The surprising reason to always book vacation rentals that have air conditioning

I travel to 20+ countries a year sharing my firsthand knowledge of reward travel, travel credit card deals, travel tips and more.

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Disclosure, visit this page.

First time American visitors to Europe are often surprised by how few hotels and vacation rentals have air conditioning. However, once you experience Southern Europe’s heat in the middle of the summer, you won’t make the mistake of not double checking whether or not your lodging has air conditioning.
Rose Garden Palace Hotel in Rome.
Some tourists have taken matters into their own hands. A post on social media went viral last month showing an American Airlines passenger at Miami International in line at the check-in counter carrying an air conditioning unit without a box. Supposedly, when the passenger walked up, the agent quipped, “heading to Europe?” You get the point.

A reader (thanks, Carleigh H.) sent in a tip about another surprising reason why you should make sure your vacation rental has air conditioning, besides just keeping you cool.

Here’s Carleigh’s story: “A group of three Americans were running a bit late but the guide called them and since they were right around the corner, we waited for them. There was a little conversation we overheard between them and the guide about how they had signed up as a party of four, but one person couldn’t make it.

Later during the long day with time for socializing at lunch and on the boat cruise, my friend and I asked these folks which person in their group hadn’t made it and why. One man spoke up and said that his wife had had a bad crash on an eBike, just a few hundred yards from the rental shop. She didn’t have any experience riding an eBike, but she thought Porto was the place to start. She spent the night in the hospital and was recuperating at the Airbnb while the others went on the tour.

But the man said that that wasn’t even the only bad thing that had happened to them. They had left the doors and windows open at night for fresh air at their Airbnb and someone had come in to rob them of their cash and credit cards during the night. The local police said it wasn’t the first time it had happened at that Airbnb either. Fortunately, the thieves only got cash and some credit cards. Their passports were out of reach.

So, here’s my tip: Always book an Airbnb with air conditioning, because it can get hot now at any time of year and for the reasons of safety, airflow, noise prevention, and mosquito control since most European windows do not have screens.”

If you’re looking for other ways to secure your hotel room or vacation rentals, check out this post.

KEEP READING:

–8 ways to save money on gas
–12 ways to save money on baggage fees
–A sneaky but effective way to save money on baggage fees
–The unsurprising way travel experts save money on food when traveling
–How to save money with a secret third carry-on