Seniors Traveling

It you really want to break it up, fly to an east coast destination (and your international hub) and spend some time. Then, fly from there.

I always fly to Denver, for family. It's amazing how much difference a 2.5 hour shorter flight makes for me. From the east coast, it would be even more.

Obviously, this involves time and money. Perhaps you have family you can visit to make it worthwhile.

West Coast to East Coast ... 2 day visit
East Coast to London .... 2 day visit
London to Germany .... long visit

Reverse going home

Direct flight from west coast to Germany. You will get better answers if you state departing and destination airports.

I agree with Carol in that it would be helpful to have more information. That said, I also agree with CWSocial in that it will probably be easier if you can break it up into two segments. It not only makes it a bit easier, but it also will help with jet lag.

Some airlines, like TAP and Iceland Air, have free stopover fares. You fly to their hub, stay a few days, then resume your trip to your final destination at no extra charge. You would have to pay for your hotels, in the stopover city.

We live near Portland, OR, and like the Condor flight which is non-stop to Frankfurt. I know they also fly from Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. We find it less tiring to go directly over water from the West Coast to Europe.

One caution on Condor, the coach section is very cramped, but the Premium Economy section is reasonable comfortable.

Business class, flat bed seat.

You might want to read this post about the Timeshifter app which has helped some forum readers.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tech-tips/timeshifter-app

Fly to Boston Logan on the first day, stay overnight at an airport hotel, take the British Airways day flight to London on the second day, stay over night at an airport hotel, fly to Germany on the third day. (There is a day flight out of a NY airport, but I've never taken it and it would be a longer flight from there). Fly British Airways at least from Boston to Germany, that way both flights will probably be Into and out of Terminal 5. Otherwise you have to hassle with changing terminals. That way you can stay at the Sofitel which is an inside walk to the hotel at T5. Give me a real bed anytime. I took business, lie flat beds, just once a couple of years ago, but while it was more comfortable than economy due to the possible changes of position, I didn't sleep a wink and wouldn't (never say never, haha) pay for it again. Give me a real, comfortable mattress and a room of my own in a hotel!

I've been taking this day flight for a couple of decades now, but took one overnight in business class a couple of years ago. OMG, never again. I forgot how horrible overnight flights are. The day flight is so much more relaxing and you don't miss a night of sleep. Order room service at the Sofitel, too, for a lovely relaxing experience after the flight. This plan will cost you much less than flying first/business class and you will be so much less tired.

Going home, reverse the scenario, even though they are all day flights going home, or add Germany to the Boston (or NY, etc.) flight day...long day though.

Fly to Boston Logan on the first day, stay overnight at an airport hotel, take the British Airways day flight to London on the second day, stay over night at an airport hotel, fly to Germany on the third day. (There is a day flight out of a NY airport, but I've never taken it and it would be a longer flight from there). Fly British Airways at least from Boston to Germany,

For the price of this you can do what ORDTraveler suggests: Business Class, flatbed seat. Condor has that. Or British Air to LHR then change planes to your destination.

I'm with Mr. E and Wray. To suggest that flying business class would somehow be a remedy for being "up for 26 hours" would be a true statement if your overnight flight does not make you excited, anxious, worried, afraid of crashing, keyed up, and ruminating about what you will do or what you left undone at home. But the two overnight flights I've take so far make me all of the above. Next time I'm flying to New York, sightseeing, flying to London in the daytime.

Counting the time from when I leave my home in Idaho, get driven to the Spokane airport, fly to Seattle or another hub, have a layover, blah blah, it's a good 21-24 hours or more for those of us in the Inland Northwest. I prefer to get the long flight out of the way and get to Amsterdam, Paris or London from the West Coast.

I did have good luck with the Timeshifter app (Jean's link) and with the lie flat seats in Delta One. After dinner is served I make myself put the bed into position, put on my light blocking eye mask and do meditation or calming breathing exercises. I manage to sleep for 4-6 hours on the plane going over, then continuing to follow the Timeshifter protocol have had a relatively easy time adjusting.

