jet lag travelling to australia

11 expert tips to beat jet lag every time

11 February 2020

How do travel professionals and experts beat jet lag? Steve Madgwick talks to a doctor, a former long-haul flight engineer and a travel professional to see how they suggest to combat it.

Dr Brian Morton, Chair, Council of General Practice, Australian Medical Association (AMA)

What causes jet lag?”

Quite simply, it occurs when we cross time zones and our body clock hasn’t adjusted to the different time zone. Normally bright light/sunlight sets our wake-up and sleep cycle and it’s this change in exposure to light where it begins.”

Any long-term effects for frequent travellers?

“It may affect not only people’s moods but their behaviour and relationships too. Your interaction with people can be more aggressive, you can display poor judgement and, of course, be more drowsy than usual. Attention span, memory and reasoning abilities change so smart companies get their executives there the day before a critical meeting.”

Some people say it’s possible to be jet lagged on a flight from Sydney to Perth?

“It is an east-west time difference so maybe there is some true jet lag in it, but it’s probably mainly sleep deprivation. The AMA meets in Canberra so it flies over Perth doctors, who usually come the night before, but if they come in on a morning flight, you watch them wilt during the day, virtually asleep in the meeting after lunch.”

Can you beat it entirely?

“People do adapt but it’s down to changing your behaviour and knowing how to cope with it – mothers looking after young babies and shift workers do get tired, but some adapt quite well. But if you assess a passenger’s performance after a flight, with physiological tests, I think that they wouldn’t perform as well as when they’re not travelling across time zones.”

The Doc’s jet lag busting tips:

1. “Take some melatonin, a natural hormone – Circadin, for example. That will help you sleep and adjust to the time difference. Simple hypnotics, such as Temazepam, can help you to adjust to a sleep cycle, but melatonin is more natural – although it doesn’t seem to work after three weeks straight.”

2. “Fly during daytime if possible and then go to bed at night as normally as possible.”

3. “Try to immediately adjust to the new time zone: go to bed at the right time, avoid fatty meals and caffeine, and not too much alcohol on the flight. Make sure you’re well hydrated!”

4. “If it’s still daylight when you arrive, try to expose yourself to outdoor light or high intensity artificial light – especially if you arrive at 4 or 5 in the afternoon.”

The Long-Haul Flight Engineer

David Gilmore, Qantas (retired), regularly flew long-haul Sydney to London, Sydney to Los Angeles and Perth to Johannesburg as in-cockpit flight engineer.

How do airline crews deal with jet lag?

“It’s almost impossible to avoid, but it’s made easier for the crew because there was no alcohol involved, which is a contributing factor. Flying at altitude, the humidity is very low, because the cabin constantly air conditioned, so the smart ones drink water.”

Did you get used to it, after 20 years of flying?

“It was worse when I was new to flying – you live in one timezone and then all of a sudden you start travelling regularly and across numerous timezones. It seemed to be harder flying to London and back. Most of the sectors were flown at night – so it should be daytime for your body but it sees that it’s night time and automatically wants to rest.”

Did Qantas have guidelines?

“The consensus is that you must get some sleep before you fly. And when you’re on a stopover, if you are tired try to sleep, if you are hungry try to eat. Listen to your body, but temper it with where you are. So if you in London and it’s two in the afternoon, and you are really tired, have one or two hours sleep and set a wake-up call for yourself. So you can sort of have a normal day, without waking up at three in the morning. We had a couple of guys who tried to stay on Sydney time wherever they went but that meant they led a very isolated life – they were trying to sleep when everyone else was out enjoying themselves. They would spend two or three days by themselves.”

Long term effects on you?

“I don’t think so, maybe my sleep patterns a bit. I’ve always worked broken hours so even now it’s not uncommon for me to wake up at 4.30 and 5.30 in the morning.”

What the flight crew do

1. “Get as much exercise as you can. Even in your seat you can do leg stretches. When you arrive, and want to go sightseeing, walk instead of catching a cab.”

2. “Hydration! An aeroplane cabin can be dryer than the Sahara and you can be there for 13 hours.”

3. “If you tired have a short sleep, if you are hungry eat.”

The Travel Professional

Quentin Long, owner of Australian Traveller and International Traveller magazines, travels between four and five return long-haul (plus numerous domestic) flights each year.

Does jet lag come knocking?

Yes, it’s getting worse as I get older. I wake up like a lightbulb, at all sorts of hours, and I get very tired. Now that I have two kids, I’m used to being half awake so jet lag is just an extension of this. I think I’m getting better at dealing with it though.

