Jet lag!

I think powering through until a more or less normal bed time (for that time zone) works well - you’ll feel much more with it the next day. Your arrival day needn’t be missed or wasted, but you’re also right that doing any sort of organized activity would not be the best idea. I suggest you just mostly walk around outside to adjust and get oriented on your own. Have a wonderful time!

I’ll bet you’re excited for your first trip to Europe. It’s good that you’re planning ahead and thinking about what to do. What would help us help you is more information about where you’re coming from, the length of your trip – – i.e., do you have layovers en route, etc. Also, are you the kind of people who can sleep on a plane or not?

Assuming you are like me and don’t sleep well on planes and have a fairly long trip ahead of you to get to Rome , I would not plan anything strenuous or anything that requires a lot of attention on your part for the first day. If you download the Rick Steves Audio Europe app you will find several self guided Rome walking tours, a couple of which would introduce you to general areas in Rome that you may want to visit later on when you are better rested. By the time you get from the airport to your hotel it will be late morning. Put your things away and head out for a walk – – I might recommend the RS Caesar shuffle self guided tour. Sunshine is the enemy of jet-lag , so the longer you are up and around outside the better you will do. Plan on an early dinner and an early bedtime and your second day will turn out pretty well, at least that’s the way it works for me when I land in Rome after flying from the US West Coast.

I would not book a paid tour on day one. There are plenty of walking tours in Rick’s book and audio tours available. Or just wander the city.

With an 8:40 am arrival, by the time you get your bags and get to the hotel, check in and drop off your bags (make sure they will store your bags if your room isn’t ready), it will be time for lunch. Hopefully the weather will be good and you can sit outside at a cafe and soak up some sun.

After lunch I would wander around the area of the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo di Fiori. Just soak in the sun and the feel of Rome. Stop for some gelato.

Know that dinner is served late (7 pm or later) and many restaurants will be closed until 7 pm. By the evening, you might be dragging a bit. You might want to plan on a casual, earlier dinner of pizza from one of the little take away spots. I would try to stay awake until about 8 pm. Then your body can reset overnight and be ready to go the next day.

Our first trip to Italy I made the huge mistake of taking a bath right after checkin then “taking a little nap”. My husband and I fell asleep and sleep right through our half-board dinner (the inn keeper tried knocking on our door but we were knocked out). I’m not a napper, and that 4 hour “nap” really messed me up for the next day.

Jet lag is always way worse for us coming home - no adrenaline to keep us going.

Welcome to the forum Ginny.
Jet lag’s going to hit everyone differently. Just getting through the airport and to your hotel will take most of your morning. Eat a light lunch so you don’t get sleepy. Get out and walk around the neighborhood.
When we flew into Rome prior to the RS south of Italy tour we were so excited to be there that jet lag didn’t hit for a couple days. I had the same reaction going to Ireland 25 years previous and expect jet lag to hit about day 3 this September.
That said, I would not schedule a tour for the day you land. After walking around a few hours, we had an early dinner, then went back to our hotel to call husbands to let them know we were having fun and we’re in bed before 10pm. We had four days in Rome before the tour started.
I found that taking a couple Advil PM on the plane helped me sleep for a few hours on the plane.

Love the enthusiasm, ggs. Short answer on the question of what to expect on your inaugural European arrival -- it depends. After a brief toilette routine at my arrival airport to freshen up and help me feel more human, I find it ideal to stay vertical and outside, keep my expectations low and seek an equilibrium in body and spirit in ways that have proven to work for me. My sweet spot, after a lengthy transiting from my US location to European entry point to my ultimate and final destination (via fastest, not necessarily least expensive, transportation option - think local taxi from the rank at the airport) is to find a comfortable spot for some kind of refreshment and then take time to map out plans for the rest of the day, while happily savoring the thrill of having made it to where I've spent so much time and money to get to. I will have done some research and already have a couple of ideas/options for activities I could possibly do, with an intent to ultimately 'hit the hay' by local evening time, after an evening meal, at my prearranged accommodation. I aim to go with the flow, take things as they come and consciously not stress as I ask my internal clock to adjust to a whole new time zone. I will have dressed comfortably for the plane ride in main cabin seating, had plenty of water on the long haul flight, kept alcohol consumption low and used OTC sleep aid to get hopefully at least some small amount of sleep during the ride over. I set my watch to local time before landing and over a number of trips, I sense that my attitude and intent to make the best of the negative impacts of jet lag goes a long way in easing my body's resistance to the adjustment. Making Rome your first visit to Europe is a FABULOUS choice, happy travels indeed to you and yours!!

