Underhill

A short nap works for us, then a walk before dinner.

annhig

hi, maitai,

when travelling in europe [from the UK] I don't much are what time I arrive so long as it's daylight - I hate arriving in the dark!

going home, i like to leave after breakfast - that bit of the last day before you leave always seems to me to be "dead" time - I'd rather be on my way home.

Travelling to the US, i haven't got it right yet. Each time we've arrived in the early evening, so nearly bedtime for our bodies, and each time we;ve forgotten how bad this was.

the first time was the worst - us and DD, then aged almost one, picking up our hire car in toronto and driving up to kingston - we exited from the hire car pick up onto the biggest highway we had ever seen, 18 lanes, with screaming baby in the back. It still brings on the shakes just thinking about it.

if you arrive at 8pm you wil not have wasted a day of vacation, - surely you can just extend at the other end!

regards, ann

MelissaHI

SharonG, would that then be called "Evil Amy's Death March?"

I come from Hawaii so it takes me 18-21 hours to get to Europe. Amazingly, it takes me this long or longer to get to Florida!! Anyway....once I'm in Europe, the time difference from home is 12 hours. So my body clock is already screwed. Now that I'm used to it, I prefer hitting the ground running if I can.

I have arrived in Europe in the evening just a couple of times, and didn't care for it. I think it was just a little disconcerting arriving in a new place where you can't see so well because it's dark, and knowing that most places are closed so you couldn't really start to enjoy the vacation till the next morning.

I wants what I wants, and I wants it NOW!

Pausanias

Even in my teens, I never hit the ground running. In countries other than France, I check into my hotel -- which is almost always ready well before Check-in time -- nap, shower and spend a low-key afternoon and evening. In France, since my hotel is never ready early, I drag myself around a few hours, have a light lunch, attempt to check-in, fall asleep in the lobby . . . then get my nap and late afternoon stroll.

Next day I'm better.

KTtravel

I'd go with the first flight option as you have only one connection to make which is one less connection to go wrong (delayed or cancelled flights, luggage problems, etc.) than your second choice.

maitaitom

Upon further review, I am going to try the one stop in London method, add a day to Prague and delete a day somewhere else later in the trip. It was settled when I was told this story a couple of days ago.

I have friends who who were flying from San Francisco to Rome (via Philadelphia) a couple of weeks ago. Of course, bad weather diverted the plane to Pittsburgh, and by the time they got to Philly, the Rome flight had left. She and her daughter spent the night in the Philly airport, took a train to New York the following morning and lost their first day in Rome.

sandi_travelnut

I never nap. We usually arrive in Europe around 10am and we don't stop doing "stuff" until at least 10pm. If I try to nap, I'm in more of a fog than if I don't nap.

toedtoes

Maitaitom - good plan. If I'm connecting somewhere, I always try to make sure there is at least one flight later than the one I'm planning on catching. That way, if I miss my connection, I at least have a chance of getting on the next flight and not sitting in the airport for the night.

marigross

I like overnight flights since I do sleep on the plane. I love arriving early and not being cheated out of a precious vacation day.

I plan 'mild' activities for that first afternoon. Nothing that involves the steady humming of a motor or the gentle rolling of waves.

OTOH, anything that minimizes connections is good!

scatcat

I hit the ground running. Never napped in my life either at home or on trips. I always have an overnight flight. If I'm lucky enough to get upgraded to business, I can sleep a little.

micheskis

Coming from the east coast, generally arrive sometime in the morning, having usually slept on the plane a few hours. I have lunch local time even if I'm not hungry, to adjust to the new time. After lunch, check into my hotel, shower, and nap from about 3-6pm local time. I then have a normal dinner and a normal bedtime. This cures jetlag for me.

tower

Maitai:

We experimented within this question for many years..and finally adopted the method which seemed to serve BOTH of us best...that is whenever we arrive at the first destination we immediately change our whole demeanor to the local time of day or night.