Your worst case?

I went to the Yukon in the middle of the Canadian summer – where the sun sets for two hours and even then it’s only just darkish. I was jetlagged at the same time so I didn’t know whether I was Arthur or Martha. I was at a hotel bar, at 30 minutes past midnight, and two blokes walked in just after finishing their golf round for a couple of beers. I was like “please, let the sun go down so my body knows when to sleep!”

Sounds punishing, any serious physical or physiological effects?

When I was working for Fairfax and flying economy all over the world (for eight months I was on a flight every week), my thyroid started playing up and my doctor said should I stop flying because of long-term stress on my body.

 How Quentin fights the lag

1. “Drink a lot of water on the flight. If you are going to drink alcohol, drink three times as much water (and get an aisle seat).”

2. “As soon as you board the flight try to move your brain to the destination time frame. Sleep if you need to sleep. Sleep if it’s nighttime there.”

3. “The Boeing Dreamliner plane’s big windows have made a big difference to people’s comfort and jet lag. Their pressurisation has actually made a difference to people’s fatigue.”

4. “I do not travel without sleeping pills any more.”

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After many years of travelling and 3am TV viewing at our destinations, my wife Rhonda and I on a recent trip to Norway found the answer to jet lag. It’s called Emirates Business Class. You can eat, sleep, drink , exercise…whatever you like but as long as you’re in Business Class it’s all good. And the real bonus… You actually look forward in anticipation of the return flight. Yippee

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How to avoid jet lag on your way to Australia and double your holiday

Every frequent flyer has their own tips and tricks for combatting jet lag – from avoiding salty in-flight meals to spritzing themselves with lavender. But when long haul gets serious, crossing multiple time zones, the savviest jet-setters know that stretching the stopover into a bonus mini-holiday is truly the best way to reset their body clock. Even more so since we’ve all been stockpiling holidays in lockdown.

As soon as Australia opens its borders, a few days in Singapore en route is just the ticket. The city has food that runs the gamut from street stalls to fine-dining, an exciting cocktail scene and some of the world’s best galleries and shopping – alongside a gripping history and vibrant culture – so immersing yourself in it not only beats jet lag but is a clued-in way to double your holiday. So with this in mind, here's a guide to the best places to visit, eat, drink and stay in both Singapore and Sydney.

12 things not to miss in Singapore during your stopover

With some of the best food and shopping in Asia and an exploding creative scene to match, Singapore is hard to resist. Street-food hawkers rival Michelin-starred restaurants and charming shophouses sit alongside gleaming skyscrapers – nowhere embodies the old and new quite like the Lion City. Here’s our pick of the crop.

VISIT THE NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE

The region’s largest museum of modern Singaporean and South-east Asian art is housed in the spectacular former Supreme Court and City Hall. With much of the building’s grand bones still intact, exhibitions are in what were previously stately courtrooms, holding cells and gilded meeting rooms. Finish your day with supper at National Kitchen by Violet Oon for a taste of traditional Peranakan dishes such as fish-head curry and beef rendang. Those seeking a real culture hit should opt for The Fullerton Hotel and The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore’s experiences, a roster of immersive tours partnering with institutions including the National Gallery and the Asian Civilisations Museum and offering a glimpse inside restricted areas of the Supreme Court and nuggets of lesser-known facts about the city, among other perks.

Address : National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew's Road, Singapore 178957 Website: nationalgallery.sg and fullertonhotels.com

WANDER AROUND TIONG BAHRU

This was one of the first hipster neighbourhoods in Singapore and now many of its Art Deco buildings and shophouses have been turned into cute cafés, bars and bookstores. Make the most of jet lag and go early to watch the haggling in the Tiong Bahru Market before wandering upstairs to the open-air hawker centre for a tasty local breakfast. Try a savoury bowl of chicken congee with soya-bean milk.

THEN SCALE THE CIVIC DISTRICT IN A SIDECAR

Once you’ve absorbed the best of Tiong Bahru on foot, why not explore other parts of the city on wheels – in a vintage Vespa sidecar, specifically? The one-hour Fullerton-curated tour will take you through this historic Civic District and parts of Chinatown, with highlights such as Old Parliament Lane, the Arts House, Thian Hock Keng Temple and mural by artist Yip Yew Chong and (time permitting) Bukit Pasoh Road, one of the filming locations for global hit Crazy Rich Asians . Available at both Fullerton hotels in Singapore, the tour is guided by the side-car driver who shares compelling local stories and shows you lesser-known corners of the city along the way.