Conventional wisdom seems to be to “power through” till the evening. However, everyone is different! I completely disagree with this! I don’t want to be miserable if I didn’t sleep well or much on the plane, so I often nap for a bit in the afternoon after I arrive. I have not found this to interfere with my adjustment to the new time zone. (I enjoy an afternoon nap at home without any negative effects, so why not in Europe?!) I have traveled all over the world - with much larger time differences than Europe (China, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Uzbekistan) - and getting over jet lag has not been that big a deal.

That said, this is what I typically do if arriving early in the day. Head to the hotel and see if I can check in early. If so, I might shower and rest a bit. If not, I leave my luggage at the hotel. In either case, I then go out for a neighborhood walk and celebrate being at my destination! I might get a light lunch, find the nearest subway/bus stop and ATM, sit outdoors in a park or plaza to people-watch, explore a market, that kind of thing. It’s just very exciting to be there! Mid-afternoon, I head back to the hotel (to check in, if necessary, and take a shower) and often take a nap. I set an alarm if I’m worried about sleeping “too much.” Then out for another walk and dinner - I’ve often scouted out a place during my earlier walk. I’ve also been known to eat at the hotel if they have a restaurant. I just don’t stress on that first day. Even with the nap, I am ready for an early bedtime. The next day usually feels “normal.”

I would not plan for a specific tour or buy tickets for anything on that first day. Do a little research on the immediate vicinity of your hotel so you know what sights you might casually see if you feel up to it. Just soak up the atmosphere!

Lots of good suggestions here. I find that jet lag tends to catch up with me on Day 3, so try to plan for a quieter day then (like Theresa am flying from the West Coast). I try to keep outside but usually end up in a museum to get away from the crowds and heat. I love just wandering around museums by myself - no guided tours just wandering and staring and learning. I found the National Museum of Rome was great and practically empty when I was there about five years ago. Some interesting churches in the area as well as the Baths of Diacletian . Have a leisurely lunch either back in your room or at a local cafe and maybe contemplate a siesta - especially if it is hot. Then you are ready for a shower and feeling refreshed for a night on the town.

I have been pondering this same issue for our upcoming Europe trip. I downloaded the Timeshifter app to help us acclimate. We will be flying from California to NY 5 days before leaving for Paris, so that will help, and then traveling to Italy via the Nightjet overnight train after a week in Paris. I plan on making gradual adjustments to our home sleep schedule beforehand and I splurged on a well priced upgrade to Polaris (first time 😊) so we can hopefully get some sleep on our overnight flight to Paris. I do think, for many people, powering thru the first day is the way to go, if you can comfortably manage it.

I rarely sleep on planes, so I try to catch a short nap after checking in then go outdoors and keep on my feet. I wouldn’t organise a tour, as I wouldn’t be able to give it my full attention and there is a chance that your flight would be delayed and you missed it.

I try to adjust to local times immediately for food and sleep, but I find that returning to the U.K. from America always takes me a week to adjust. I have fewer issues going to America.

As already said, we all deal with jet lag differently.
Neither my DH or myself can really sleep on planes but we're so excited going over that the adrenaline helps keeps us going through arrival day. We drop the bags, hit an ATM for the first load of euros, find some coffee (that helps too!!!) and then walk outside, generally getting acclimated, until supper and an early-ish bedtime. We might pop into a church or two, and have a couple of adult beverages at a sidewalk venue in the later afternoon but I'd never book an escorted tour or do anything else involving paying close attention on arrival day. No lunch; all that sitting on the plane sort of kills our appetites. Also no long/fancy/big dinner that night.

But that's just us. Some people are OK with returning to the hotel at check-in time to catch a short catnap but we'd be down for the count if we did that.

The best tip is that everybody reacts to jetlag differently.

I have tried powering through, and lucky didn't walk into traffic, though in retrospect I had no business being out in public.

Once I get to my room, I take a nap, perhaps 1½ hours. This leaves me refreshed enough to get out and explore a bit. My favorite activity is a Food Tour. A guide, light walking, and dinner. Perfect (for me).

Enjoy your first trip to Europe!

I am so glad I asked, what amazing info and responses. We are coming from the Midwest USA & are definitely planning to take melatonin or Advil PM on the plane to sleep (although I’ve never been great about sleeping in planes). We will power through & get to sleep after an early take out dinner. Thank you all so much!!

