delay of 4 minutes by the end. The best thing to do to avoid delays is to be on that first flight of the day or otherwise, to be on time. A delay on your flight across Europe can easily delay everyone else’s.
• you are unlikely to be compensated for heatwaves unless a state of emergency is declared in the country you visit, nor will you be reimbursed if you decide not to travel. Lonely Planet reports however, that you can find add-ons that allow for extreme-heat events, and many policies allow for heat-related medical emergencies and illnesses such as heatstroke or heat exhaustion.
• it’s also worth thinking of travel insurance that covers trip interruption, as you may then be reimbursed if you cannot take a planned excursion because of the extreme heat.
• TripIt reports that August 3 and 4 and September 1 and 2 will be the busiest for international air travel this summer, as well as for car rentals and picking up the keys for rental properties. If possible, best to avoid these dates and if you’re already locked in, come mentally and physically prepared with downloaded music and programs and medicine in your carry-on, in case of delays.
• buy tickets in advance, visiting sites before 11am and after 5pm, although in some places across Europe, queues are already quite large at 8am, such as at the Acropolis in Greece.
• visit sites on days where cruise ships are not in port nearby; for the Acropolis, for instance, this is a Saturday.
• dress appropriately, with hats to shield from the heat and rubber-soled shoes if visiting sites with stone or marble floors, to avoid slipping on the uneven, hot floors.
• check in with your operator or accommodation before departure about the measures currently in place in your European region and adapt accordingly. There may be strikes, water bans, or even a map where you can track forest fires, such as in France.
• pay attention to the media reports of the country you’re visiting and your own Foreign Office advice. For example, there are threats of an air traffic controller strike in France and listen out for the progress of any fires near to your region.
• close the windows and shutters in your rental accommodation during the day and open them at night.
• wet your face and body during the day with showers or wet cloths and staying indoors if possible from 11am and throughout the afternoon, taking a siesta if necessary to conserve energy for when the sun is at its weakest.
• avoid physical activities, with a possible exception being if they take place in water.
• take cash when you go out, as you may need to buy water from places that don’t take cards, or the queues for ATMs may be painfully long in the heat, and unshaded. European market stalls generally don’t take cards, for instance, so you’ll want to come prepared.
• take lots of water (as much as you can carry) and apply sunscreen regularly.

Finally, remember that in Europe, call 112, wherever you are, to access emergency services if you see a fire or need urgent assistance.