kit9172

We are leaving from EWR to go to London and was wondering if leaving at night or in the morning is better. Leaving at night you arrive very early the next am and have the whole day ahead of you but if you leave in the am and arrive at night I would think you would avoid the worse of jet lag since you go to bed soon after getting to your hotel. Any help would be appreciated.

janisj

Some like overnight flights, some like the day flight. It is really personal preference. Many do find the day flight a bit easier since they arrive in the UK around time to go to bed.

Others like having a full day before them w/o losing sightseeing time.

It really mostly depends on how well you sleep on planes and how badly you suffer from jetlag.

soogies

I don't have a choice as to what time my flight leaves (they're all overnight from here) but I'd choose going early in the morning and arriving in time to go to bed.

I did that from JFK when I lived in the east. Of course, you are also lucky that your flight is also shorter than mine!

Have fun in England. Lovely place.

yk

I am a huge fan of the day flight. I've done that several times now and really much prefer this than the overnight flight.

The fact that I get to sleep in a real bed for an entire night means that I'm ready to go sightsee the next day well-rested.

The downside, obviously, is an extra night of hotel expense. And also, getting to the airport for an 8am or 8:30am international flight means getting up at 4:30am at home! (but it helps you sleep better that night)

The problem with overnight flight is:
1) Can you sleep well enough on the plane? (of course, better if you fly Biz or First)
2) The flight time is really too short for it to call a night's sleep. EWR-LHR is only 6 hours. By the time you get settled in, even if you skip all meals, you probably won't sleep for more than 5 hours max.

DalaiLlama

Depends on a few factors only you can answer. Are you a night owl? Do you ever go to bed really late, like 2AM during the week, and are you then able to function the next day? Some people need their 8 hours sleep or they're zombies, others can thrive on little sleep, so who are you?

Also: How long does it take you to get from home to EWR for check-in for a day flight? Does it mean getting up in the middle of the night, and how often do you do that, how well does that sit with you? If it's really early in the morning for you, and you're not used to this, there is a chance that you'll be really tired when you get to London and will be able to sleep even if it is way too early for your body clock.

You have to realize that evening in London is early afternoon for you - can you sleep if you go to bed by mid-afternoon? Sleep as in a good night's sleep, not just a nap and then tossing and turning?

An overnight flight robs you of many hours of sleep, but the excitement can carry you through the next day, and when you do crash you will really crash that first night.

Mull over these things and think about what might suit you best, only you can then decide.

spaarne

I have found that taking a late flight that corresponds more or less with my usual sleep time works best. I have a pasta and wine on the plane and snore on. No more jet lag. I just wish they wouldn't turn on the lights and serve breakfast while I am sleeping.

KayF

We've done lots of longhaul flights and much prefer to fly during the daylight and arrive at night if possible. That way you can have a sleep in a bed (though often we are awake at 3am due to jetlag) and wake in the morning refreshed.

That would be our choice.
Kay

Carolina

I far prefer flying from the US in the early morning and getting into London mid evening. I find that I have no jet lag when I do this and it can take me several days to feel normal if I fly at night.

travelgourmet

I much prefer the day flight. Unfortunately, for me, there is no way to make an onward connection to the places I need to go.

suze

From Seattle, the overnight flight is the only way to get you to Europe nonstop. The day routings you have to tranfer Chicago or New York, which I don't like to do.

pja1

Hi,

We also fly from EWR to Europe. I prefer the overnight flights. While I don't sleep much (an hour or two) on the flight, I always get my "second wind" when we leave the airport. After that, I'm ok and usually get to sleep around 9 or 10pm the first night in Europe. The next morning, I'm up early (I never am at home!) and fine with the time change and for the rest of the trip. Everyone's different.


Paul