17 Tips For Staying Cool When Traveling in the Heat

Adding more travel to my life is a goal of mine right now. Some destinations are warmer than I would prefer but I don’t want that to stop me from getting out an seeing the sites and enjoying my time. Summer vacation is the easiest time of the year to travel but many destinations are HOT at this time of year. Some of my bucket list spots are always hot so there’s no way to avoid it. Some countries don’t use as much air conditioning as we are used to in the US.

A few of my best tips for staying comfortable when it’s HOT

Tip #1 – Plan around the weather. Check the weather forecast and schedule indoor sightseeing for the hottest days. This summer my son and I visited New York City for a week. We live in Arizona and our summers are warm, we’re not used to humidity. Humidity drains me. Most of our plans for the week were all things to see outside but we did want to visit at least one museum. We decided on the Guggenheim and the Natural History Museum. I checked the weather for the week and 2 days for at least 10 degrees warmer than the other days. So it was a no-brainer to schedule our museum visits for those days enjoying the air-conditioned indoor

Tip #2 – Enjoy a frozen treat or a cool drink. Find an ice cream shop or local coffee shop, take some time to relax and cool off in an air-conditioned place enjoying ice cream, iced tea or even a cold cocktail.

Tip #3 – Wear skirts or dresses. This is a trick I’ve learned living in Arizona. A cool, flowy skirt is so much more comfortable than shorts or pants. Bonus, you look a bit more dressed up and skirts and dresses often take up less room when packing.

Tip #4 – Cool fabrics. Natural fabrics like cotton or linen are coolest as they allow your skin to breath. Avoid thick heavy fabrics in dark colors, tight clothes. I’m a jeans girl, but when it’s hot you’ll find me wearing a cotton skirt.

Tip #5 -Hat or umbrella. Wearing a hat with a wide brim will keep the heat off your face. Choose a hat that of lightweight breathable fabric so your head doesn’t over heat. Visors work great too. Umbrellas are a great way to shield the sunlight too. Shielding the sun keeps you cooler and also helps to prevent sunburn.

Tip #6 – Sunscreen. This is a preventative measure that is so important. A sunburn will leave you feeling overheated and miserable. For traveling, I carry Neutrogena Sunscreen Stick in my purse – traveling with liquids over solids makes flying simpler and prevents messy spillage in a purse.

Tip #7 – Cooling towels. I discovered these during baseball season. Cool towels use evaporative properties to keep you cool. Wet the towel, wring, and drape over the back of your neck. I’ve purchased a pack of smaller cooling towels (40″x 12″) for traveling for those really hot days.

Tip #8 – Deodorant wipes. A great deodorant makes a world of difference in feeling fresh. Recently my favorite deodorant for the past 3 years stopped working. Yes, it can happen. I went back to my previous favorite which I had stopped using when it started to fail on me. Now I know every few years I need to switch. Living in Arizona, deodorant is important. I sweat. And I don’t like the feeling of sweaty pits and I don’t want to stink. Ever feel like you need a deodorant touch-up when you’re out an about? I found these individually wrapped deodorant wipes that are great to through in a bag. Especially useful pool or beach days when I don’t have a chance for a full shower and access to my toiletries.

Tip #9 – Refresh Wipes. Feeling all sweaty and overheated but still have more sightseeing ahead of you? Refresh wipes are great to cool your body down, make you feel refreshed and ready to explore. Love that they’re individually wrapped and easy to throw in a purse.

Tip #10 – Walking sandals. Sandals are my preferred shoe when it’s hot but if you try to walk the city in cheap flip flops your body will be hating you. High-quality sandals like Keens, Clarks, or Tevas are a great solution.

Tip #11 – water bottle. Carry a water bottle with you so that you’ll stay hydrated throughout the day. Bottled water at some tourists destinations can be very pricey. There are a few brands that collapse when they’re empty – A Que Bottle is on my wish list. Another great option is the water bottles with the built in filters like the Brita Filter on the Go water bottles.

Tip #12 – Face powder. I sweat a lot when its hot. I don’t want to feel or look sweaty so face powder is essential. Especially since when traveling we take a lot of photos and I want to look good (instead of a sweaty mess!)

Tip #13 – Body powder. Another essential. Powder is great to avoid boob sweat (nobody wants that pool of sweat that can accumulate in your bra). Also useful on your thighs if wearing a dress and you want to avoid chafing.

Tip #14 – Dry shampoo. Dry shampoo is great at absorbing sweat and helping you to look refreshed. When it’s hot I carry a small bottle in my purse. Most are aerosol but I found a powder-based one that is great when traveling with liquid restrictions on flights.

Tip #15 – travel light. Light purse or suitcase. Lugging around a heavy purse or large suitcase will just cause you to overheat. Pack light and go with a suitcase with wheels that work great. If you check out of your hotel but have extra time to sight-see, leave your bags with the hotel front desk. Or some cities have places to check luggage. Don’t carry a large purse or heavy backpack. Op instead for a lightweight cross body purse or cute fanny pack (they’re back in style, right?).

Tip #16 – Start your day early. Get up and early in the day to avoid the hottest part of the day. Midday, go back to your hotel room for a nap and then you’ll be ready to go once the sun goes down.

Tip #17 – Take a hop on hop off bus tour. I took my first hop on hop off bus tour with Big Bus Tour this summer in San Francisco and LOVED it. These buses travel around cities with set locations where you can get off, explore and then hop on the next bus. The bus was open air on top and enclosed below. Riding on top was a great way to see the city without getting off. Limiting the amount you need to walk or seeing from the bus top is a great way to stay cool!