I’m looking for advice for best to avoid as much jetlag as possible. I am flying in or out of Paris and Prague. Is it better to have the long flight duration to Prague from NY in the begining and then leave from Paris or the other way around?
I want to have a nice trip but also need to get back to my life in US and keep moving.
The flight to Paris is overnight about 10 hours and Prague is 16 hours.
Thanks for the advice.
Elizabeth
Posted by
Dixie
1463 posts
I would extend the travel day on the flight to Europe by heading to Prague first...you otherwise arrive early in Paris before you can check into your hotel. Your return from Paris will be shorter, too, and may help with fatigue and jetlag when you get back home.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
3619 posts
You can use the search function in this forum to see there are as many methods as there are people to address jet lag. Have you taken long haul flights before? Do you sleep well on planes? Will you be in coach or a higher comfort class? Are they direct flights or do you transfer? What time do the flights leave from NY? What time do they come back to US? All of these things factor into how much jet lag you might have.
I personally make attempts to adjust my at-home schedule before I leave to reduce my jet lag on the way, but I'm flying from the west coast so have three more time zones to deal with. Coming back is always terrible no matter what I do. I have also used an app (Timeshifter) that helped some but it was hard to follow for the return trip (it requires light exposure/deficit at specific times of day).
Good luck!
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11559 posts
Flying to Europe you have the tailwind. My last NY to Paris flight was under 7 hours. Europe to NY, you are flying into a headwind and it is an hour or two longer. For these reasons, I'd fly directly to Prague and home from Paris. Those daylight flights to North America can become tedious.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
16441 posts
Like CL I also use the Timeshifter app. For me, it works great! I do try to follow the plan on the return home and limit light exposure in the last couple of mornings before I return. Yes, I look like a dork wearing sunglasses in the airport on the day of my return flight. However, it's worked for me and I've been able to avoid jet lag on my last few trips in spite of not sleeping well on the plane. I also fly from the Western part of the US in the Pacific time zone.
With Timeshifter your first Round trip is free. I am to the point where I am paying for a yearly subscription because I want the pings on my Apple Watch to remind me of when it's time to seek or avoid light/caffeine.
I would also fly to your furthest destination first.
Posted by
martinez, ca, usa
2838 posts
hey hey Elizabeth
still don"t know when flights are. are they both non-stops?
i would fly to prague first then paris to NY hopefully without hiccups along they way.
several years ago we had a flight from dublin to SFO, had a medical issue with a flight attendant before departing, she had to be removed off flight and we had to wait for another flight attendant to arrive onboard. waited 2 hours to depart. you just never know what can happen.
we take 2 days off after arriving home to recuperate. i had a great job with time-off/vacation benefits and made use of the planning ahead for europe vacations. many aren't offered that "luxury" nowdays. hope all works for you in planning, have fun
aloha