Eastie

This question is mostly about jet lag. I am taking a survey for a psychology class I teach, as well as using the information myself. Here is my question......assuming you arrive in Europe around 3PM local time, and you have flown from North America...particularly the West Coast.....what do you do after checking into the hotel? I usually never take a nap, but my wife can't believe that it is possible to plug right into local time and continue being active. I guess in Greece it might be possible to take a nap for a few hour and go out to eat late at night. What do other people do?

Pweesey

if you get into Europe at 3 p.m. you're a lucky couple, because you only have to stay up several hours to adapt. I would caution heavily against taking a nap at that point. Stay awake 6 hours, get a great night's sleep, and you should be close to fine the next day.

A nap will likely last a lot longer than expected. The worst thing that could happen is you wake up at 8 or so, and then you're in no-man's land. You won't know what day it is or whether it's 8 a.m. or p.m. Your next couple of days could be compromised by this. I did that in Australia (when I was only 18 and should have been flexible) and it messed me up for several days.

All I read says to adapt to the time of day of the locale, and that has worked for me perfectly every time. It's a lot more challenging when you arrive at 7 a.m. (like I will in Zurich in July) than 3 p.m., but make your best effort. If you HAVE to take a nap, make it as short as possible.

Now you mentioned Greece, which is a little different depending on where you are and what time of year it is. In Mykonos, for example, nothing happens until 10 or 11 anyway and everyone stays up until 2. If you're not partying too hard (am I being too presumptuous that you aren't given you're a psych prof?), then the normal rules of much of Europe apply. Yes, you'll eat later, but I still wouldn't risk a nap.

I also absolutely love waking up early in Europe and taking in the city before the crowds arrive. An early morning run/walk in Florence, for example- with virtually no one in sight- is fantastic. Better to tough it out and go to bed a little early than nap and carry the jet-lag over a few days.

Anway, that's too much info, but I've had some wine and am spending the evening planning the trip. Have fun.

rickmav

We put our watches to the time it is at our destination when we board the plane. My husband is able to sleep while flying overseas, I can't, which is good because he is the one that drives.

When we arrive, we try not to drive more than three hours. We never take a nap right away or we're messed up for days. We walk as much as possible, preferably in the sunshine. We try and have dinner at the same time people would in whatever country we are in. We try and stay up as late as we possibly can without forcing it.

Over the years, we've learned that sometime during the night we'll wake up and be hungry - I have no idea why - probably has something to do with eating at home about that time. We always stock up on fruit, juices, chocolate, milk, cheese - whatever we can. We munch, talk a bit, then go right back to sleep and always wake up at 7-8 a.m. feeling refreshed. And never have trouble with jet lag.

May sound a bit strange but works for us.

LoveItaly

Hi Eastie, that is exactly the time I am always suppose to arrive in Venice after arriving from the westcoast of the US (SFO). That is if the Italian's are not on strike for so many hours, LOL.

What I always do once I am settled in is unpack. The I take a good long hot shower and get dressed. I then walk outdoors and have some wine and have dinner around 8:30pm to 9:00pm. Then I go to bed between 11:30pm to midnight (Italian time). The same time I tend to go to bed at home. And wake up at 7:00am, the same time I usually wake up at home. That seems to do it for me. BTW, I do not sleep very well on planes. When I leave SFO I set my wristwatch for Italian time (9:00 hours ahead). For some reason that seems to help. And on some days while in Italy I will take a siesta around 4:00pm for an hour, something I never do at home.

I do not eat a lot the day I am flying. I do not eat much on the plane. I try to dress as comfortably as possible but in a way that looks appropriate. I just mentally gear myself up the day before the flight that the entire travel time, going to the airport, going through security, waiting to board, the flight, whatever may have problems. If not I am pleased. If there is I am not surprised.

I mention this as my personal feeling is that perhaps a lot of people have jetlag due to the stress of flying. But maybe I am wrong.

I tend to have a personality that "rolls with the punches". Does that have anything to do with lack of jetlag? I really don't know but I personally think so.