I would say power through physically, but don't ask too much of yourself mentally. On my first day in Europe I always try to do something like a walk in a garden. In Rome, you could do the Quirinal Gardens. Or take a stroll down the Corso or around the Piazza Navona. Or just walk around your hotel's neighbourhood, and eat outdoors at a cafe.

But don't rely on your brain to be able to take in too much. No tours or historic sites. One year I went to a play the first night and slept through half of it.

I was so concerned about this, too, our first time. I have friends who travel to Europe much more than I and always take a 3 hour nap. However, we were so excited, adrenaline flowing and weren’t sleepy at all. We had an earlier dinner, 7:30, then I really needed to sleep at 9. Got a full nights sleep.

Since you are getting there early enough, I might do a “short” tour of something if it’s offered in the afternoon. , 2 hours max. But, you might have just as much fun roaming around that first day.

Just read thru the replies, Kathy…I think we travel similarly!

We have never arrived at a destination in Continental Europe before early afternoon and we have always followed the same routine. Upon arrival at our lodging we shower and head out into the neighborhood to familiarize ourselves with the area, and we usually stop at a few shops to pick up a few provisions--snacks, wine, etc. We've found that we cannot stay awake until normal European dining hours, but that street food is a good early dinner and allows us to turn in early. By the next morning we are on schedule.

Here's what we do:

1) Enjoy the trip on the plane. I have 2 glasses of wine. I then take a nap.
2) When we arrive, we get into the time of the location. If it is, as is usual, breakfast time, we have a coffee and a pastry.
3) We do not drive anywhere on the day of arrival.
4) Walking around is a good idea.
5) An early evening is usually a good idea.

It's never really a problem, the jet lag. We've been 6 times in the last 10 years, and never an issue.

While it's true that you'll probably be powering thru your first day on adrenaline alone (followed by the inevitable crash later in the evening once the excitement wears off) the other matter to consider is the disrupted sleep schedule you'll experience for several days with the 8 hour time change between the midwest and Italy. If you stay up until midnight in Italy your body clock is only going to register that it's 4 PM, which in our case at least results in a lot of tossing and turning trying to get to sleep in what feels like the middle of the afternoon. That for us is historically the bigger problem than the redeye flight over with its attendant issues, and it typically does last for several days.
You might want to have a strategy to deal with that - whether it's an OTC sleeping aid that works for you or perhaps a prescription sleeping aid as suggested/prescribed by your doctor.
As a side note: I wouldn't expect to get much (if any) sleep on the flight over - you'll be too charged up with anticipation to be able to relax much, meaning that you'll likely arrive at your destination in the morning sleep-deprived and exhausted. As others have suggested, there's nothing wrong with checking into your accommodation and taking a shower and a short power nap to start to feel human again before heading out for the evening. Keep the nap short though - no more than a couple of hours at the most.

Hahaha...Liz in PA, yes! That is SO me. I'm more able to stay awake when I am with someone but when I am on my own, I need to be near my hotel in case I have a sinking spell and need a nap. I drop my bags at the hotel, do lunch, walk a little, head back to check in and then take a nap. I always set an alarm and sleep for 1-1.5 hours, shower and head back outside. I also put my "travel clothes" in my big ziplock "wash bag" for my first hand wash, lol. I don't know why those clothes feel so scrungy.

I agree with the others not to do a paid tour that day and try to remain flexible. You may be able to power thru or you might not. IF you do feel you need to nap, do what your body needs but set an alarm and try to get yourself up. It's not wrong to take a nap!

Id agree with the general consensus and just push through until a reasonable bedtime. I'd avoid organized or scheduled tours as you might not want to be rushed or forced this way and that way. We typically use this time to walk the streets around our hotel and scope out convenient grocery stores and look for restaurants we might want to try in the coming days. Getting to Rome at 8:30am, to me, means getting to your city center hotel around 10:00am so your're already 90 minutes closer to bedtime. LOL. Visit some churches, which are amazing and free on this first night too. Take the time to hop on some city buses to learn how they work and take a trip on the Metro too. Getting some of these "first time" experiences out of the way will make the rest of your trip less anxious and more fun too.
I hope you enjoy Rome, its one of my favorite places to visit.

Lots of good advice above (and a little that I don't agree with, but not everyone is built the same).

I am definitely in the "power through it" camp. It's not easy to do -- requires a firm resolve -- but I think the benefits do outweigh the effort required. Some additional things to consider:

There are actually two separate issues here that everyone is conflating: jetlag, and exhaustion. They are not the same, though I think (at least for me) the solution to both are related.

