Nobody wants to travel during a heatwave, but I know from personal experience that we often don’t have an alternative. As someone whose vacation time falls mainly in July and August, I am used to traveling during heatwaves. My current trip has seen me travel through three countries over seven weeks, and there has been a heat warning in place almost every single day. Temperatures have regularly topped 40° Celsius (104° Fahrenheit) and scientists suggest that is the new reality of summer travel.
If you’re like me and you don’t have the luxury of traveling outside the highest and hottest seasons, there are some simple things you can do to make traveling in high temperatures more comfortable. These tips and tricks are things I’ve picked up over many years of hot-weather travel, and I didn’t put these into regular practice I doubt I’d be able to travel at all.
Read through my recommendations below, and if you think I’ve missed any super-helpful tips for traveling during a heatwave please let me know in the comment box at the end!
1. Start Early and End Late
At home, I hit snooze three times (minimum!) before getting out of bed. But when I’m traveling during a heatwave I jump out of bed the moment I hear the first rooster crow, because I know that annoying little bird is signaling that this is the coolest time of day, and it’s only going to get hotter.
With a good weather app on your phone you can anticipate the hottest and coolest times of day, but generally speaking it’s coolest in the morning and evening, and hottest in the afternoon. So, you’ll want to make the most of the comfortable hours by getting a good start in the morning and scheduling action-packed evening as well.
That doesn’t mean you need to spend 18 hours sightseeing non-stop. Instead, choose a centrally-located hotel, or one with easy public transportation connections, so that you can come back to your room in the afternoon and…
2. Embrace the Siesta
Nobody is exactly sure where the idea of the siesta, or afternoon break, originates from. Taking a midday nap is mentioned in the Quran, so it’s not exclusively a Spanish concept. However, most historians agree that siestas by that name date back about 100 years, to a time when Spanish workers would take a break from laboring either due to economic or environmental conditions.
Personally, I was slow to adopt the siesta tradition. However, as global temperatures have risen and the afternoon heat has become more and more unbearable, I’ve started appreciating a quick break in my air-conditioned hotel room in the mid-afternoon. Rather than nap, I use my siesta time a few different ways:
- I elevate my legs for at least fifteen minutes. According to USA Vein Clinics, this promotes circulation, reduces pressure on your veins and helps with inflammation. Personally, it noticeably reduces how swollen my legs and calves feel after a lot of walking in the heat.
- I research and plan for the rest of the day and the upcoming days. An afternoon siesta is a great time to look into nearby restaurants and plan public transit routes for the next morning.
- I drink water and sports drinks (see below), or bring a cup of gelato back to the room to enjoy in the air-conditioning!
- And of course, since I’m a blogger, this is a great time to back up photos and write blog posts. Non-bloggers can back up photos, update social media, read a book written by a local author or write postcards to send home.
Of course, if you’re someone who likes to nap, sweet dreams! 😴
3. Hydrate Early and Often
People often say that by the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. That’s especially true when you’re traveling during a heatwave because you can get so caught up in the excitement and adventure of exploring a new place that you both forget to drink and push your thirst queues aside.
I start drinking water as soon as I wake up, as I always keep bottled water in my hotel room (unless the tap water is safe, of course!). I carry a reusable water bottle with me and fill it up every time I’m about to leave the room, so I don’t have to buy (very many) disposable plastic bottles during the day. At meal times, I always order water, and sometimes order an additional (but not substitute) beverage like wine, beer, iced tea or lemonade. And, as you guessed, I drink more water before bed, so I wake up feeling hydrated too!
I don’t just get hydrated from drinks, however! As a vegetarian traveler, I intentionally seek out fruits and vegetables that have a high water content. At breakfast, I load my plate with fresh cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon slices (I like to mix them with plain yogurt too). At lunch and dinner, I look for salads with lots of leafy greens that come topped with other vegetables like cucumber, bell peppers and celery.
