Flight times to avoid jetlag

I'm not sure what time..I was just thinking about taking a morning flight this time to avoid the red-eye..I can't sleep a wink on planes..

I usually take ( East Coast) a early evening flight which will usually get me to Europe anywhere between morning to early afternoon. I can't sleep on a plane either but I do try and rest as much as I can on the plane. When I get to my hotel I'll usually take a nap for an hour or so and head out. I will usually feel "ok". I will then stay up until 11 or so.

Yeah I always take the red-eye.I was going to try something different this time and maybe try and early morning flight..

Actually I just looked at flights and even if there is an A.M departure time,almost all have a lay-over,which turns it into a red-eye anyway...God I wish I could sleep on planes.I can take advil p.m etc and I'm still awake..Torture.lol

I don't think there are many daytime flights that go to Europe. In the past the only ones I've seen are to London and possibly to Paris. If your destination is Italy, you will need to make a connection and this will almost surely require an overnight stay in London since the daytime flights get into Europe late.

I have only ever taken one to London which has its own issues since it is 11 pm by the time you get to the hotel but I found my body was not ready for sleep since it was the middle of the afternoon by my body clock.

take an Ambien, you can sleep on planes :-)

Yeah i think i'll talk to my docotr..Last time he gave one to me and I wimped out because I was up halway through the flight and didnt want to take it then...He said you need to sleep,its so bad that you miss a whole night sleep..So i will take it for sure

It is different coming from the west coast, but just having been to Europe twice, I definitely prefer to arrive late afternoon. The first time we left home at 6:30AM, so we arrived at the airport at 4:30AM, and got up by 2:30 to get ready! By the time we finally got to Germany and arrived the next day in the morning (no sleep on the plane) we were so tired we could hardly function. The last time we left the west coast for Germany in the late afternoon and arrived 5:00PM. We rented a car, drove two hours, had dinner, and then to bed. Made for a much better experience, but I guess in a way we lost a day by arriving late, but for me since I don't sleep, I was much happier just going to bed within a few hours of arrival.

Yeah you're right..I forget how early I'd have to wake for an a.. Flight then add in a lay-over..5:30isn't bad I guess...I could have sworn my flights were 9pm ish...can't remember..It's been a few years

I would be really, really careful about taking an Ambien on your flight, if you have never taken one before....they can really knock you out and since the "night" is short anyway, you might be out of it the next morning. Just be careful and maybe try one before your flight and see how it affects you. I too am never able to sleep on planes...it is frustrating, but the night is short and I am so jazzed about stepping foot in Italia that the lost sleep is not that big a deal.

Susan and/or Monte have a good point about the length of a trip. Us on the West Coast have a much longer journey. On one or two trips to Europe, and another trip to the East Coast, our flights left here around midnight. One trip we left at midnight PST, had two layovers and didn't arrive in Europe until 9:00 a.m. the following day. Be glad you are in NYC!

Yes...you are lucky you are in NYC! Definitely get a prescription so you can sleep or take Advil PM. I also have a tough time sleeping on flights but got an Rx that knocked me out on our flight from NYC to Rome last September & I gave hubby an Advil PM. We slept well and arrived the next day at 12:30 pm, took a nap for 2 hours and then acclimated pretty quickly to local time. This would not have been possible if we hadn't used medicine on the flight. I also learned the hard way on a previous red eye flight to Italy to not book a seat near the bulk heads because during the night, all the mothers with small children and infants congregated in the bulk head areas with their crying children. Got no sleep on that flight!

Yeah i too get excited when I land..But I have a friend that lives there and she picks me up.When I get there I sleep in the countryside for 13 hours for two nights!.But this time I am going somewhere different and staying in a hotel so i didn't want to waste too many days paying for apartment and just sleeping!haha

Hi Susan,
I can't sleep on planes either! Just a warning to you if you do take Ambien or any generic form thereof: if you don't sleep after you have taken it, you will likely say and do some very stupid things and not remember a lick of it. Also, the drug stays in your system for about six hours, so don't take it three hours before landing. I can't sleep without it, but would never attempt to talk to someone or do anything after taking it--you could completely embarrass yourself and not remember a thing you did. One of its many side effects. Happy travels!

Thanks guys!!!you all are very sweet!!..Yes my doctor said"Whatever you do,do not take ambien before you board the plnae,do not take it as you're waiting in the waiting area.lol"..I'm just getting older and feel jet-lag gets me worse..I'm not 18 anymore..lol..I pay for it for days..:)