Jetlag is related to your natural body rhythm being in sync with your home time zone rather than the one you just landed in. Some of us experience this more than others. It can be tricky to address quickly, but the passage of time will eventually fix it (unfortunately, it can take many days to resolve if you just ignore it, and on a short trip, you may get over it just in time for your trip home). IME, the only way to address this quickly requires a bit of a shock to your system.

Exhaustion is pretty simple. It's mostly due to a lack of rest, so the fix is also mostly simple -- in theory. But circumstances and our common behaviors get in the way. Before a major foreign adventure, most of us are excited. We also have a LOT of stuff we need to get done before we lock the door and head out for weeks away from home. Work, family, basic daily tasks, plus all the planning, packing, prepping, list-checking, worries, last-minute emergencies, etc. All this drives a cumulative mix of stress, and drains your mental and physical reserves, in the days leading up to your trip, which in turn requires greater rest and down-time to recover from that - which tends to be impossible just then. Not able to get 8+ hours of sleep every night before a trip? Working extra hours so you still have a job/home/life to return to? This creates a self-reinforcing feedback loop. For me, it's not unusual to be up all night packing and prepping and just dealing with things before I even head to the airport, so I may be exhausted even before the trip starts -- not good! Then add in the actual stress of travel itself, an uncomfortable cramped airline seat, worries, a last minute crisis or two...and you're a wreck before your wheels leave the ground. Then, when you finally arrive, there's the actual jetlag, language barriers, weird food, confusion driven by everything being unfamiliar, and other stresses: I call this mix "Geo-Spatial Displacement Trauma" (GSDT™) and it's real.

The good news is that you (usually) have the power to avoid much of the exhaustion from pre-trip stuff, but doing so requires vigilance and planning. It can easily sneak up on you if you don't anticipate and plan ahead for all the stuff that piles up as your departure approaches. I've got a long, detailed pre-trip checklist that I begin working through 90 days before departure. It helps me avoid the accumulation of tasks during the last day or two. For those that are not quite so anal who don't want to use a 10-page checklist, there's common-sense items: see to your heath (get rest, eat well, get exercise, etc.), tend to work, home, family and life tasks EARLY. It's easy to say you will do that, not as easy to pull it off.

For me, I have found that the "fix" for both GSDT and jetlag is often the Rick Steves-endorsed "power through it" on your arrival day. By the time your arrival day (early) dinner is done, your body and mind will be VERY ready to accept deep, restorative sleep. I have come to actually enjoy the feeling of that first sleep in Europe, letting go of all my cares, as soon as I hit the pillow, feeling myself slip down to deep, deep sleep -- it's a satisfying, intense relaxation like no other rest. I now actually look forward to that as part of my arrival. I wake up the next day feeling great, my body is on local time, and the days ahead are free of jetlag.

It works really well for me. Hope this is helpful to others.

The only thing I worry about when people want to sleep for the whole flight is getting a blood clot because you haven't moved in hours.
Make sure to wear flight compression socks, from take off to landing.
Most big drugstores sell them, you just have to measure your legs as it says on the packaging.

I like to try and stay up when I arrive in Europe from W. Canada.
If you can have some food with plenty of protein after you get organised and get out for a wander around, that will help.
It gives you some energy.
Get some daylight and fresh air; you don't have to go far from your accommodation...just take in the immediate neighbourhood.
Take some food back to your room, and maybe go to bed around 7-8 pm.
You will wake up to the wonderful sound of church bells in the morning!

A friend of mine who lives in Europe and flew back and forth often gave me this tip. As soon as you are able to get into your hotel, take a 2 to 3 hour nap. Then get up and continue your day as usual. Of course this is if you get in in the morning or the afternoon. Go to bed at your regular time. The nap gives you just enough energy to get through the day without feeling like a zombie. I’ve traveled to Europe about seven or eight times and I’ve use this technique every time. It really works. The only time I screwed up was when I forgot to set the alarm and slept a little longer than I planned. It still helped me and I had no problem sleeping the rest of the evening.

Husband and I power through like many of you, but we've often done a walking tour in the afternoon if our flight gets in early enough, especially if we can find one you don't have to reserve in advance. It's good being outside and it can be a nice introduction to the city. Last trip in 2019 I went with a friend and advised her to not nap but she couldn't resist. She struggled with sleep the whole trip and never really adjusted.

As I have often advised people on this site, what we commonly refer to as "Jet lag" has two totally separate components, travel fatigue and dissynchronization.

