London in the summer with kids: The best ways to stay cool and beat the heat

In many parts of the world air-conditioning is fitted as standards in hotels and homes let out as Airbnbs. This is not the case in London. London’s traditionally mild climate means many buildings were constructed without cooling systems. Even newer establishments may lack adequate air conditioning due to the relatively brief warm season. However, summer temperatures in recent years have increasingly reached uncomfortable levels, often climbing into the high 20s or low 30s Celsius, which can make bedrooms stifling for families, leading to a poor night’s sleep and tired and grumpy people. If air-conditioning is a must for your family, do check when booking your accommodation.

Although London can and does have periods of intense heat, these often don’t last long and are unpredictable. For the most part, London summers are relatively pleasant and are much milder than many other cities in Europe.

Even if your accommodation doesn’t have air conditioning, you’ll likely be fine as most Londoners live in accommodation without air conditioning and survive. There are some adjustments you can make though to make the heat more tolerable:

• Keep curtains and blinds closed during the day;
• Open windows only when there’s a decent breeze and it’s cooler outside than inside;
• Once the sun goes down, open all windows and curtains to maximise airflow and, if your accommodation allows, create cross-ventilation by opening windows on opposite sides of the room or apartment;
• If you need something over you when you sleep but the duvet is too much, remove it from its cover and just use the cover;
• Buy a fan if your accommodation doesn’t provide one. These can usually be bought relatively cheaply in Central London from Argos or Robert Dyas.

Choose cooler modes of transportation

When travelling around London during summer with children, selecting the right transport options can make a significant difference to comfort levels.

As with accommodation, London’s transport network was not built with heat in mind. Therefore, most of the transport network lacks air-conditioning.

Walking

If you can walk to your next destination, this is often the most pleasant way of getting about London in the middle of a heat wave. Walking means that you benefit from any breeze and can often walk in the shade of buildings or trees. This Tube map shows how long it takes to walk between London Underground stations.

Buses

A range of different models and styles of buses make up the London bus fleet. But a common feature is that air conditioning is not provided in the passenger sections of non-electric buses. There is a mechanism for air cooling that is available on the top floor of all double deck buses and, for newer vehicles, on both decks of double deck buses and single deck buses. However, this is not the same as air conditioning and is not as efficient at cooling buses. Testing showed that on double decker buses it reduces air temperatures by five degrees Celsius from 35C. 

New electric buses do have air conditioning and the temperature on all buses both single and double decker is set at 15 degrees Celsius.

Underground, Overground and DLR

The London Underground is rather mixed when it comes to air conditioning.

The deep-level tube lines including the Central, Northern, Piccadilly, Bakerloo, and Circle lines can get swelteringly hot in summer. They are also some of the smallest trains. This means that at busy times you will be hot and also crammed in.

The only Underground lines with trains that have air-conditioning are the Hammersmith & City Line, District Line, Circle Line and Metropolitan Line. These trains are also larger and more spacious.

Although not technically a Tube line, the Elizabeth Line also has air-conditioning and the trains are spacious.

London Overground trains either have air conditioning or air cooling. These trains tend to be cooler than Tube trains in any event as they run either overground or only just below the surface and so benefit from fresh air.

The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) trains are not air-conditioned (although new ones will be). But as the trains run overground, they tend not to get as hot as Tube trains in any event.

When planning routes with kids, prioritise those modes of transport that are cooler or offer air conditioning. This will ensure that everyone remains as cool and comfortable as possible during your London adventure.

Pack things to help keep you cool

When packing for London in summer with children, certain items can transform uncomfortable moments into manageable ones, especially when navigating the city’s notoriously warm transport system and crowded attractions. Other than having appropriate clothing and sun hats, consider packing the following items.

Fans

Portable fans are essential. For power, consider battery fans that you can hold. For example, try this handheld rechargeable fan (affiliate) which folds down small for convenience or this one (affiliate) which is bulkier but which has enclosed ‘blades’.

Alternatively, fans that you can hang around necks (like this neck fan (affiliate)) leave your hands free for other things so are handy for grappling with small children and everything they come along with.

If you can’t bear the thought of having to recharge another device or don’t want the bulk, traditional paper fans (for example, folding paper fan (affiliate)) take up minimal luggage space while providing instant relief.

Cooling towels

Increasingly popular, cooling towels (affiliate) are a great way to stay cool. Soak them in water, wring out and then ‘snap’ them to activate a nice cooling sensation (repeat as necessary).

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Hang them around your neck, use them to cool off with or wrap them around your wrist as a cooling pulse point. These often come in handy sealable pouches so you don’t have to worry about carrying around a wet towel when not in use.

Water bottles

Packing water should be obvious in summer. Although shops in London are readily available so you can buy water on the go, it is usually better to carry at least some water with you for those times when you are not able to get to a shop, like on public transport.

If your accommodation has a fridge in it, buy plastic water bottles from your nearest grocery store and leave them in the fridge then decant these into insulated metal water bottles when you go out. The water will stay deliciously chilled for much longer than it would in a plastic bottle. If you have a water bottle with a wide enough neck, you can also pop in ice cubes to keep your water cool for longer)

In addition to water bottles to drink from, consider buying a small spray bottle (like these (affiliate)) that can be filled with water. Use this to mist hot faces and also to cool down hot surfaces (like seating).

Plan your itinerary carefully

If you are visiting London during the peak of summer or a period of high temperatures, careful itinerary planning can be a life-saver when it comes to staying cool.

Start your days as early as possible (bearing in mind opening hours of attractions). Visit busy tourist attractions before midday. This means that you will see them at the coolest part of the day before you are frazzled by the heat.

If you can, try to schedule indoor activities at air-conditioned, temperature-controlled or cooler venues during the hottest parts of the day or take some time out to have a little break.

Across London there are various places where public water fountains act as splash pads and informal child entertainment. Some of the most well-known include those at Somerset House, those at Granary Square in King’s Cross and those at the Southbank Centre, but you can find others dotted throughout the city.

These can be a refreshing place to spend some time and an effective way of cooling down. Make sure you pack a change of clothes for small children and maybe a small towel for drying off (microfibre towels (affiliate) pack down small and are light for carrying around).