Address: The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore, 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326 and The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore 049178 Telephone: +65 6533 8388 Price: From £120 with 48-hour advanced booking required Website: fullertonhotels.com

STROLL DOWN HAJI LANE

Singapore may be known for its shiny strip of shopping centres along Orchard Road, but for more unique homegrown labels, wander down Haji Lane in the cool Kampong Glam neighbourhood. Colourful shophouses have been turned into independent boutiques selling everything from jewellery to clothing and lifestyle knick-knacks. If you’re peckish, try a bowl of Blanco Court’s legendary prawn noodles, on the corner of Haji Lane and Beach Road.

The best restaurants in Singapore

THE CLIFFORD PIER

There is something particularly special about eating Singaporean hawker staples such as laksa and wok-fried carrot cake in this Art Deco restaurant. Named after a former governor and located on the point where many of Singapore's forefathers would have landed, The Clifford Pier inside The Fullerton Bay Hotel is a suitably grand spot, with concrete arched trusses and acres of marble. Come on weekends for elevated dim-sum classics including steamed crystal-shrimp dumplings and char siew sou (barbecued chicken in flaky pastry) from the all-time favourites section.

Address: The Clifford Pier, The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore, 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326 Telephone: +65 6597 5266 Website: fullertonhotels.com

One of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, this haut barbecue joint is part of the creative dining movement surging through Singapore. Everything here is cooked over a wood fire in full view of guests seated at a long counter. Order the Burnt Ends sanga : a pulled-pork sandwich with coleslaw in a brioche bun.

Address: Burnt Ends, 20 Teck Lim Road, Singapore 088391 Telephone: +65 6224 3933 Website: burntends.com.sg

This is a classic Cantonese restaurant at its best. The menu is lengthy and you can’t go wrong with any of the dishes – but the roasted Peking duck, simmered egg noodles with Boston lobster and sautéed Australian scallops with asparagus in house-made XO chilli sauce are stand-outs. And the service is impeccable.

Address: Jade, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore 049178 Telephone: +65 6877 8188 Website: fullertonhotels.com

Every evening the traffic-filled street next to Singapore’s historic hawker centre is closed off and the satay sellers spill out onto the pavement while ad-hoc plastic tables are set up. Order a selection of beef and chicken satays, washed down with jugs of ice-cold Tiger beer.

Address: Lau Pa Sat, 18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582 Telephone: +65 6220 2138 Website: laupasat.biz

TONG AH EATING HOUSE

Beat the jet lag with a low-key local breakfast of kaya (coconut jam) slathered on toast and a cup of strong Singapore-style kopi (black coffee made from beans roasted with butter). There are many traditional kopitiams (coffee shops) dotted around the city but the best are the ones passed down through generations, such as this Chinatown gem, which has been pulling in locals since 1939.

**Address:**Tong Ah Eating House, 35 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089142 Telephone: +65 6223 5083 Facebook page: TongAhEatingHouse

The best bars in Singapore

It's helmed by award-winning mixologist Vijay Mudaliar and everything here, from the spirits to the blaring music, is authentically South-east Asian. Come for inventive cocktails mixed with fruits, herbs and spices such as cinnamon, betel leaves, tapioca and curry leaves. Mudaliar is also a bit of an eco-warrior and this bar is part of the zero-waste movement.

Address: Native, 52a Amoy Street, Singapore 069878 Telephone: +65 8869 6520 Website: tribenative.com

GIN PARLOUR

A good G&T always pairs well with a view. And while the Gin Parlour’s 200-plus menu caters to differing tastes, everyone agrees about the beautiful waterfront sunsets over Marina Bay. You’ll be pushed to find a gin that doesn’t exist at this alfresco spot (just outside The Clifford Pier at The Fullerton Bay Hotel) – it stocks everything from the classics to lesser-known labels from local distilleries.

**Address:**Gin Parlour, The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore, 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326 Telephone: +65 6597 5266 Website: fullertonhotels.com

POTATO HEAD SINGAPORE

Located in a well-known heritage building in Chinatown, Potato Head packs three concepts under one roof: a burger bar, speakeasy and tropical rooftop bar. Head up to the latter for views over the district’s colourful Keong Saik Road. On your way down, have a tipple in the decadent drinking den, and before you leave, soak up the booze with a salted egg wagyu beef burger on the first floor.

