Driving through France at the beginning of July and trying to work out the best way to keep the car cool as it doesn't have air conditioning.

The plan is to use a couple of those mesh sun shields on the side windows and one on the rear windscreen and have the windows open at the front. Will a 12v fan help to keep things cool too?

Otherwise are these ceramic heater / coolers any good?

http://www.buyasyoufly.com/736/product_detail.html

Will a 12v fan help to keep things cool too?

The car should come with one already built into the dashboard…. 😈

Otherwise are these ceramic heater / coolers any good?
It's a fan with a heater. In summer you just don't turn the heater on.

I think your original plan sounds fine.

does your car not blow cold air when you turn the dial to blue …

Mate, its France not the bloody Sahara. If the heat is such an issue (very young children??) why go somewhere you reckon will be hot?

Windows down job done.

Plan sounds fine. Drink lots of fluids and have some wet wipes in the car. At least that's my parents did when dragging me round Europe as a kid.

P.S. Try not to be wearing shorts in a car with leather upolstery. Child cruelty!

You could wrap your car in a big, damp cloth?

Big block of dry ice on the back seat? 8)

Earplugs for when the wind roar starts to give you a headache. Sun glare and windows open on the payage for many many hours equals headaches.

Ice packs between your legs an wet towels draped over your head should do it.

Occasionally close the windows and turn the hearer to full until the last one in the car can stand the heat no more. This gives you an entertaining game to pass the time and the normal warm air out side feels refreshingly cool.

We went to France last August. It was over 38 degrees in places. What we found worked well was the sunroof tilted open, the sunroof blind closed and the blowers on full whack. And going fast.

The tilted sunroof lets the hot air out. A coolbox on the back seat with some cold drinks in it is nice, but they don't stay cool for long in that weather.

We did it with our young kids loads of times.

It was only the long tunnels from France to Italy that got really hot.

Windows open, or driving through the night are favourites.

A 12v socket powered one would.

Done France for our last 3 holidays in the car & wouldn't fancy it without AC tbh.As for open the windows – Toll roads for several hours at ahem/cough MPH & you'd all be deaf……The car bloody drank fuel with it on too……
Don't forget to keep everyone's high-vis jacket inside the car & not in the boot…

Done France for our last 3 holidays in the car & wouldn't fancy it without AC tbh.As for open the windows – Toll roads for several hours at ahem/cough MPH & you'd all be deaf……The car bloody drank fuel with it on too……
Don't forget to keep everyone's high-vis jacket inside the car & not in the boot…

We did the Alps with the windows open (air con failed before going) and had no problems with being deaf. We were only doing 60-70 though I suppose.

A 12v socket powered one would.

Would it? They generally use a Peltier device and the specs state a relatively poor temperature differential – I think it's around 10°C.

The proper ones with compressors in are a different beast entirely, and a lot pricier.

We did the Alps with the windows open (air con failed before going) and had no problems with being deaf. We were only doing 60-70 though I suppose.

We drove down to the south of France,780 mile. I wouldn't have fancied the windows open for all that time & don't suppose the 3 kids in the back would have liked it much either……

We got a dashboard mounted fan when we used to do this, and it helped a lot. Mainly because – get this – it blew air AS WELL as the built in one..! So there was MORE air moving!

It was a lot quieter than having the windows open too.

Every wears VESTS and shorts. You'll be fine!

A nice refreshing glass of liquid nitrogen should cool you down, brrrrr

If you're traveling South, try and do most of your driving in the morning. When travelling North, try and do more in the afternoon. That way, assuming you're driving a RHD car, you're on the shady side more. I find this makes quite a difference.

SB

Try some Magicool – cooling spray …..

Hire a car with a/c for the week?