LoveItaly

Well, it sounds like everyone that has posted so far has more or less the same routine to avoid jet lag!!! See how smart we Fodorites are.

kswl

The way I prevent jet lag is to try to get on the new schedule before I leave. Once on the plane I am exhausted and fall asleep about 7 pm, and sleep until we land. Once up, it's gallons of coffee and a planned activity--no unpacking, no "I'll just sit here on the edge of the bed for five minutes," no baths. I have to have tickets or reservations for something to keep me away from that room. Then after that first night I am fine.

Eastie

I should add one of my own stories here. Several years ago I used to bicycle through several countries in Europe, during the summer both with friends and solo. One of my last trips, way back around 1989 was from The Alsace region of France to the Med....I had to convince my friends that it wasn't totally crazy to start bicycling the first day...around 4PM for about 40 miles. I had to push hard to have my way with this..but we did have a beautiful 40 mile ride through the wine country...ending at a charming hotel around 10PM. It was getting dark late as it was June 21. The innkeeper prepared a pasta meal for us....we slept well and we were fit to go the next day. About 10 days later we arrived on the French Riviera. I know the exercise and sunlight helped. I do like hearing what others do, which is why I asked.

Marilyn

If I arrive mid-afternoon I can usually stay awake until around 10pm. Arriving in the morning is a lot more difficult. If I've slept well on the plane (3 cheers for Ambien), I can sometimes make it to dinner, but if I'm really exhausted I sometimes succumb to the temptation to have a nap. In that case, it's critical to get up, go out, have dinner, and go back to sleep at a "normal" time.

But I think there are a lot of variables you aren't considering. Coming from the west coast gives you 3 additional hours of time difference, for example. I find it also depends on what I'm doing once I land. If I'm staying with friends, I have little choice but to adapt to their schedule immediately.

The problem I usually have after the first night is that I wake up around 3-4am and have trouble getting back to sleep. I usually take some melatonin the first few nights, which seems to help.

Tiff

Hi Eastie,

I find that I always do much better if I arrive in any city around the 3, 4pm time. Even if I travel here in the states, if it is at least a 3 hour flight, I always have less 'lag' if I plan a 3, 4 pm approx. arrival time.

I like to get settled, unpack, clean up and get refreshed, go out somewhere for a nice dinner, a good walk outside if possible, then get a good night's sleep.

I always then wake refreshed the next day, ready to go, no jet lag.

If I arrive in the early morning, it just kills me and by 2 or 3, I need a nap! And then that messes me up for sleep that night, and the subsequent days that follow.

Anywhere I travel, whether it's to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Italy, any flight longer than 3 hours, I always look at the ARRIVAL time, not my departure time.

That's the ticket for Tiff!

WillTravel

I fly from the West Coast and typically arrive in the afternoon - sometime between nooon and 4 PM. I stay awake as late as possible the first night - often until midnight. I go out for as long a walk as possible and eat something, but usually don't do anything in particular.

In general, it's always been easier for me to stay awake than it is to fall asleep. Which tends to make me a night owl.

J62

My routine is similar to other posters. Get as much sleep as possible on the plane (usually means eating dinner before boarding and passing on the airplane meal).

Upon arrival get some good exercise. Swim a mile, walk 2 or 3, or bike 40. I don't mean a brief stroll around the block - get some real mind clearing exercise.

Do not take a nap. Ever. I do whatever I can to stay up till local bed time, take a hot shower then crash till morning.

nytraveler

Well - our answer is different - since we're coming from the east coast - so we usually land around 6 or 7 am and get to the hotel by 8/9am.

We usually take a nap to make up for some of the lost sleep on the plane - freshen up and go out for lunch around 2pm - then walk, explore perhaps see one sight, light dinner perhaps at 7/8 and an early night.

By day 2 we're pretty much back on schedule.

