I don't know about avoiding early morning plans the first day. If there was something going on at 3 AM, I'd be ready to go. And it does seem to be getting worse as I get older. We plan to stay several days in our arrival city, and we pick one with lots going on so we can choose activies/sights according to how we feel.

Sallyjane, go here: http://fodors.com/forums/smileys and find the face you want. Remember the keystroke sequence that produces it (<i>e.g.</i> <b>:)</b> is a normal smile) and type that in your post.

We flew from Dallas to Rome last May. Hope your connections are a bit closer than ours...we had a 6 hour layover in Zurich.

Anyway, I don't consider the feeling I have flying from the US to Europe &quot;jet lag.&quot; I consider it &quot;staying up all night.&quot; That's the way I feel because that's what I've done.

I learned during a trip to Germany while pregnant that if I don't drink a drop of alcohol on the flight, I do a lot better.

I am always fine...until about 6 pm. My advice is to plan to do easy, free stuff your first day in Rome...We saw the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and several churches, then had pizza and headed home. That way, if you are so zoned that you &quot;miss&quot; the attraction, you can always go back later in your trip. Also, plan on dinner close to &quot;home.&quot; In Paris, we got quite lost returning to our flat the first night, simply because we were so tired.

We beat the jet lag by getting to our destination and then going out for a nice long walk. I try to get on schedule by staying up the remainder of the day and going to bed at night.
Jet lag is never a problem when I reach my destination but I noticed that when I got home, it would really hit me. It finally occurred to me that when I get home, I kiss the dog and drop everything, including my body. So, the last time I came home from vacation, I took the dog for a nice long walk and stayed awake. The next day I was ready to go back to work.

I will give examples of the effects of jet-lag on my family from our Paris trip (7 hours diff). DW slept on flight, but napped for 3 hours once at Apt. then got up for rest of evening and went to bed around 11, but had continuing problems getting up all week.

Older son (25) stayed awake on flight and had alcohol. Took a 1 1/2 hour nap on arrival, went out at 9 p.m. and came home at 3 a.m. with minor ill effects (always last to wake anywhere).

Younger son (23) did as older brother, except napped for 4 hours upon arrival, had horrible time getting adjusted all week.

I could not sleep on plane, did not nap upon arrival, went to bed at 11 p.m. and woke the next morning at 6:30 with no ill effects the rest of the week.

The only common thread I've found in our experience is the nap upon arrival. I didn't and had no problems, son who took a short nap had minor problems, wife took longer nap and had more troubles and youngest son took longest nap had most troubles.

For what it is worth . . .

All this information from experienced folks is wonderful. I'm going from San Francisco (leaving in the a.m., so will have no problem getting up very early, if indeed I can sleep at all the night before)to Paris, and if I understand rightly, I should sleep as soon as possible because I arrive in Paris at 9:30 a.m. and I should try (gently) to put in a full day (perhaps a short nap, but nothing more). What is this homeopathic remedy that is being mentioned? I do know that I will be having a gin and tonic when I'm on the plane; nothing will prevent this, but I'd like to make up for it somehow.

Thanks, Robespierre! Too cool. Giving it a try.....
=D&gt; 8-)

I saw a documentary on this very topic. Scientists induced jet lag in lab rats and the experiment was to force the weary rats to do excercise -- the control group of rats was allowed to wallow in their fatigued, furry bodies. Anyway the conclusion was that the rodents who'd hit the treadmill were chipper little things, while the control rats were left feeling loagy. So here's my advice, once you arrive overseas -- force yourself to get some aerobic excercise, something about adrenalin triggering a miracle phermone that combats jet lag. Or just have a nap.

Or just get a chipper rat to do your touring while you lay in bed.

The following worked for me the last time I went to Paris from the US. I set my watch to Paris local time as soon as I boarded the plane in the afternoon and never attempt to figure out &quot;what time it is back home&quot; during the trip. I took a Lorazipam and went to sleep ASAP. Not good sleep as I am too cheap to splurge on first class so tossing and turning and cramped neck were all a part of the journey.

Arrived in Paris at 7am the following day, stayed up all day, hired a personal guide to keep me going, going, going, ate dinner at 9pm and was in bed at 11pm. No ill effects whatsoever.

I live in a pretty isolated city in Washington state, so going to Europe is really a long trip for me. It usually requires flying to Seattle or Portland to get an overseas flight, then a stop and plane change somewhere else in the States before flying to Europe. This makes for a really long journey.

Nevertheless, jet lag isn't too bad going east. We force ourselves to hit the road running when we arrive in Europe. No nap, but an early bedtime.

What is a problem is the jet lag when I return home. I find myself exhausted or wide awake at strange times for about a week after the trip.

We take melatonin pills found in the vitamin/nautral remedy section of the drugstore. We take one on the plane. Try to stay awake after we land until at least 7 or 8 that night, take another pill before going to bed. Then on the 2nd day we take one pill that night and are usually good.
When we come back we usually do the same thing but it's harder getting back in the swing of things when we get back.
Enjoy your trip!
Amy

Pegontherroad, you can fly non-stop from Seattle to London (with BA), Amsterdam (NW/KLM) and Copenhagen (SAS), and fron Portland to Frankfurt (Lufthansa). Maybe that will shorten your next journey.

Thanks Mirmar. I usually fly United/Lufthansa for additional frequent flyer miles, so I don't take the BA flight out of Seattle.

I did go from Portland direct to Frankfurt once. Definitely a shorter trip. Last year my sister made our reservations, and either I didn't make it clear that I wanted the non-stop from Portland on Lufthansa or else the flight wasn't available. At any rate, it was a looooong day.