If you were to fly directly south from Washington, DC, to Lima, Peru, it would take about 12 hours, but you would be at about the same longitude, in the same time zone. If you flew at the right time of the year, the days would even be about the same length; daybreak would occur at about the same time you were used to. However, having spent 12 hours in an aluminum tube, in the dry air of an airplane, probably without sufficient hydration, you would have travel fatigue. But you would not have dissynchronization.

However, if you were in New York City, and Scotty beamed you over, instantly, to Rome, you wouldn't be tired, but you would still suffer from dissynchronization. Dissynchronization is when your internal clock, what wakes you in the morning and quiets you down to sleep in the evening, is out of sync with the time zone you are in. Have you ever gotten up in the middle of the night and tried to do something. You know how foggy you feel, almost like you have the flu; it's because all of your body functions have been turned down so you can sleep. Well, it's the same thing with jet lag. You are in Rome, and it's daylight, but you body is still functioning like it is the middle of the night, like you are asleep.

The way to get over dissynchonization is not to wait until late afternoon, when your body is expecting it to be light, but to get out in the morning, when your body is still expecting it to be dark, to start the re-synchronization process.

I've been to Europe 14 times. On my second trip over, I took a short nap (about 2 hours) in the late afternoon before dinner. I found that the short nap refreshed me, allowed me to stay awake from then on until a "normal" bedtime.

That was my second trip to Europe, but I've used variations on that schedule since, and it has always worked for me. Others may have different experiences.

I agree that there are two issues (that combine into one): the ole body clock gets out of whack and you are just exhausted from traveling.

You likely have at least one connection before your TransAtlantic flight, and depending on what time your first flight is, your arrival early at the airport to deal with all the stuff that has to be dealt with nowadays, and then your connection flight, you can already have a really long day. When we traveled, I always tried to book no more than a 2-leg (one connection) trip, but inevitably most of the time, we would get the "your flight has changed" email, which required a trip thru Atlanta before NYC, making my carefully planned 2-leg a 3-leg....grrrrr....longer day!

All of the advice above is excellent, so I will not repeat it. But, how you feel when you arrive will dictate how long you can go and if/how long of a nap you will need. Ours always varied, depending how hellish (or not) our flights were, whether there was a crying baby or snoring adult, bad weather, delays, etc. Just do what you feel like doing.

One bit of advice: Plan to eat soon after you get settled into your room (or store your luggage with check-in if your room is not yet ready, ask your hotel staff where they would eat) and go out to find real breakfast (vs. the just the airline breakfast food you had just hours earlier) as you will be hungry), then plan a late, good (as in nourishing) lunch, then maybe (or not) you will be ready for the shower/nap. But, more times than not, neither one of us then really felt like going out when our alarm went off........shower/nap/comfy bed/still exhausted....and believe me when I say: Have something other than leftover airplane peanuts in your room, so if/when you wake up starving, but not really wanting to go back out afterall, you will not feel miserable and hungry. Maybe a sandwich type thing,kept on ice, if no mini-fridge in the room and some carbo type stuff (but not high sugar or chocolate). If you wake up from a nap ready to go out for a real dinner, all you have lost is the extra sandwich, but it could be lifesaver if you are like us and just want sleep. My husband always seems to wake up from that arrival nap as hungry as a bear coming out of hibernation!! That said, do understand that sometimes we have left our home at 3am or 4am in order to make the first flight, then safe spacing (at least 2-3hours between flights) for the other two connections...................all that equals a L O N G and exhausting day. You will wonder if it is worth it.....but later you will realize it really is.

We have gotten to the point, we would rather take fewer trips and have a lay-flat business class seats (pod even better), do not be shy about asking for extra pillows (or take a pillowcase from home and stuff a soft jacket into it) and that helps with sleep, but it is still a plane and not your own bed. Half the time,I can sleep okay in those circumstances, but most of the time, is it touch/go with sleep interruptions. If in coach, I might catch a short cat nap, at best.

Totally agree not to have a scheduled tour that first day....walk around, see easy things, and get your bearings.

Have a safe and fun trip.

One point to consider is what you will do when the people in your traveling party react differently to the jet lag. I prefer to stay awake and adjust to the new time zone asap. My husband won’t/can’t do that. So, I do something easy, usually near our hotel, while he sleeps.

Enjoy your trip!