Desert_Sue

I take a sleep aide and get as much sleep as I can on the flight over. We arrive in the morning and do our best to stay up all day. After sitting for 8-10 hours, we like to get out and walk around to check out the neighborhood. We change our watches before we land to force ourselves to adapt. It's usually an early evening on that first day. On the return flight, we do our best to stay awake so we can go to bed at the regular time at home.

sandi_travelnut

I usually take a 5mg Ambien on the plane and get about 4 hours of sleep. When I land (which is usually earlier than 3pm) we hit the ground running and don't usually go to bed the first night until 10p-midnight.

Nikki

I fly from the East coast and arrive in the morning. By then I have been up almost all night because I can't sleep well on planes, so I take a nap at some point, depending on when I can get in to my hotel room or apartment. I actually enjoy that first night or two when I think it is much earlier than it is, because I can stay up later than usual and enjoy the nightlife, eat late, go to the theater. By the time I have adjusted to the time change, I want to eat at my usual dinner hour of 6:00 or 7:00, and that's just too early for Europe, and forget about going to hear music that doesn't begin until 10:00 or later.

L84SKY

When I check into the hotel I usually do some yoga to get the kinks out. Then out for a good walk and orientate myself to my new surrroundings. Top that off with something to eat, nothing too heavy, and a glass of wine before retiring. The next day I'm good to go early in the morning.

suze

I usually fly overnight from west coast so arrive late morning London, then connect and arrive destination by afternoon. I suffer *horribly* from time change and jet lag and have never been able to sleep on a plane.

I've tried a couple different methods to cope. If staying with friends they simply force me to get on their schedule. I usually am fine the first day or two and collapse needing afternoon naps about day 3. I do use a prescription for sleep all night of the trip.

My other method when traveling solo on a longer trip, is go to a city I don't have any personal connections, and just take 4-5 days to adjust, eating, sleeping, drinking whenever I feel like it. That works great if you have the time. I stumbled around Amsterdam like a zombie but was in great shape arriving Switzerland that trip!

I don't think jet lag has to do with fear of planes, etc. because I have an terrible time even with small changes like day light savings times. I was horribly prone to car sickness as a child. My theory is that all these body rhythm clock things just work better in some people than in others.

Fairhope

The moment I get on the plane I change to destination local time--see video screen on plane- and begin to act according to that local time. So when I arrive I am "on local time " and do what is appropriate.
Works for me

samtraveler

I've flown to Europe from CA several times and have never arrived as late as 3pm, usually arrive in the morning. I'm one of those people who can't sleep on planes (never once slept even for one minute, and I've flown a lot) and I'm also a light sleeper in general. After many attempts to rid jet-lag the suggested way (i.e. never nap and stay up until bedtime local time the day of arrival), I determined that wasn't going to fly for me. That has NEVER worked well for me. I always have to nap when I arrive. I've learned the longer I nap the day of arrival the better off I am actually. I know many won't agree, but it works very well for me. If I don't nap that first day it takes me much longer to adjust and oddly I find it harder to settle into sleep that night--meaning if I'm so un-rested come bedtime, I have a harder time sleeping, which is counterintuitive, I know, but that's how it goes down with me. So the first day on all my Europe itineraries is always unplanned, I just don't expect anything of myself. And if by chance I'm up to getting out and doing things, well that's just a bonus! Having low expectations for that first day is key for me. In fact I fly to Milan tomorrow night (this time from the east coast D.C to JFK to Milan) and though we arrive at 9am the only thing we have planned is going out for dinner. I think how you deal with jet-lag is so person-by-person. No one size fits all.

jules4je7

My husband and I flew to London from Denver (only an hour ahead of you on the West coast) and arrived around 1 p.m. We were too excited to even think about sleeping, so we checked into the hotel in Victoria Station area and started walking towards Buck Palace. We then went to Westminster and had an appointment to get on the London Eye at 7 p.m. We made it back to the hotel by 10 p.m. and collapsed, happy and exhausted.

The best cure for jet lag and a long trip is fresh air and exercise. If you can stay up for 6 or 7 hours and go to bed around 9 or 10 after arrival, it will help you get acclimated quickly, as you'll wake up in the morning on local time, and pretty much ready to go.

We're going back this fall and arriving at 9 a.m. I hope we can make it through a whole day this time!

Good luck!

Jules