Address: Potato Head Singapore, 36 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089143 Telephone: +65 6327 1939 Website: potatohead.co/singapore

STAY AT THE FULLERTON HOTEL SINGAPORE

There can be no better cure for jet lag than holing up in a luxury hotel for a few days. Big beds for snoozing, spa treatments and spoiling room service help take the edge off the time-change and The Fullerton Hotel ticks all these boxes. What’s more, its Belle Epoque-style pool peers over the skyscrapers, historic Boat Quay and across to the National Gallery and Asian Civilisations Museum, allowing you to snatch some fresh air and experience the buzz of Singapore without leaving the hotel.

Address: The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore 049178 Telephone: +65 6733 8388 Website: fullertonhotels.com

It’s hard not to be seduced by Sydney. A razzle-dazzle city mixing world-famous food and cocktail prowess with the DNA of a happy-go-lucky surf town, it may be far flung but few spots can compare. From the blockbuster sights of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and seriously splendid beaches to the inventive restaurants and bars, Sydney has it all. Here are a few of our highlights.

Things to do in Sydney

ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Make time to check out one of Australia’s largest galleries. With a rotation of home-grown and international exhibitions, it always has something compelling to see. Keep an eye out for the latest showcase by some of the leading contemporaries and don’t miss the fascinating permanent exhibition of indigenous Australian art.

**Address:**Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia Website: artgallery.nsw.gov.au

BONDI TO COOGEE WALK

You’re in Sydney, you need to see the coast. The best way is via the Bondi to Coogee walk. Start at famous Icebergs and follow the rugged path, navigating past Tamarama (pick up a fresh coconut from the kiosk) and Bronte beach. When you hit Coogee, finish at the Pavilion for a long lunch with oysters and rosé.

Address: Coogee NSW 2031, Australia Website: bonditocoogeewalk.com

SYDNEY HERITAGE TOUR

Before the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, there was the General Post Office. It was one of Sydney’s first buildings, opened in 1874, and so the city grew around it. Now, as The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, it has been artfully preserved and its history honoured with complimentary weekend tours to discover tales about the city’s original grande dame and its neighbourhood.

**Address:**The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, No 1 Martin Place, Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia Telephone: +61 28223 1111 Website: fullertonhotels.com

Where to eat in Sydney

Forget what you think you know about South-east Asian food and dine at The Place in The Fullerton Hotel. Here it’s all about the clever interpretation of East-meets-West in dishes such as spicy salmon biryani and wagyu-beef rendang. Also on the menu are some Fullerton favourites using fresh Australian produce, including fettuccine with prawns from the coastal town of Yamba and risotto with mushrooms from the Hawkesbury Valley.

Address: The Place, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, No 1 Martin Place, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000 Telephone: +61 28223 1111 Website: fullertonhotels.com

For fresh pasta, natural wine and the best anchovies this side of Portugal, dine at Ragazzi. Don’t be deterred by the limited reservations policy. Just make sure to time your visit outside peak lunch and dinner hours and you’ll be twirling its famous cacio e pepe in no time.

**Address:**Ragazzi, Shop 3/2-12 Angel Place, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia Telephone: +61 28964 3062 Website: ragazziwineandpasta.com

CONTINENTAL DELI

The original started in Newtown, but Continental Deli’s second branch in the heart of the city more than lives up to the hype. This is a delicatessen 2.0, offering tinned cocktails with names such as the Mar-tinny and Can-hatten, charcuterie and counter dining. There is also a bistro with a hearty menu including roast chicken, barbecue king prawns and steak tartare.

**Address:**Continental Deli, 167 Phillip Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia Telephone: +61 29922 7347 Website: continentaldelicatessen.com.au

For a grown-up, sultry evening, book a table at this wood-panelled American steakhouse. It feels like a louche rabbit’s warren with dim corridors and velvet-lined booths, and while it may be a steak restaurant, order the brick chicken, deboned, butterflied and flattened (under a brick) before moving onto the deconstructed Martinis.

**Address:**The Gidley, Basement/161 King St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia Telephone: +61 29169 6898 Website: thegidley.com.au

Where to drink in Sydney

THE BAXTER INN

One of the best whisky bars in Sydney with more than 800 varieties, the Baxter Inn is unapologetically hard to find – hidden away in the basement of a building that lies at the end of an unmarked alleyway in the city centre. Whisky aficionados should ask for the secret room in the cellar.

Address: The Baxter Inn, 152-156 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia Website: thebaxterinn.com

LOVE, TILLY DEVINE

This is the bar responsible for starting the natural-wine movement in the city. Named after a notorious brothel madam and crime boss, Matilda Devine, Love, Tilly Devine is in a converted storeroom with eclectic furniture and one of the most exciting wine lists in the city, putting a spotlight on small-batch producers.