• change your watch to the new time as soon as you board the plane. Act as you are in the new time zone already. If according to your watch is time to go to sleep, go to sleep on the plane (or at least try) instead of watching a movie.
• Upon arrival Check into your hotel (hopefully the room is ready as sometimes it won’t before check in time). If too early to check-in, drop the bags with the concierge and go out.
• Take a shower, change clothes. Do not make the mistake to lie down on the bed (you’ll fall asleep and won’t wake up until your regular wake up time according to your body clock).
• Go out and make sure that whatever you do is something that involves walking outdoors in the sun. Sunlight regulates our body clock. If you go anywhere indoor and dark, you will have a hard time staying awake.
• Have an early dinner and go back to your hotel. Keep the shutters open so that your room is lit up with the sun in the morning. Tomorrow will be another day (a better one).

We all react differently, and I think a big thing is if you can sleep on a plane - I can't, so jet lag is a real thing for me. I have more than 40 trips to Europe, so I have had a decent amount of data to draw from :-). All I can suggest is what works for me. I TRY to sleep as much as possible, which is pretty fruitless for me. But last number of trips, I have been bringing melatonin, and that has helped quite a bit.when dinner is done, and light go down, I try to relax and get rest, no matter how I am feeling. Remember, heading east is typically tail winds, so the trip is shorter going as opposed to coming home. Once we land, get our stuff, and get to the hotel or apartment, that's when Jet lag battle begins. I am a fan of getting outside! get in the sun. I am typically pretty hungry, and regardless of what my body is saying I take not of the local time, and plan on getting food based on that (breakfast, coffee, lunch, etc). I never plan anything for this day other than getting a feel for the local neighborhood we are staying. The goal is to walk, enjoy, eat, and hopefully, get through dinner without any napping (naps "kill" me, and I wake up much worse than if I hadn't. For me, a Nap is the devil :-). Once done with dinner, we try to get a nightcap, and head to bed early. Goal is to wake up normal local time refreshed. I also don't like to waste that first day, as the most expensive parts of our vacations are our time. Tine is valuable. I like to get a feel for the local life. check some things out to revisit later in detail, note where restaurants are etc.

At the end of the day, only you can say wha t is best for you. For me, its easy - try to rest on plane, get a lot of sun, mentally get on local time, make it till after dinner, and get to bed not too early, with goal of waking up local time and rearing to go.

Good luck!

Glenn

After 30 replies, here's the bad news: there's no formula that works every time, an easy adjustment may well be followed by a hard one even if you follow the same routine.

As people have said, everyone reacts differently. Jetlag barely affects me, whereas it takes my husband a week to adjust completely. We both find that being hungry in the middle of the night often wakes us up at weird times. In other words, our stomach "clocks" seem to be the biggest issue. So, we find it helpful to have something handy to grab and snack on (e.g. a banana) if we wake up hungry.

We usually power through, but this isn't always the case. It really depends on how much sleep, if any, we got on the plane. Our flights have always been overnight flights, and my husband can sleep anywhere, but I used to be unable to sleep on planes. Now, I take melatonin (and continue to do so for at least a week after a big time change), and I also take half a Gravol to help me sleep. I get a lot more sleep on planes now, even if it's fitful.

The one time we did nap--in Mainz after an overnight flight to Frankfurt from Western Canada--we slept for 2-3 hours and woke up feeling great. We then walked around, exploring the historical centre, and went for a meal at a place overlooking the Rhine. Even when we don't nap, we usually spend the first day wandering around, getting the lay of the land, finding food, etc.

I wouldn't book a tour the first day for a different reason, though. What if your flight is delayed? For instance, we once had a flight to Lisbon delayed by about 9 hours, due to rotating TAP air strikes.

I used to not be able to sleep on planes, too. At all. Not even a fleeting moment of light sleep on any flight, no matter how long I had been awake and how exhausted I was: I was always wide awake, alert, with my eyes closed but hearing every single sound around me, my mind racing, hyper-aware of my surroundings and circumstances, unable to drift off and get that restful sleep my body and mind were craving so badly. I would arrive debilitated, physically ill, sometimes spending my first hour in some airport's bathroom. A really awful way to begin a trip.

Then I discovered lay-flat beds (seats) in business class. That changed everything.

In that environment, I can sleep like a baby. And getting 5 or 6 hours (or more) of solid, deep, restful sleep while on the way to the other side of the world makes all the difference for me. I arrive rested, feeling great, happy, and ready to hit the ground running -- literally. It's not cheap (and not always possible for everyone) but flying business class effectively "buys me" extra days on my trip ("recovery days" that I would have been otherwise miserable and not able to really enjoy completely). Yes, I know it's not an option for some, but if you are able to make it happen and are on the fence, I think it's the best way to beat "jetlag" (or what most here are calling that). If it's an option for you, it's an option worth considering.