4. Replenish Your Electrolytes
On a typical travel day I walk 20,000+ steps (according to my Fitbit) and often ascend the equivalent of 30 flights of stairs or more. When I do try to scale back the intensity of my exploring when I’m traveling during a heatwave, I’m still extremely active. And with that activity comes sweat, which can lead to a loss of electrolytes and eventually dehydration.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, electrolytes are necessary to ensure your body can process chemical reactions and maintain balanced fluid levels. If your electrolyte levels dip too low you might feel dizzy, confused, tired or nauseous – all feelings I’ve personally felt after pushing myself too hard without enough hydration on a hot day.
To ensure that my electrolytes remain balanced, I drink a sports drink (like Gatorade, Powerade or the local equivalent) during outdoor physical activity (even just walking!) on hot days. I’ve also started packing electrolyte tablets in my luggage so that if I can’t find a sports drink, I can easily whip one up with a plain old glass (or bottle) of water.
If you can’t find a sports drink and didn’t pack electrolyte tables, but suspect that you may be becoming dehydrated, most pharmacies will carry single-use packets of electrolyte powder. They’re usually intended for people suffering from diarrhea, and they may not taste amazing, but they will serve the same purpose.
5. Cover Up with Lightweight Clothes & Sunscreen
What’s worse than feeling overheated from the sun?
Feeling overheated from the sun when you’re also overheated from a sunburn.
It’s so important to protect your skin from the sun. Not only does it help prevent skin cancer and premature aging, but according to the UK’s NHS it can also help reduce the risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. They recommend wearing loose clothing in light colors; I would add that natural fibers like cotton and linen usually feel more comfortable than synthetics like polyester.
If you want to know what kinds of clothes I wear to protect my skin from the sun, check out my complete guide to sun-protection clothing for women travelers.
For any parts of your body that aren’t fully covered by your clothes, make sure to use sunscreen with a high level of SPF. I like the ones produced by French pharmacy brands, but don’t feel like you have to splurge on expensive or hard-to-find sunscreen. If there’s a local brand in your region that is both reputable (preferably tested and recommended by dermatologists) and affordable, go for that one!
6. Do the Inside Stuff Mid-Day
When you’re traveling during a heatwave, try to schedule your indoor activities for mid-day, when the temperatures are hottest and the sun is brightest.
For example, I might walk to a local park after breakfast and take some photos of the beautiful scenery. As the temperature rises I would then try to visit a museum or gallery, and then go for a late lunch in an air-conditioned restaurant, before returning to my outside adventures later in the afternoon. Similarly, if there was a local shopping mall I wanted to check out, I always go in the middle of the afternoon when the temperature is at its hottest (malls almost always have great air-conditioning!).
Scheduling your days like this will actually give you a more authentic look into the local culture, as you’re more likely to be at the boulangerie beside a father bringing baguettes back home for breakfast or on the subway beside a businesswoman going into work for the day. You’ll walk through the park when locals are walking their dogs before work, rather than when tourists are posing for selfies.
7. Walk Less
Speaking of walking, I love walking around new destinations when I travel. However, when you’re traveling in a heatwave, sometimes it’s smarter to choose an alternate method of transportation.
When I’m faced with the choice between walking a long distance in hot weather (likely with little shade too!) or hopping on a bus, subway or train, I will almost always choose the latter. This gives me a break from being in the hot sun and ensures that I arrive at my destination with the energy needed to enjoy it.
Last summer, I traveled in France during a heatwave. I was there for two full months, and I didn’t go in a car once – not one Uber, not one taxi, not one private vehicle. The public transportation system in France was fantastic.
However, this summer I’ve been in Portugal and Turkey during a heatwave, and because the public transportation network in both places is less robust, I’ve opted for several taxis and Ubers. Sure, I could walk two kilometers over cobblestones with my rolling suitcase in 38° heat (and I have!), but I could also pay €5 to make the same trip in a taxi and not arrive soaked in sweat.
8. Choose the Shady Option
Whenever I’m faced with multiple options for an activity or excursion, I always consider access to a shaded space and/or air conditioning in my decision-making.
For example, I was recently in Lagos, Portugal and I wanted to do a dolphin-watching tour. However, it was extremely hot and sunny during my visit, and I was worried about overheating and getting a sunburn. So, I researched all of the different dolphin watching tours in Lagos and compared the boats that they use, in order to find the one that would offer the most sun protection. In the end, I was able to spend four hours on the water without getting too hot or getting burned, and yes, we saw lots of dolphins!