Address: Love, Tilly Devine, 91 Crown Lane, Darlinghurst NSW 2010, Australia Telephone: +61 29326 9297 Website: lovetillydevine.com

When you need a mid-shopping pit-stop, unload here. A petite gin parlour, The Bar serves G&Ts every way, cocktails and an afternoon tea that puts a twist on Singaporean and Australian flavours in dishes such as the mini pandan-flavoured lamingtons.

Address: The Bar, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, No 1 Martin Place, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000 Telephone: +61 28223 1111 Website: fullertonhotels.com

OLD MATE'S PLACE

This cosy drinking den has a stellar rooftop bar decorated with greenery and low-hanging naked bulbs. Start up here with beers and once the sun sets, descend downstairs to the moody wood-panelled room to drink Negronis in a candle-lit booth.

Address: Old Mate's Place, Level 4/199 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia Website: oldmates.sydney

STAY AT THE FULLERTON HOTEL SYDNEY

The Fullerton Hotel Sydney occupies one of the city's most beautiful landmarks – a grand and imposing building that once served as the General Post Office. With giant columns, a watchtower and ornate gilded ceilings, it’s one of Sydney’s oldest buildings, layered with history and secrets. The fact that it’s smack bang in the centre of town within walking distance of the best shopping, sights and restaurants is simply a bonus.

Address: The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, No 1 Martin Place, Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia Telephone: +61 28223 1111 Website: fullertonhotels.com/fullerton-hotel-sydney

For more information about staying at The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts in Singapore or Sydney, head to fullertonhotels.com

Is jet lag worse when flying east or west?

Feb 23, 2020 • 6 min read

Jet lag can be a major impediment when travelling long distances – but is it worse in different parts of the world, or moving to and from particular time zones?

Jet lag is the bane of longhaul travel: waking up in the middle of the night, needing to be asleep when it’s time to go do things (or go to work), and just feeling altogether exhausted, whether you’re at your destination or back at home.

So, it’s no surprise that one of the questions I’m asked as an aviation journalist and someone who travels regularly is ‘which kind of jet lag is worse: flying east or west?’

The answer can be pretty complicated and depends on several different — and often conflicting — factors, but understanding them and how they work together can help you minimise the effects of the dreaded jet lag. 

Read more:  What are the scientifically proven ways to combat jet lag?

Overall, based on my own experience and talking to a lot of other frequent flyers, it seems like about three quarters of people find eastbound jet lag, when you can’t fall asleep at the normal time and find waking up really hard, worse than westbound jet lag, when you’re falling asleep in the early evening but waking up correspondingly early in the mornings.

However, there’s a minority of folks — that tend, it seems, towards being early birds rather than the night owls among my acquaintance — who find westbound jet lag worse than eastbound. Why? Well, it really depends on a range of factors. Let’s take a look. 

The number of time zones and length of the flight are crucial

The first factor might be obvious: the number of time zones you’ll cross. I always say that the worst is 5-7 time zones eastbound. Any less and my body clock usually adjusts because it thinks I’ve had a late night or early morning. Any more than that and everything’s so upended that my body clock does a full reboot.

The first is how many hours you’ll spend in the air (and how many hours there are on the longest flight if you’re connecting). As a rule, I find anything less than five hours is just fine, unless it’s a red eye: the kind of flight that leaves very late at night and arrives very early in the morning, giving you just a few hours of sleep. 

Read more:  Fight jet lag with this incredible app developed alongside NASA scientists

Between five and nine hours is where it gets a bit gross, because it’s hard to squeeze in enough sleep at a time when your body is ready for it. Anything between about nine and 14 hours is definitely long enough for a proper sleep as well as the relevant meals, while more than fourteen is up into ultra-longhaul territory where I end up so exhausted that my body ends up in full reset mode.

There’s also how much north-south versus east-west your route is going. For example, I often find flights going from, say, Hong Kong to New Zealand is less jet lag-inducing than a similar length of flight from Europe to Japan because more of the flight time is taken up by going north-south and thus you’re crossing fewer time zones. 

Connections, the north-south factor and the overnight factors are also key

Jet lag can also be affected by where and when you plan any connections in your journey.

As a rule, I find that I’m less jet lagged (and all around less exhausted) when I make a connection early in the trip rather than later, to give myself a short flight and then a longer one. I reckon it’s because if I’m tired out before I get on my last flight then I’ll conk out and get deeper — and hopefully better — sleep.