Yes, David, those flat beds in business class really do make a difference! I arrived fully rested when I was upgraded a few times back in the day when I traveled some for work.

But for my normal reality after arriving in the morning from a flight from Seattle to Europe in the coach seats, I am definitely tired! My husband & I do better with completely different methods. He needs the couple of hours of immediate sleep. I need to be outside walking (never sitting) and exploring. I can’t take a shower before walking, or I want to crawl in bed, plus I start feeling leftover motion dizzy. It works out well for both of us for me to be outside walking because I will have scoped out a restaurant for dinner by the time he’s up around 4pm. By the next day, we’re both doing pretty well.

Before I knew my best routine for me, my husband & I were having pizza in Verona, and I seriously wanted to use that round pizza as a pillow and put my head down on the table - LOL!

I’m mainly commenting to also share that we don’t plan any tasks that require concentration on arrival day when we have jet lag. So, we always have Euros ahead of time; we don’t want to use an ATM on arrival. Important items are in a money belt, and we leave the airport. I’ve already planned how we will get to the hotel. We enjoy using public transportation, but unless it’s straight forward, we will use a taxi from the airport or train.

I just have to add to this. After enduring jet lag for 38 years-both to/from Asia and to/from Europe, everyone is right that it’s a combination of who you are, where you are traveling from and to, how much you sleep on the plane and how much you are interested in your destination! Part of what might work best is related to how much time you will actually have on the ground at your first destination. A day and a half-get out there and get going! Five days on the ground- possibly that nap, which by the way, you will wake up from feeling like you’ve been drugged whether its 1-2 hrs or 3-4, might work. At the most, I might have had 2 nights somewhere (usually only one) which meant only one full day for sightseeing. If I allowed myself a nap on my arrival day- I never got past the sluggish feeling and didn’t sleep well that night. Instead, if I had an espresso and sandwich, took a short shower and went for it, I would sleep well that night and be well ready for a good long day for sightseeing the remaining full day. The one night stays, I would have the short shower, espresso and sandwich then take city walks, go to an afternoon concert or go to the museums. Granted, I would go to that destination again, so I had the opportunity to be more casual and even spend time indoors. I agree with Roberto-try not to be indoors in the dark during those first hours on the ground.
There’s no doubt that you will WANT that nap. If you are someone who can de bone tired, take an hour nap and wake up refreshed, then that is your answer. If you’re likely to sleep through the alarm-you’ve wasted time that could be spent in the fresh air, sitting at an outdoor table watching the interesting world of a different place go by, taking a one- two hour familiarization guided tour of the area-just plain getting some walking in around your new environs. Plan an early meal (or late afternoon) so that you can be in bed asleep by 9pm.

Have a fabulous trip!

On our last trip to Italy, we landed in Rome at 7 am. We got to the hotel around 9, checked in and started walking. We did power through to the evening. For me, the key is disrupting my sleep patterns before I go. I stay up late and go to bed at weird times for about a week before we leave. I try to make the first leg of the trip the longest leg and arrive at the airport tired. I'm in the two-glasses-of-wine club. If the attendant is handing out the little bottles before dinner, ask for two. They will give them to you. I wear noise-cancellation headphones on the flight and put on a boring movie. Melatonin doesn't work well for me. Generally, I will sleep fitfully but it will be enough.

Personally, I think travel weariness is cumulative. It starts with jet-lagged and then you add thousands of steps of walking, late dinners, fresh air and a lot of mental stimulation. Once you know yourself, you can plan for a down-day in your travels. If you need to sleep in late, go for it. If a train trip is a nap, so be it. Most importantly, don't be miserable! If it starts to feel like a death-march, go to bed. In the end, it will all be okay.

First advice is to start out healthy and well rested. That means don’t stay up late the night before celebrating or packing or worrying! Eat healthy, take vitamins if you like, don’t get on the plane hung over.

Second is that a good chunk of jet lag is mental. It doesn’t matter that it’s 11PM at home. You’re in Italy, all that matters is what time it is there so stop converting time and live on Italian time. Start this mindset on the plane.

Then dehydration is a much bigger issue than you think. Planes dehydrate you no matter what, and it’s worse if you avoid drinking water on the flight. So bring your own water bottle, don’t rely on meal service for your beverages. You can fill up a reusable one in the airport or buy plastic bottles after security.

