Not looking forward to the next couple of days. We’re driving up through France with temperatures touching 40. Tuesday late afternoon we will be queuing at St Malo port, which has NO facilities. So we will just be stuck in the car in this heat, with Rona in the back.
We’ll be taking extra windscreen protectors, to envelope the car, loads of water, portable fans, chill box with ice packs.
Any suggestions for what else we could do or take to help keep us all reasonably cool?
A friend told us to sleep under a dampened towel instead of a blanket. Could you wet a couple of towels and put them into a coolbag, ready for use?
damp towel in a cooler bag is a good tip - we use linen sheets at night - no more cosy blankets for a while.
if you have a battery operated fan- direct it to a damp sheet… it helps a little but in a hot car could create a sauna effect.
if you can, buy a few bags of frozen peas - when you get very very hot - put one on your neck & head
Cooling mat for the dog - freeze it before you set off. Should still be cool when you are at the harbour.
Cooling mat is a good idea. I’m travelling to Cherbourg on Friday with my dog so I am a bit worried. I think I will buy some ice if any is still for sale. I have some friends with an ice machine if not. I can use my 1kw powerbank with an electric fan. Cherbourg has the building adjacent at least. If it really is too bad I will abort the trip if I have to……..(don’t want to go anyway….
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We buy cheapier aerosols of spring water and spray Tommy with that. He doesn’t like it all that much (our last dog loved being sprayed) but it works, especially on their heads.
I’m supposed to ne heading to UK by train on Tuesday for my niece’s wedding. Eurostar is trying to put people off which doesn’t bode well, and the metros at either end are always hot so may be a cauldron. Not looking forward to the journey.
Wish I had an owner like you to pop me on a cool mat and hold fans in front of me,
Well, congratulations to your niece on her wedding, I’m sure it will be much joyful and fun! (No one ever really wants it to rain at weddings - do they?)
The tube will be grim - met office is showing 37, bbc (ever the conservative) 33. Take care.
PS someone in my french class came back from Versailles on TGV Thursday - air con was broken! Hope yours is all OK.
Try not to get there too early. If you’re on the overnight crossing they normally start boarding fairly early so you shouldn’t have to wait too long. I’ve done that crossing a couple of times, think departure time is 20.30 and they started boarding about 18.00 (as far as I can remember 
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A bit late but these fans work really well as a backup in a car or motorhome on a long journey.
2 speeds, quite powerful and will run all through a very, very long day on 1 battery charge.
100406365 is the product number and currently cheaper than they have been
How did it go, @SuePJ ?
As said elsewhere, on the drive up to Saint Malo it was 42 virtually all the way. So Saint Malo itself was a delight - a mere 32 with a breeze off the sea. We took @tim17 ‘s advice re boarding and arrived bang on 7pm and were relieved to find we boarded almost immediately. The crossing was lovely and cool. Getting through Portsmouth passport control was a bit painful - the car thermometer went up to 39. The stuff I had ready for St Malo has come in useful this side as it’s been a shock to find just how hot our lovely new house is. As well we’ve found out now - hopefully we can get some air conditioning installed, like the Qlima we have in our gîte bedrooms.
So hot I can’t sleep so have been watching videos of the Niagra Falls. Remarkably cooling!
It’ll make you want to pee 
I spent over 5 years of my life trying to get better sustainable buildings standards for new builds in the UK. There are so many new builds that have focused on reducing winter energy consumption and sealed the home to stop air leakage without thought of increasing summer heat. You will probably have a small VMC to stop you suffocating, but no natural way of venting heat?
Do you have shutters? An external awning? What’s in the roof space? Before immediately heading to a clim unit think about how to stop heat getting in, as in a new build once it’s in then very hard to get it out!
Shutters in the UK not possible mostly as the windows open out, something maybe that should alter to allow for shutters and electric fitments and help the fire brigade too as UK windows are a pain when they have to climb a ladder and deal with the window coming outwards.
More recent UK houses are generally very poor at staying cool, designed for solar gain, and if insulated, then even worse. A reversible heat pump would be a good investment, but the problem, a little like being ready for snow, is that it may not be needed most of the year if at all.
Our UK flat has internal shutters.
Put a damp t shirt or two in the fridge before you leave and keep them in the cool box in the car. If you’re getting a bit warm sneak a cold one on.
I’m not sure a heat pump is what my hubby is talking about, but we are purchasing an air con unit that is also an electric heater. We would only use either mode if absolutely necessary.
I’m currently renovating a 1930’s house which is surprisingly cool even when the outside temps are in the 30’s.