Fortunately, while you can’t control what time zone a country is in, you can often control where and when your connection is, especially with the growth of the large airline alliances, and choose different options in each direction.

Jet lag also depends on whether you’re flying overnight. There are a couple of schools of thought here, and if you’re on holiday you might not want to lose a day to travel and prefer to travel overnight, but myself and a lot of my friends in aviation prefer to take those rare morning flights from the US east coast to Europe, for example, if we don’t have to connect the same day. It’s a short day, but that’s less jet lag-inducing than a short night, I find. 

Read more:  Ask Lonely Planet: 'How can I beat jet lag when I travel frequently for work?'

If you do have to take an overnight flight, make sure you check what time it departs. There are a range of flights from New York to London departing between around 6pm and 11pm, which arrive at between 6am and 11am the next morning, taking about six hours and adding five hours of time difference.

I find that if I’m on a 6pm departure I never sleep: on the ground I tend to hit the hay around 11pm if I’m being good, which is about the time in the flight that the crew are waking everyone up for a delicious breakfast of orange juice and a croissant.

If I’m on the 11pm departure, then it’s straight to Bedfordshire after takeoff and it feels like I’m just having a very early morning the next day. And, top tip: bring a sandwich and eat it in the terminal, or buy something there, so you can go directly to sleep without waiting for your airplane food on departure.

So which are the worst flights for jet lag?

There are a few popular contenders for the world’s worst jet lag routes, and they’re pretty much all red eyes.

One contender is the high-volume set of routes from the close end of the US east coast to the western end of Europe, which really comprises anything in an arc like Washington to London, New York to Paris , Boston to Frankfurt , or even Chicago to Dublin . (Aer Lingus is great in terms of efficiency and often price, but my goodness those short overnights to Dublin are especially brutal on the jet lag, particularly if winter tailwinds speed you on your way.)  

Read more:  How I survived 30 hours of travel (without losing my mind)

Another contender are overnight flights within the US , whether that’s some of the growing number of very late departures travelling across half the country or the diagonally-drawn flights known as 'diagcon', like 'transcon' from 'transcontinental', but from (say) the Pacific Northwest to Florida .

The overnight routes from Perth to Australia ’s east coast, especially Sydney and Brisbane at just about four hours, are also pretty brutal. That’s not enough time for sleep in anyone’s book. 

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10 Tips How To Deal With Jet Lag To Australia

Table of Contents

What causes jet lag, is jet lag worse going to or from australia, 1. sleep on plane during destination nighttime, 2. exercise each day, 3. hydrate yourself, 4. adjust schedule before departure, 5. use jet lag supplements, 6. get plenty of sunlight, 7. limit alcohol and caffeine, 8. quick naps only, 9. sleep well before flying, 10. arrive 1-2 days early, top choice travel supplement.

When you are traveling to Australia, jet lag is unavoidable. Jet Lag is one of the most common effects of air travel at long distance. Read our complete guide below for comprehensive tips on how to deal with jet lag to Australia .

Jet lag occurs when your body's internal clock gets confused by the change in time zones.

It is a natural occurrence for humans and animals when they travel across time zones because of the difference between day and night. The body's internal clock regulates circadian rhythm, or sleeping patterns. 

With a long trip like to Australia, it's reported in a study by Upjohn that 94% of long haul travelers deal with jet lag.²

There's actually 3 factors causing jet lag, as below:¹

Understanding the combination of these three factors will help with how to deal with jet lag to Australia, which we'll discuss below.

While the difference can be very subtle, jet lag tends to be worse going from Australia home.

Most flights from Australia to United States are traveling east. Flying east is known to intensify jet lag.

Experts hypothesize that it may be due to the body having to advance its internal time clock versus delaying it. Flying east advances your circadian rhythms, while flying west delays your circadian rhythms.³

When you travel to Australia, jet lag can be a major problem.

The time difference between the US and Australia is on average 15-18 hours,⁴ and usually a minimum of 18 hours of airplane travel.⁵ Even for long haul travelers this is considered a very long distance,

This is why it's important to take precautions and follow these researched tips on how to deal with jet lag to Australia.

Here's ten tips how to deal with jet lag to Australia:

• Flying west (going to Australia), gradually get to bed 1-5 hours later than normal.
• Flying east (leaving Australia), gradually get to bed 1-5 hours earlier than normal.

This wraps up our comprehensive list on how to deal with jet lag to Australia.