I’d avoid a tour or anything you’d be sad to be too tired to appreciate that first day. It’s a great day for walking around, getting the lay of the land, enjoying outdoor things like squares or fountains. If you feel good, go do whatever you prefer, but don’t count on it.
When you can check in to your hotel, a shower helps. Take an hour to shower, unpack, rest and then head back out. Otherwise you might fall asleep for the night at 4PM and that’s just going to wake you up at 2AM and the cycle continues.

Talk to your doctor about melatonin. I’ll take one on the plane at bedtime, or one if I do wake up at 2AM. If your doctor agrees, try it beforehand. It helps me, but my son says it makes him groggy and grumpy.

I'll mention one more thing that goes along with that "body clock" concept. Our appetites are thrown off for the first few days, so that we are hungry at odd times of the day, and not wanting full meals at local dinner time or at all. So be prepared for that possibility as well.

The best thing to do on your first day is drop off your bags if your room isn’t ready then explore the neighborhood that you’re sleeping in so you know where the nearest pharmacy is, etc. When your room is ready, shower and change which will wake you up. Afterwards stay on your feet but don’t book a tour or visit a museum since you need energy to absorb it all; spoil yourself instead. Eat dinner early evening and then chill out in your room until you’re ready to turn out the lights.

As you can see there are as many options as there are people. Since this is your first trip, you're going to have to find out trial and error (sorry). For myself, traveling from west coast USA to Europe, I try to shift my sleep pattern to east coast time the few weeks before (getting up a half hour earlier each day until I'm 3 hours ahead...yes this means an early bedtime and occupying my time doing chores at unholy hours). I'm not able to get deep sleep on a plane, even with meds. So depending on the arrival time I try to power through or as others have suggested a 1.5-2 hour nap usually helps, along with a shower and an early dinner. This has worked for me on most trips with 8 or 9 time zones difference from my home. The only time I had zero jet lag was going to SE Asia, where essentially I skipped a whole day and ended up on the same time schedule (lucky I guess).

And though no one has mentioned it, please remember you're going to have jet lag coming home from Europe, which in my opinion is even worse. I always take at least two extra days off from work knowing I'll be a complete mess, but it's usually three or four days before I feel normal. Be kind to yourself in preparation for return - clean sheets and house, a few easy meals to pull from the freezer, and plenty of coffee.

So much great advice here. I rarely sleep more than a couple of hours on planes but usually find that I'm OK for the first day or two. The mistake I made on my last overseas trip (which was the first one I'd done in years) was to do WAY too much on our first full day in Paris. We got up early, spent the whole day out and about, had a long dinner with friends, and didn't get back to our room until 10pm. The following day, I hit the wall in the early afternoon and nearly had a panic attack because I felt so out of it. So my suggestion is to build some time into each day for downtime -- maybe not a nap (unless that works for you!) but some chill-out time to give your body and brain a rest. Enjoy your trip!

Ginny, I think I can provide a little more science backed advice. I work at NASA and have worked with the flight surgeons who have done research on this (for astronauts but also because we do a lot of world wide travel). I would strongly recommend you get the app Timeshifter. It allows you to put in your travel and it will then build a plan for you based on research. For example, for your trip the general rules would be:
- Take a small amount of melatonin a few days before your trip and shift your bed time (and it is important to get quality melatonin with a certified amount of it in there, not just a basic over the counter that says good for this)
- Avoid alcohol - yeah some people say it helped but you will actually will be worse off
- Try to sleep on the plane
- Yes, take a nap the day you arrive
- There are specific times you should maximize light and times to wear sun glasses
- It is probably worth it to invest in a travel UV light box to help you shift, especially if it happens to be cloudy.
The bottom line...I have followed these protocols for years and I end up feeling like I didn't get a full night of sleep the first day or two but generally great and pretty quickly normal.

robert.c.dempsey thanks for those tips!

I subscribe to the "everyone's jet lag is different" philosophy and powering thru has not worked too well for me. I am miserable that day, in a foul mood and definitely not able to enjoy. a 1.5 hour nap keeps me going through the afternoon/evening and I am still tired enough to go back to sleep at nite.

While a majority here warn against any tour on your day or arrival, I will be a dissenting voice, to a degree. Last September, after arriving in Rome in the morning from Boston, we checked into our hotel, and immediately headed out to explore the neighborhood and have a light lunch. That evening, we had booked a small group walking food tour which met at 5 pm. It lasted 3 hours, gave us a good orientation, and took care of dinner for that night, so we didn't need to worry about where or what to eat. For my small group, it was the perfect beginning to our Roman adventure.