What to do on 8 hr international flight
 

Help!!! My wife and I will be flying from Detroit to Frankfurt on Nothwest Airlines (an airbus A330). This is a nonstop 8 hr flight.

What do people do on these long flights to entertain themselves? I am considering bringing my laptop and movies, but I will need A/C power and then have to lug it around Europe.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Sleep. It's overnight, you know.

Best wishes,

Rex

They eat and sleep. They try to 'prevent' jetlag. They watch the movie. They play cards. They read a book. They reflect on the futility of life. They take a walk outside...

I wouldn't take my laptop on holiday! Then it is no holiday anymore!

Books.
Two novels are fine for a normal transatlantic flight. Need no power, are highly portable, and can entertain you even while you're fighting your way through the rubber chicken. Can't understand why anyone uses anything else.

Does NW do daytime flights though? Because if it's a normal overnighter, sleep - and trying to - is the answer.

Can you imagine paying someone to tell you that a flight leaving your home in the evening and arriving at the destination in the morning flew overnight??????..much less for a diagnosis!..Anyway, for 8 hours I wouldn't take the laptop..rather a good paperback (do NOT pick it at the airport...give it some thought beforehand) or crossword puzzles, etc.
I would take the laptop if you are also planning on keeping a travel diary.

If it's not an overnighter, and you don't already speak German, listen over and over and over to a German language tape. You might be amazed at how much you'll retain via this kind of repetition. It'll make traveling even more fun if you can learn some words and phrases.

Before purchasing the tape, you can go to your local library and borrow different brands to see which one works better for you. In L.A., if another branch has a tape I'd like to hear, they'll have it sent to my branch. It's all free and it's a beautiful thing. I like the "Living Language" tapes the best. Have fun!

If you really can't sleep.....Load a lot of songs on your mp3 player or ipod, walk around the cabin to recirculate the blood, it really is a great time to catch up on reading a great novel....or simply catch up with reading the magazine subscriptions that you never have time to get to. Or use that time to review your itinerary and rework it, if necessary.

What did you do last year?

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34410820

have dinner, have a couple of glasses of wine tkae two tylenol pm and sleep for 4 hours. if you have never travelled abroad do not sleep once you arrived. stay up as long as you can and then go sleep at your normal or as close to your normal time.

Hi areinert

As noted, laptops are for business not vacation.

As soon as possible, order a vodka and a beer. Drink same. Go to sleep. If that doesn't work, repeat.

If you are the lucky person that is able to sleep, then have a nice nap.
Otherwise, read, watch movies, go up and down the aisles,listen to some tapes, play cards and be ready to be bored to death at time..

As jay mentioned, when you arrive at your destination, Do Not Sleep, try to walk around the city, stay out in the sun if this is possible, But do not sleep..
Your body will get adjusted much faster to the time change..
Buon viaggio,
kismet

Eight hours isn't all that long. You'll have a meal and a snack, a couple of movies, there's music selections, conversation with your wife and other passengers, walking around the cabin to prevent stiffness, sleep. It'll go quickly.

I stopped taking books and my own music with me years ago as I never ended up having time to actually read the books or listen to the music.

Now a 15 hour flight is more of a problem.

Well, this is a new one to me. Most people want to know what to do after they arrive, not while in transit. If it's a daytime flight that arrives in the evening, it doesn't really matter what you do because you will be tired and ready to go to bed when you arrive.

But if it's a night flight, as most of them are, take a Melatonin capsule after boarding and before dinner. After dinner, take a short stroll down the aisles to get your blood moving, then settle down and sleep. The Melatonin is a natural medication and is usually great for inducing sleep. When you awaken, if you haven't slept for more than 2-3 hours, get up and stroll or stand for a few minutes, then go back to your seat and try to sleep again. If you can't sleep after trying to relax, get out that good paperback book and start reading. I can almost guarantee you'll get sleepy within less than half an hour, and you can go back to sleep.

My recommendation is not to watch a lot of TV or the movie. That tends to keep your body excited. If you do drink, a glass or two of wine, or one or two cocktails, is all you should have with dinner -- plus a lot of water. Drink water every time you wake up, because your body becomes quickly dehydrated in an airplane.

As others have advised, assuming you have gotten even as little as 3 to 4 hours of sleep, do not try to head for a hotel or go to sleep after arrival. Jump right into your next step, visit some interesting places, rent your car and drive, or do whatever you planned. By the time night comes, you will be ready to sleep; and if you can't, take another Melatonin. That should do it.

As for Frankfurt itself, it's a big city with its share of not-so-nice areas. Be careful if you are wandering around at night, especially near the train station or any other places not well lighted. Large public parking lots have also been the site of occasional petty crime, from breaking into cars to holdups. I'm not trying to scare you, just to issue a word of caution. Good luck.

I like to bring a nicely paced novel. Something that I don't have to concentrate too much on but has a lot of action and a good story line.
Wantagig had a good suggestion about bringing German language tapes and practice the langauge. If you do this also bring 3X5 cards and make flash cards. It really is the easiest way to learn a langauge.

I just love the luxury of being able read and then nod off to sleep. I'll tell you what my HUSBAND does during the flights: He never participates in the trip planning - then on the plane he opens the guide books for the very first time...by that time I have a pretty darned detailed itinerary worked out, but then on the plane he starts deciding what he wants to see and do....Can you tell that that irritates me?