..I am a nap person in the afternoon(overnight E Coast flight to Europe). But I am out on the street by 5ish and walk at least 2 hours. Then a big dinner and a glass of wine (2 maybe but never more). This works for me but it has been years to figure this out. I am convinced we are all different In the last 12 mo have been to India, Syria, Dubai, Korea, Europe about 6x and South America once with a trip to Mexico and Central America...maybe looking at this year's travel, I might be coming to the conclusion that my biological clock is so confused that I no longer suffer from jet lag...maybe just chronically fatigued!

I always try to sleep on the plane- going to sleep at what would be bedtime at home. Usually after the first movie- Tylenol PM and an eye mask help. Then we hit the ground running- no naps until bedtime at the destination. The best advice I have is to have some protein when you begin to fade- it will give you a second wind.

Jet lag hits me both directions of travel. However, it feels worse with east bound travel. I travel often between India and the USA (time difference of approx 10 hours)...it takes forever to recover travelling East...i have tried everything and have given up!!!

Hari

I fly from the West Coast of Canada to Europe every 3-4 weeks for the last two years and before that I flew from the East coast to Europe every 3-4 weeks for 8 years. I can only tell you what works for ME and MY body; everyone is different. My advice is:

- You may want to try some of the jet-lag “cures” available from your local health/vitamin shop: “NoJetLag” and Melatonin (sub-lingual) have worked for me

- Before you travel, take a course of Cold-FX – it’s a miracle! It has been available in Canada for a couple of years and I think its now available in the US. If not, you can order over the internet.

- If at all possible, don’t eat the food on the flight – you don’t know where its from, where its been, who’s touched it. What we DO know is that the catering company probably won the business based on price point above all other criteria. At home I eat organically grown/reared locally produced foods, prepared in my own very clean kitchen. I travel Business Class and yet I get a very bad reaction to the food that continues for several days. A few months ago I decided to eat a full meal at home before my flight so I don’t feel the need to eat on the flight. Suffice it to say that I no longer have the stomach problems.

- Don’t eat cheap white carbs (breads, pastries etc.) before, during or after the flight – you will pay for the sugar-rush. Bring a good “protein bar” or carry a bag of almonds with you in case you are assailed by hunger. Better: Eat lean protein and salads/veg at every meal for the first few days. The hotel breakfast buffet will offer a full table of sugary goodies, avoid them at the start of your trip and have an egg, cheese some lean ham. It really DOES make a difference to your energy levels and mood.

- Sleep or nap on arrival day, if and when you need it and forget about adjusting to the time change, just give in. DO NOT FIGHT THE NEED FOR SLEEP! Sleep is the great cure-all, unless you are under 25 years. Plan nothing important for day of arrival and very little for the following day so you can grab a nap if you need it. Wandering aimlessly, on foot, in the quieter areas in Rome is probably a good plan

- If you are a coffee drinker, try to reduce consumption before the flight and be careful when you arrive. Don’t forget the coffee there is about 1,000 times stronger (I exaggerate, of course) than what you are used to. Resist coffee after the evening meal for at least the first three days so you can get a good night’s sleep. If you get heart palpitations, you know you have had too much coffee. Try drinking tea instead, if you must have caffeine, but better to avoid it at all in the evening.

- Recognize there is a type of depression associated with jet-lag (YES, it DOES exist). It may manifest as a hot/cold flush, a nauseous feeling or disorientation, or an argument with your spouse over something trivial or disappointment with some fabulous site that you have longed to see all your life (which is why really important things should be reserved for day 3 or 4). Just recognize it for what it is: NO, you should not divorce your spouse and NO Rome is not just a squalid, dirty noisy city – you are just jet-lagged! If you DO get this strange and unjustified depression, then I suggest soaking in the bath for 15 minutes and reminding yourself how lucky you are to be in Rome and why you have NO reason to be depressed. Then kick yourself in the bottom and get on with the holiday.

- Drink as much water as you can. First shopping trip should be to the local shop to buy as many 1.5 litres of water you can carry. Try to drink a minimum of 2 litres per day. You may be taking more exercise than you would normally do at home and may not realize when you are dehydrated. If you NEED a drink of water, then you are already dehydrated – you have to keep drinking so you never get to that point.

- Try to avoid stress and crowds on the first and second day. If you can afford to pay for taxis, then take a taxi from the airport to your hotel. If you are out sightseeing on the first and second day, chose sites that are local, so you can walk to them. If you must take the metro and buses, then plan to do it off-hours when they are less crowded, or take taxi (not too expensive as long as you are not ripped off). Get small bills at the hotel so you don’t have to worry about counting your change.

- Get fresh air and exercise – stay outdoors for the first couple of days: Walk as much as you can and spend some time in the green spaces. The Borghese gardens are a delight!

- Plan your lunches and dinners for days 1 and 2, so you have a good impression of the wonderful food Rome has to offer. You will find wonderful recommendations from the Rome experts on this site. You may want to send an e-mail or phone the restaurants before you leave or ask your hotel to arrange a table. Alternatively, pick up a Panini for lunch and head to the Borghese Gardens. Also, don’t be afraid to admit that you are too exhausted to eat out, pick up a Panini and a bottle of wine, curl up in bed and get an early night.

Regards Ger

&quot;Or just get a chipper rat to do your touring while you lay in bed.&quot;
Thanks kenav, I haven't laughed that hard in a month.

For me, a short nap followed by some fresh air works wonders. But I'll definitely consider the rat thing.

Or pick up one panino for lunch and two panini for dinner?