SOURCES: 1. Jet Lag Disorder https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/jet-lag/symptoms-causes/syc-20374027 2. Who Gets Jet Lag? https://www.nojetlag.com/who-gets-jet-lag.html 3. Is jet lag worse after traveling east than west? https://www.statnews.com/2016/07/21/jet-lag-worse-east-west/ 4. Travel Math Australia to United States https://www.travelmath.com/time-change/from/United+States/to/Australia 5. United States to Australia flight duration https://www.finance.co.uk/travel/flight-times-and-durations-calculator/united-states-to-australia/ 6. The Benefits of Exercise while Traveling https://chuzefitness.com/blog/benefits-exercise-while-traveling/ 7. Influence of Aerobic Exercise on Sleep and Salivary Melatonin in Men https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijsem/international-journal-of-sports-and-exercise-medicine-ijsem-6-161.php? 8. Up in the Air: Evidence of Dehydration Risk and Long-Haul Flight on Athletic Performance https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7551461/ 9. Jet Lag - CDC https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/jet-lag 10. Circadian Disruption Reveals a Correlation of an Oxidative GSH/GSSG Redox Shift with Learning and Impaired Memory in an Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26484899/ 11. Glutamine as an Anti-Fatigue Amino Acid in Sports Nutrition https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6520936/ 12. How Sun Exposure Affects Sleep and Melatonin Production https://lifespa.com/ayurvedic-lifestyle/circadian-rhythm/sun-exposure-melatonin/ 13. Sleep, sunshine & vitamin D https://www.thewomens.org.au/health-information/periods/healthy-periods/sleep-sunshine-vitamin-d

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Jetlag hits differently depending on your travel direction. Here are 6 tips to get over it

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After a few difficult years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, people are finally winging their way across the globe again; families are being reunited and sights are being seen.

Yet the joys of international travel often come with a side of jetlag, which can make it hard to initially enjoy a holiday, and to settle in once you return home.

Why do people experience jetlag? And is there anything you can do to lessen its effects?

What causes jetlag?

The term “jetlag” describes the physical and cognitive symptoms people experience when travelling quickly across several timezones.

Before you leave for a trip, you’re synchronised to your local time. Once you enter a new timezone, your body’s rhythms are no longer lined up with the clock on the wall.

That’s when jetlag symptoms hit. You’re sleepy when you want to be awake, and wide awake when you want to be asleep. You’re hungry in the middle of the night, and might feel bloated or nauseous if you eat during the day.

Until your body clock and all the rhythms it controls line up with the new local time, you are physiologically and mentally discombobulated. Not a happy holiday vibe!

Jetlag isn’t the same for everyone

Interestingly, the experience of jetlag varies between people. That’s because we all tick along to our own internal rhythm.

Most of us have a natural daily cycle of about 24.2 hours. So if we lived in a cave and didn’t see any light, our sleep/wake cycle and other daily rhythms would tick along at about 24.2 hours. Researchers think this is an evolutionary adaptation that allows us to adjust to different day lengths across the year.

Read more: Morning lark or night owl? How our body clocks affect our mental and physical performance

But some people have slightly longer cycles than others, and this may play a role in how a person experiences jetlag.

Research suggests if you have a longer cycle you might adjust quicker to westward travel, such as when travelling from Australia to South Africa, but we don’t know if a shorter cycle helps going the other way.

We also get a little less resilient as we age, so the older among us might have worse jetlag symptoms.

Does direction of travel matter?

More generally, many people find westward travel, where you “gain” time, a bit easier.

Say Jasmine and Sarah depart Adelaide at the same time. Jasmine lands in Perth in the afternoon, where it’s about 2.5 hours earlier in the day. She sees some sights and easily falls asleep at about 8.30pm local time. She then wakes up very early and starts her day.

Because Jasmine’s body clock naturally delays – shifting a little later relative to the local time each day – after a few days she is fully synchronised.

Sarah, meanwhile, lands in Auckland which is about 2.5 hours later in the day. She takes advantage of the balmy evening and some of the night, and is wide awake until 2am. She then struggles out of bed when the alarm goes off at 7am, because it’s still 4.30am on her body clock.

Sarah will likely feel the effects of jetlag more severely than Jasmine, and for longer.

Is jetlag just ‘psychological’?

Some people might wonder if jetlag is just in your head. Well, in a way it is, because it’s a mismatch between your body’s internal time (which is determined in your brain) and your local time.

But that doesn’t mean you can talk yourself out of jetlag. It’s better thought of as a physiological condition, rather than a psychological one.

Luckily, there are a few simple ways to alleviate jetlag symptoms and help your body clock adjust. This is particularly important for elite athletes who travel to compete.