Hi

take as much booze as they offer.
drink lots of water.
Sleep

Peter

You thank your lucky stars you live in Detroit and it's not a 12 hour flight! :-)

Missypie,
My hubby does the same thing! This time I've researched some buildings I thought he might like through great buildings online to whet his interest and he's taken a look and I've incorporated those into our sites.
I downloaded some walks from the Frommers site and thought that maybe this time I would just bring those downloaded pages and my own personal notebook where I've written down some places I'd like to go. This will eliminate the need to cart around guide books and I doubt that he will pack any.

I was worried about the same thing on my first trip to Italy, as I cannot sleep on planes. Believe me, it will go by fast. Read, watch movies, and rest if you can.

Regarding all the "drink alcohol" advice: I usually CAN'T sleep well on the flight and end up feeling really bad all the next day. Quite a few years ago I flew into Berlin while 4 1/2 months pregnant. The wine and liqueurs they offered on the flight were tempting but I was a good mother to be and declined. I felt totally fine the next day and last longer than my fellow (non-pregnant) travelers. I've always wondered if it was because I didn't drink any alcohol on that flight.

The question was asked what we did the last time. On the way to Europe we were upgraded to first class so we had the little personal video systems and it was a overnight, so we drank the free booze and watched movies (10 to choice from).

The way back was coach class, I was bored stiff. The two movies where the worest I had ever seen. I actually was praying for the food so I would have something to do!

It was the longest 8 hours of my life!

Tell people you are a massage therapists and offer 10 minute mini massages for 10 bucks..is that allowed??I think I might do that and pay for my trip..yeah baby??

Lots of great ideas! We fly from Minneapolis to Detroit and the to Frankfurt. It is an overnight flight.

Keep the ideas comming! I am surprised that there is no one suggesting laptops? PDA or IPOD? Electronic book?

take ambien....

become members of the mile high club?

I take my PDA with two Audible books in case I can't sleep. Usually, I eat and have a glass of wine and a mild sleep aid. But, you never know if sleep will come, take the PDA in case.

I was wondering when "other" activities would be listed. Lets keep it "G" please.

has anyone ever given massages, what a great idea especially when muscles need to be kneaded during long flights, I am not certified but i know how to massage, what a great way to earn a few bucks, huh??

one word:

drink.

I usually bring a book I want to read but one my friend in Provence would like and leave it with her, I watch the film and after awhile I can nap with the help of a few drinks.

I recomend getting loaded and assaulting the flight staff. That amuses you and all the other passengers.

Failing that, squirm, kick the seat in front of you, complain loudly about everything and go to the batroom every five minutes.

I am usually to excited to sleep and from the west coast it is a LOOONG flight with two plane changes. I leave at 2:45 pm and arrive on the next day at 4:30 pm. Even with the time change it is just a long time in transit. I have almost no patience when I fly. I don't even have the attention span for a book. So I buy and borrow a lot of magazines and then leave them like a trail of breadcrumbs across the ocean.

Or you could drink.

Coldwar - you took my suggestion.

Drink and read, that's how I make it through.... last summer, I was lucky enough to sit next to a young MP who was heading back to Afghanistan - we drank and giggled like a couple of kids all the way from Boston to Frankfurt.

These type of posts make me giggle...we have to travel for up to 24 hours to reach Europe from Australia.
What I do to keep my self amused is I practice my italian with my pet kangaroo, I re cork my hat....I wrestle with my pet crocodile..a la Steve Irwin...

Two words: Drink wine ;-)

- Reading
- Writing
- 'Rithmatic (finished taxes yet?)
- Mile high club (sex)
- Xanax or Valium (drugs)
- Headphone listening (rock & roll)
- Watch the onboard movies
- Watch the person across the aisle
- Turn on light and cast shadow puppets onto the bald spot of the reclining gentleman ahead of you while adding amusing voices (stage whispered)

- Or just sleep.

I wish I'd read some of these suggestions before my last trip! Going over to London (a night flight on a USAirways airbus) seemed interminable. I'm sure one thing that added to this aspect is the rushing around before the trip to get everything done before it was time to depart. So, exhausted before the trip began. Still....we got lucky. Although we were seated in the middle section of 4 seats, the flight was not full. After takeoff, we were told we could move around and that 2 seats by a window were available. The other 2 people in our row took those, leaving me with a luxurious three seats to stretch out on (there was no fight for them...my companion was happy with his music & book)& sleep after dinner & one movie. Had I not been able to sleep, I would have joined the excercise group in the rear of the plane where there was some space.

Coming home was a breeze. Morning flight. Just seemed to pass very quickly & bore no resemblance to the trip eastward. I have no idea if this would always be the case.....

The last time that we flew on an Airbus 330, it had individual videos in the seatbacks in coach. They really do make all the difference. It's just not the same when you have to make do with a bad Sandra Bullock film on an overhead screen six rows away.

missypie and mcgeezer, my husband is in that same club! Throws me off kilter, every time.

areinert,

I suggested carrying an ipod (see 6th reply)...weren't ya listening?! ;)

"take a walk outside" -- I'm laughing out loud here. They barely let you walk to the loo these days!!

Let's see -- grab the seatback of the person who has reclined into your airspace every now and then and let it snap back. Recline your seat back full and snarl when the person behind you asks if you can bring it back up for meal service. Refuse to put your window shade down when asked. Drink too much and talk loudly to anyone who will listen even if they are seven rows back. When you are in the aisle sit on someone else's armrest. Check your overhead luggage regularly to see if it has shifted -- this is particularly effective when you are in the middle or window seat. Bring on your own, highly spiced and sloppy food. Belch and fart after eating -- be sure to spray yourself with a strong perfume -- and do one of the following: pick your nose, scratch your pubic area often or do your nails/clip your nose hairs.

If you do all of this religiously the trip should fly by in no time.