I, also, am 75.

My husband,son and I fly at least once a year to visit his cousins in Germany but we fly direct from Atlanta to Frankfurt. Weve done this for the last eleven years. The best flight we had was being upgraded to delta one for the trip over where we were able to sleep 6 hours on the way. Then we spent one day and night in Frankfurt before catching the train the next morning to a city near his family. Unfortunately we don't feel comfortable spending that much so we fly comfort plus and get a hotel room immediately and nap for an hour or two before venturing out. Oh, were 77 and 75 also. I hope you have a great time.

My philosophy is to power through and get as far as possible on the initial flight. So for example, a non-stop to Frankfurt or Munich from the West Coast, then take a break before moving on to your final destination.

I'm only a few years younger than you are, and I've found it easier to deal with extended travel times than in the past.

Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles all have direct flights to Germany (FRA) taking 11 hours or less.

Lacking specifics as to your origin, time of year for traveling and destination, it is challenging to understand why you would be up for 26 consecutive hours to make the trip.

At 75 treat yourself to biz class.

I find dealing with airports—-getting to and from, checking in, going through security, etc. the most stressful part of flying. So there is no way I would want to add 1 or 2 more airport experiences to my trip.

Besides, if you fly from the West coast to NY for an overnight, you are not only adding another airport, but a lot of extra airtime to the trip. Especially from Seattle. If you have a globe, look at the distance from Seattle to someplace in Germany, like Frankfurt. Then compare with the distance from New York to Frankfurt. You will see it is almost as far, and you are not much closer at all. So most of the 6-hour cross-country flight was more or less wasted, in terms of getting you to Germany.

From LAX it would be a closer call, but I still wouldn’t consider doing that. Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco all have at least one flight directly to Germany (usually Frankfurt, with Lufthansa or Condor), so that would be my recommendation. Unless you want to spend a few days in London or other European city on the way. If you enjoy train trips you could travel from London to Germany via Paris or Amsterdam over the course of several days and have a nice visit in each place.

good suggestion as to how to take that long trip

Melatonin and bed one hour earlier each night for 2-3 days before your flight. Direct flight. Business or first class. Evening departure as close to your bed time as possible. No alcohol on the plane.

The goal is to sleep on the plane. Not to be awake on the plane.

As a further explanation to my prior comment about how I travel on day flights and stay at a nice hotel at the airport, particularly in not changing terminals in Heathrow, it is because I want my vacation to start when I leave the house, not when I arrive at my destination, exhausted and stressed out. I like to lessen the stress of travel. I don't have to stand in lines to check in and I don't have to worry about getting to the airport in stress mode. All I have to do is walk from my hotel, into the terminal and go through security. Nothing else. And my vacation has started by staying in a lovely hotel, having a wonderful dinner (not plane food) and not arriving at my destination exhausted. There's no suffering through any days with jet lag. I actually stay at the hotel at Logan before my trip to alleviate the stress of hurrying to the airport. With all my 2 or 3 hotel nights, it is still less expensive than paying for business class or first class, and more pleasant than attempting to sleep flat in the dorm plane versus sleeping in a luxurious bed after a lovely meal and shower, beats it all. IMO. You do you. And I really shouldn't be trying to sell day flights and slow travel days because then the price might go up. LOL. I'm 70, long retired and in no hurry, and I find it stressful to travel in the old way or the common way on transport days, so I lessen the stress by relaxing and enjoying the travel and pampering myself at night or when I'm not on the plane. On the plane I enjoy a good book. No complaints.

True. Sleeping is the key to avoid jet lag after a flight of 11 hours from SFO to Frankfurt or Paris.

I take the overnight non-stop flight. I'm the same age now 75. Business Class or Premium Economy are not options, I only go Basic Economy and invariably end up in Group 4 or 5, mostly likely a given, though not satisfactory. It's what I put up with but don't get jet lag.