Jet Lag: How to Make the First Days of Your International Trip Easier
You have finally arrived in Europe. The vacation you have been planning for months is beginning, and there are cities to explore, places to see, and experiences you've been looking forward to.
Unfortunately, your body may still think it is somewhere back home.
Jet lag happens when traveling across several time zones disrupts your body's normal sleep-and-wake rhythm. You may feel tired at unusual times, wake up much earlier than expected, have trouble sleeping at night, or simply feel a little out of sorts during the first few days of your trip.
There is no guaranteed way to completely avoid jet lag, but a little preparation before departure—and a few good choices after you arrive—can make the adjustment easier.
🕒 Start Adjusting Before You Leave Home
If you know a significant time change is coming, you do not necessarily have to wait until arrival to begin adjusting.
A few days before departure, consider moving your bedtime and waking time gradually toward the schedule at your destination. When traveling east to Europe, that usually means going to bed and getting up a little earlier than usual. Even a modest adjustment before leaving home may make the transition easier once you arrive.
There is no need to completely rearrange your life during the week before vacation. The idea is simply to give your body a small head start rather than asking it to make the entire time-zone change overnight.
Start Thinking in Destination Time
Once your international journey begins, start thinking about the time where you are going rather than continually focusing on what time it is back home.
If it is nighttime at your destination while you are flying, try to create an environment that encourages rest. An eye mask, earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones, comfortable layers, and anything else that helps you settle in can make an overnight flight more manageable.
If it is daytime at your destination, begin treating it more like daytime. Eating, sleeping, and activity timed around the destination can help your body begin making the transition.
You may not sleep perfectly on the airplane—and putting pressure on yourself to do so can make the flight feel even longer. Think of whatever rest you get as helpful rather than expecting to arrive after an overnight flight feeling completely refreshed.
Stay Hydrated During the Journey
Air travel can leave you feeling dry and tired, so keep water available and drink regularly throughout the trip.
Hydration itself does not magically reset your internal clock, but dehydration can make the physical discomfort associated with travel and jet lag feel worse. The CDC also recommends avoiding excessive alcohol because it can interfere with sleep quality.
Caffeine can help with alertness when used thoughtfully, but timing matters. That cup of coffee may be useful when you are trying to stay awake during the local day and much less helpful if you drink it close to the bedtime you are trying to establish.
Move Around When You Can
Getting up periodically during a long flight can help you feel less stiff and uncomfortable after spending hours in an airplane seat.
Walk through the cabin when it is safe to do so, change position periodically, and stretch a little when you have the opportunity. Movement is not a cure for jet lag, but arriving feeling less cramped and uncomfortable can make the first day of your vacation considerably more pleasant.
This is also one reason comfortable clothing and layers are worth considering for an overnight international flight. You want to arrive ready to begin adjusting to your destination—not feeling as though your clothing has been fighting you for eight hours.
Get Outside After You Arrive
Once you reach your destination, daylight becomes one of the most useful signals for helping your internal clock adjust to local time.
Try to spend some time outside during the local day rather than immediately retreating to a dark hotel room. Take a walk, have lunch outdoors, explore the neighborhood around your hotel, or simply sit somewhere and enjoy the fact that you have finally arrived.
Light exposure plays an important role in helping your body synchronize with a new time zone, although the ideal timing can vary depending on the direction and distance of travel.
And there is a nice side benefit: a walk outside gives you your first opportunity to begin experiencing the destination.
Try to Stay Awake Until a Reasonable Local Bedtime
After an overnight flight to Europe, the temptation to crawl into bed shortly after checking into your hotel can be enormous.
If you can manage it, try to stay awake through the local day and go to bed at a reasonably normal local bedtime. That can help your body begin adjusting to the new schedule more quickly.
That does not mean you need to make yourself miserable if you can barely keep your eyes open.
If you truly need a nap, keep it short. A brief nap of around 20 to 30 minutes can improve alertness without interfering as much with nighttime sleep, while a long afternoon nap may make it much harder to sleep when local bedtime finally arrives.
The goal is not to prove how long you can stay awake. It is to begin teaching your body that this is now daytime and that is now nighttime.
Give Yourself a Little Grace the First Night
Even if you do everything right, your first night's sleep may not be perfect.
You might fall asleep unusually early, wake up at 3:00 in the morning feeling completely awake, or find yourself hungry at a strange hour because your body is still operating on home time.
That is normal during the adjustment.
Try not to judge the entire vacation by how you feel during those first few hours. Your body has crossed several time zones in a single day, and it may take a little while to catch up with your suitcase.
If you are considering melatonin, prescription sleep medication, or another sleep aid specifically for jet lag, that is something I would discuss with your healthcare professional before traveling rather than experimenting once you are already on your trip.
Consider Arriving a Day or Two Early
One of my favorite ways to make the beginning of an escorted tour or river cruise more comfortable is to arrive before the scheduled program begins, when the itinerary and your schedule allow it.
Instead of landing in Europe and immediately beginning a full day of touring, an extra night gives you time to collect your luggage, reach your hotel, have a meal, walk around outside, get a good night's sleep, and begin adjusting to the local time before the organized portion of the vacation starts.
The CDC even suggests considering arrival at least two days before an important event when possible so your body has additional time to adjust.
For an escorted tour, that might mean adding a pre-tour hotel night where appropriate. For a river cruise, it might mean spending a night or two in the embarkation city before boarding.
There can be another benefit too: independent sightseeing.
Arriving early may give you time to explore something that is not included in your tour or simply enjoy the destination without a schedule. Instead of thinking of that extra night only as protection against jet lag, it can become part of the vacation itself.
Don't Plan Too Much for Arrival Day
Even when you arrive early, I would resist the temptation to create an ambitious sightseeing schedule for the first afternoon.
Arrival day is unpredictable. Your flight could be late, baggage could take longer than expected, your room may not be immediately available, or you may simply be more tired than you expected.
A walk through the neighborhood, an easy meal, a little daylight, and an early evening can be plenty.
Save the museum reservations, lengthy walking tours, and complicated plans for a day when you know your body will be more cooperative.
Give Your Body Time to Catch Up
Jet lag is one of those parts of international travel that cannot always be eliminated, but it does not have to take over the beginning of your vacation.
Begin shifting your schedule before departure if you can. Think in destination time during the journey. Stay hydrated, get daylight after arrival, avoid disappearing into bed for a long afternoon nap, and give yourself permission to take the first day a little easier.
And when possible, consider arriving before your escorted tour or river cruise begins. Having an extra day to adjust can mean beginning the organized portion of your vacation feeling more like yourself—and much more ready to enjoy where you are.
At Escape World Travel, we look at more than the tour itinerary itself. We can also help you think through flight schedules, arrival timing, pre-tour hotel stays, and whether arriving early makes sense for your particular vacation.
Because the goal isn't simply to get to Europe.
It's to be ready to enjoy it once you get there.
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