Hello, travel experts.
We are coming from the US and arrive at our hotel in Munich around 9:30 pm after a very long 17 hour flight.
My question is this: do you recommend a normal start at 8:30 am the next day to start to adjust to normal time or take a slow day and recover? We are thinking about Dachau that next morning so we wouldn’t have to rush to see it a couple days later before leaving Munich for Vienna.
What has been your experience?
I welcome any advice.
Thanks!
You have the ideal and fairly rare situation, arriving in the late PM from the US. Go to bed and wake up at your normal time, and enjoy a full day.
Jetlag and adjusting from the west to east direction is far worse for the typical arrival in the AM in Europe, especially if you did not get a restful sleep on the plane. I never do, and I suffer for it.
As for Dachau as your first activity, that would not be my choice on the first morning, but I see no reason why you would not be refreshed enough to do it or any activity you choose.
Try to get a good nights sleep and the next morning accept what time it is and don’t look back.
Starting out slow is not a bad idea. Planning a day trip to Dachau the next day will be plenty as you adjust to the time difference.
On your first day it's important to get as much exposure to sunlight as you can - this will help to reset your body's clock. So if the trip to Dachau is by bus or train, and you're primarily outside there, it sounds like a good plan. Just don't spend your first day inside a museum.
If you get some sleep the night before visiting Dachau which is a half day trip, you’ll be OK. I wouldn't plan on doing anything else your first full day in Munich in case you sleep in until noon.
Veteran road warrior advice, do not take it slow or sleep in.
Set your alarm for an early start in the AM and get on local time immediately. I would do the Dachau this on day two and spend the first day touring Munich... If you get on local time right away, your "tired day" will be on day three. Just push through.
I am very curious how you are managing to fly for 17 hours from the US? That's like a flight to Bejing from New York.....
I am very curious how you are managing to fly for 17 hours from the US? That's like a flight to Bejing from New York.....
Same here, very curious how someone makes a same day 17 hour flight from the US to Munich for arrival around 9 pm - curious the length (unless they start very early in the morning from some remote location), but are there same day flights from the US to Munich? Maybe there are, but the 17 hours flight time is a puzzle regardless.
Years ago, I would catch one of the rare same day nonstop flights from the US east coast to London - loved those - depart IAD around 10 am, arrive at LHR around 10 pm, straight to my central London hotel and to bed. Wake up the next morning refreshed, very little jet lag from the point forward.
Hello and thanks for the responses. We will power through!
We leave LAX, after a flight from Phoenix, with some layover time at 640 pm and arrive in Munich the following day at 805 pm. I got a great deal but we have to grab a couple connecting flights. Only 800.00 each.
Brent, you should be fine just getting up in the morning and heading outside - plan to get as much sun as possible. Last year when I went to Germany, I wound up getting in around 8:30 pm due to flight delays and didn't make it to my hotel till after 9 pm. I went to bed right away and by morning I felt pretty good (it's amazing what a full night's sleep will do for you!).
That said, I'm with Jojo on Dachau - I wouldn't spend my first day there. Seeing Dachau will take a lot out of you emotionally, and would be better suited for a couple of days after you arrive and shake off any residual jet lag. That's my opinion of course, but I wouldn't have wanted to see it my first day in Munich.
Assuming you get a good first night's sleep in Munich, then go to Dachau. I would probably get up, have breakfast, wander around Munich a bit, and then go to Dachau a little later. Why rush? It's somber but well worth the visit. Then you can go back and enjoy what Munich has to offer. My son and I spent 3 nights in Munich a few years ago and really enjoyed it!
Just to reinforce Mackcw's early recommendations. The key to jet lag is a good dose of strong sunlight. I would spend as much as you can of the first day in the sun. Good time for walking tours of the city.