I apply similar principals to hikes and outdoor activities. When I’m in Calgary, Canada (a city I often visit) I seek out hiking trails in well-forested areas, rather than along open ridges. Trees keep you cool in two ways: by providing shade, and also through the process of transpiration where they release moisture into the air. I might miss out on some of those unobstructed panoramic views, but I end the hike feeling a lot healthier (and I see more cute animals in the forests too!).
9. Go for a Swim
Going for a swim is not a safe treatment for heatstroke or heat exhaustion.
However, going for a swim is a nice way to cool down on a very hot day when you’re healthy but a bit uncomfortable.
If I know that I’m going to be traveling to a hot destination at a time when there’s a good chance of a heatwave (such as the Mediterranean in the summer), I will always try to book a hotel with a swimming pool or one that is located within easy walking distance of a beach that is safe for swimming. Of course this isn’t always possible, but it does factor heavily into my summer travel planning.
When I was in the South of France last summer I loved getting up in the morning and going for a swim before breakfast, and then having a second swim around sunset to cool down and refresh before getting ready for dinner.
Something you may not know is that if you go for a swim in cold water, it can have a continued cooling effect for more than half an hour after you get out of the water. This is called afterdrop, and while it can be potentially dangerous (especially when you swim in cold water in cold weather), personally I find it helps keep me feeling cooler for longer on a hot day.
10. Cool Down Your Room
I will always pay a little bit extra for a hotel room (or vacation rental) with air conditioning unless it’s absolutely not possible. However, out of respect for the property and the environment, I always turn off the air conditioning when I leave the room. Aside from the A/C there are several other ways to keep your hotel room cool:
- Close the blinds and turn off the lights. Keep as much light out as possible.
- Open windows in the morning and evening (when the air is cool).
- If there is a standing fan, turn it to blow hot air out and suck cold air in (and vice versa).
- Often, interior courtyard rooms are cooler because they get minimal sunlight.
- Rooms on lower floors tend to be cooler than rooms on upper floors (since hot air rises).
I’ve also found that some hotel rooms insist on using heavy bedding during the summer, even when there’s a heatwave outside. If you’ve been given a heavy duvet, don’t hesitate to remove it, store it and sleep underneath the empty duvet cover!
11. Respect All Fire Restrictions
The world has recently seen countless horrifying wildfires, with popular tourist destinations including Los Angeles, Maui, Rhodes and Canada’s Jasper National Park experiencing devastating fires. Sadly, many of these fires were caused by human activity such as throwing cigarette butts out of car windows, lighting campfires despite bans being in place, and the use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in bone-dry natural areas.
If you choose to travel during a heatwave, you have a responsibility to yourself, to others and to the planet to do everything possible to avoid making a bad situation worse. Check the area you’re visiting to see what restrictions and recommendations they have in place, and then follow them religiously. Err on the side of caution and avoid taking unnecessary risks, even if the risky activity isn’t outright prohibited at that moment.
If you’re traveling to an area that is prone to wildfires during summer heatwaves, have an emergency plan in place. Keep your passports, credit cards, medicine and other essential goods in a place where they will be easy to grab and go in case you need to evacuate quickly, and make sure you have a travel insurance plan that covers evacuation, trip interruption and damaged property due to natural disasters.
12. Cut Yourself Some Slack
At the end of the day, you can do everything right and still get knocked on your butt by the heat. Even when I follow all of my own advice, it’s rare that I spend a summer traveling without experiencing at least one day of heat exhaustion.
It’s important to listen to your body, take the time you need to rest, relax and recuperate, and not feel like you “wasted” a day when the heat just got to be too much. An afternoon at the hotel pool, a morning at an air-conditioned shopping mall or even an entire day in your air-conditioned Airbnb is actually an investment in the rest of your trip, as it ensures you’ll be healthy, happy and cool for the days ahead.
Having the opposite problem? Check out my guide to making the most of a rainy travel day!
And before you go, let me know in the comments how you handle the heat when you’re traveling during a heatwave.
Planning a summer trip? Pin this post for later!
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