I travelled to England, Scotland and France this last summer and I will say I think we over scheduled. My son and I also had pretty bad jet lag. Having said that we want to go back to Europe this summer! My husband has never been to Europe and I would like the trip experience to be relaxed as possible for his first time there. We will be starting in England (my sister lives there) but wanted opinions on where else we could go. We were considering Paris but maybe a big city would be too much of a culture shock for a first experience? We also love hiking and back packing so maybe something in the country side would be better. Appreciate and thoughts on first time travel to Europe!
Posted by
Northwest Arkansas
712 posts
Do some jet lag research and see if there is something you can do next time to mitigatge the effect.
As for Paris, I don't think it is any more of a culture shock than anywhere else. Unless your husband just dislikes big cities, I think you will find it a great city for a first time traveler. You can do so much or so little with all that Paris has to offer.
Posted by
The Heartland USA
9029 posts
Search on " jet lag" here on this site and see tons of previous discussions. It's all about preparing yourself for your body clock to adjust, not magic pills or devices.
You said:
. . . .could be too much of a culture shock for a first experience? . . .
No, that's not a reason. Different culture is the point of traveling abroad. Unless your husband is one of those people who insist on everything American everywhere he goes. Where to go is all about what interests you - food, history, art, architecture, literature, etc. If you prioritize hiking, then work with that, as we cant decide for you. The biggest factor (besides money) is how much time you have to spend (i.e., how many nights. Less than two weeks, I'd stay in the UK.
Posted by
SF Bay Area
914 posts
How long do you have, and where in England does your sister live? If you have two weeks you could get over jet lag and do some hiking in England, and then spend a week in Paris or split between Paris and a nearby rural area. England is great for hiking, and Paris is very easy for tourists, especially if you like cities, and there is plenty to do for a week. You can make it relaxing by not overplanning each day. Some on the forum stick to just one or two major sites each day, and spend the rest of the day wandering, visiting parks, dropping into a church or small museum, sitting in cafes, etc.
You didn't say how long your jet lag lasted. I used to plan very full itineraries, but now I'm leaning toward having ideas for the first day or two, but not making plans to do any major sights that require advance reservations. I find that walking tours in the Rick Steves guidebooks make great first day activities to get oriented and stay outdoors and awake. You can always pause from time to time for a break as needed.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5519 posts
Presumably you will be starting your trip with a visit with your sister, so that should allow for any jet lag you might face. You don't mention how long the trip will be, but many people take extended trips and only visit one country. You could easily remain in England and alternate a few cities or large towns with more rural areas known for their hiking trails.
You don't mention any interests other than hiking, so trying to make other appropriate suggestions is difficult. Certainly Paris is a very easy hop from London, and it's ease of public transportation, plethora of potential activities, and English spoken by tourist-facing service providers makes it a very popular choice for first time visitors. Plus, (time allowing) it is easy to get to other areas of France to see other towns/cities, or do some more hiking.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14865 posts
I’ve had good luck using the Timeshifter app. I had horrible jet lag in Spring 2023 that took a week to right itself. In August 2023 and October 2024 I used the app going to Europe and coming home to the Mountain West and had no jet lag.
You do have to start a couple of days ahead which can impact activities right before you leave but that doesn't matter for me. I also use a sleep mask on the plane and try to sleep as soon as Ive eaten dinner.
Others on the forum have not had as good luck as I have.
I am not a big city person but love Paris. I stay close enough to the Seine that I can walk many places and enjoy the large and small gardens that are dotted around.
To me your other 2 threads asking about Florence and also spending a week in France at different locations looks to me like you are on your way to overscheduling again.