On European trips we usually try to take a Lufthansa flight from L.A. (a
United Partner..alliance) which arrives in Frankfurt at late morning...then a short connecting flight to wherever we're heading. Most continental Luft. flts.are between one and two hours, so we can arrive at say, Rome, by mid afternoon...we do not nap...but hit the streets and go to an early dinner...always try walking back to hotel within a reasonbable distance...and try to stay up until 10..then a full night's sleep...neither of us suffer any jet lag symptoms with this method...even worked it out to fit our Beijing flight from L.A/ San Fran a few months ago..and return from Tokyo.
(and we're no youngsters..by far!)

But as some have pointed out, correctly so, it differs between humans...luckily DW and I found the one system within
which we could both work.

Going directly south to SA, which we both love, the jet lag problem greatly diminishes, when the time difference is no more than 3 hrs. for us. Same thing going to BC, directy north.

Maitai...you guys are very experienced
travelers and I'm sure you have experimented..you've prbably even considered leaving a day earlier than planned...to take care of that day loss.
If it's a "boss" problem, remember my rant in another thread.."tell him/her that you are leaving work a day earlier...don't ask"!
He'll gulp and nod at the same time! And the job will be waiting for you when you return.

Stu T.

Happy travels to two of my favorite trip-report posters!

maitaitom

"If it's a "boss" problem, remember my rant in another thread."

Thanks Stu for the nice words. Unfortunately, since I am co-owner of two companies, I just yell at myself (which can be kind of fun sometimes).

I also stay up until about nine or ten the first night. On one of my first trips to Europe, I took an afternoon nap the first day, and it killed me for a few days.

I have AA Frequent flyer miles (wish I had Lufthansa because their flight gets into Prague a lot earlier and I like the frankfurt option instead on London.....but).

Elainee

Definately NAP!!! Love that nap (and early bedtime as well) and then I am fine for the rest of the trip. More so for Asia than Europe where we can often take the dayflight. Dayflights are even better.

scrb

I prefer nonstop SFO-CDG. But it means I get into Italy or Spain or some other country around 2-4 PM in the afternoon.

I also prefer to fly out on a Saturday, so I don't have to take an extra vacation day or two to fly out on a Thurs or Fri.

But that means I arrive on a Sunday afternoon, when some stores and restos are closed.

But in Western Europe, in the summer, you have day light until at least 8:30 PM, so the day isn't wasted.

If it does get dark, there are restos open and still things to see.

No nap, I force myself to acclimate to sleeping at GMT for a week or two-week trip.

The non-stop flight to Europe is the shortest flight time (time in air plus any layovers) from the West Coast. When you return you also return around noon too.

Travelerjulie

Hit the ground running. We found a great flight to Paris thru IcelandAir that allows us to leave on a Friday after work getting in to CDG around 1 PM, so we still have most of the day Saturday, our first full day of vacation in Paris. Coming back we leave at 2 PM, which means only the morning in Paris, but home in time for work on the following Monday.

Linda431

I used to hit the ground running but alas, those days are over.

Nowadays, I hit the ground groggy & bleary eyed. We're forced into the early A.M. arrival so we usually try to get some caffeine going, then take a walk, eat lunch, and crash for a nap. (2 hours is max for the nap...any longer and it takes forever to readjust.)

Then we get cleaned up for dinner, walk a bit either before or after, back to the room and take a sleeping pill. Next day we're totally over the jet lag.

For some reason, it doesn't work so well in reverse. It takes me about a week to revert to normal after we get home. Maybe it's just having to cook, clean, do laundry.....

maitaitom

For the trip home, we always come back Saturday because it gives us a day and a half to get things in order.

Linda, interestingly in my younger days, my jet lag was always tougher on the way over. Recently, it hits me hardest once I return. Of course, it might have to do with all the dreams I have about where I have traveled and wishing i could still be there.

halfapair

I prefer to arrive in the morning. I can get to my hotel in the daylight hours, refresh myself with a shower, tkae a walk around the neighborhood and take a nap.

After a nap it's time to explore some more & get some dinner. Finish unpacking and then sleep through the night.