First, decide whether it’s worth trying to adapt to the new time or not. If it’s only a short trip, it might make more sense to stay on your home time. If it’s longer than three days, start consciously moving your own rhythms – such as when you sleep, eat, exercise and get sunlight – towards the new timezone.

If you’re trying to shift your body clock, it’s a good idea to start on the plane. Set your watch to your destination’s timezone and line up your activities accordingly.

Keep caffeine and alcohol intake low on the journey. This will be better for sleep and hydration, and will help with adjusting your body clock to the new timezone.

When adjusting to a new timezone, try to sleep during the local night time and just rest when you need to at other times. Short naps can give you a boost to get through the day and evening activities. Aim for about 30 minutes and avoid naps later in the day as you near your actual planned bedtime.

Gastrointestinal discomfort is a symptom of jet lag. If you’re prone to or experience tummy trouble while travelling, stick to small meals and eat when you’re hungry. Your body will tell you when it’s ready for food. Tip 3 about caffeine and alcohol applies here too.

Get outside. Sunlight is key to adjusting to a new timezone. Depending on your timezone change, appropriately-timed outside activities will help.

If that’s not enough, the Sleep Health Foundation has more tips here .

Read more: Is there such a thing as the perfect alarm tone? We think so (and this is what it might sound like)

• Sleep hygiene
• travel times

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• Jet lag is a type of fatigue caused by travelling across different time zones.
• The body needs anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to acclimatise to the new time zone – approximately one day for each hour of time zone changes.
• Strategies include maximising your exposure to daylight to ‘reset’ your body clock and napping briefly during the day when sleepy.

On this page

Symptoms of jet lag, flying east or west makes a difference to jet lag, strategiesto reduce the impact of jet lag, adjusting to the new time zone, sleep and your new time zone, alcohol, medications and jet lag, where to get help, things to remember.

• Digestive upsets
• Impaired judgement and decision making
• Memory lapses
• Irritability
• Make sure you have had enough sleep before you leave. Sleep deficit or ‘debt’ will make jet lag worse.
• If you are flying westward, try to go to sleep as late as possible for two to three days before you leave. This will make it easier to adapt to the new location. For example, if you are flying from Melbourne to London, try to go to sleep at 1–2am for the two to three days before flying out from Melbourne.
• Limit or avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Try to nap whenever you feel sleepy.
• Eat small meals frequently, choosing lighter foods like fruit and vegetables.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
• Whenever possible, walk around the cabin.
• When you sleep on the plane, try to plan sleep as if the time is that of the destination.
• Wear earplugs.
• Wear an eye mask.
• Maximise comfort with a pillow supporting your neck and head.
• Expose yourself to daylight or, if this is not possible, bright light to help ‘reset’ your body clock. The stimulus to reset the clock is light entering the eyes, especially the blue spectrum of light.
• Drink caffeinated drinks in moderation during the day.
• Avoid alcohol or caffeinated drinks for a few hours prior to sleep at night.
• Try to mimic your usual bedtime routine.
• Use relaxation techniques.
• Your doctor
• ‘Jet lag and sleep disruption’ in M. H. Kryger, T. Roth & W. C. Dement (eds), Principles and practice of sleep medicine, W. B. Saunders, USA.
• ‘Time Zone Change (Jet Lag) Syndrome’, in The International Classification of Sleep Disorders: Diagnostic and Coding Manual, American Sleep Disorders Association, USA.

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How To Get Over Jet Lag From England To Australia In 10 Steps

After flying all over the world, I’ve finally cracked it… I’ve learnt how to get over jet lag from England to Australia!

You might know that you’re more likely to get away without getting jet lag when you fly from Australia to England but coming back is usually a nightmare. It normally takes me about a week to get over it, but this time I did a few things differently. I didn’t get any jet lag when flying into London and then back into Sydney.

This post is also great if you’re wondering how to fall asleep on a plane as well because I don’t mean to brag, but I basically slept the entire way!

Table of Contents

FYI – You’ll more than likely only feel jet lagged coming to Australia not going back home

Crazy right? It’s the same distance so why do we feel it more when flying east from England to Australia?

Flying west to east is actually known to intensify the body’s internal clock and increase jet lag symptoms. Our body clock works on a 24-hour circadian rhythm that becomes disjointed when it passes over multiple time zones. When we land in Australia, we actually lose 9-11 hours despite our body clocks continuing to move forward.

When flying from Australia to England, we gain hours. This gives our bodies more time to relax in the new time zone and readjust the circadian rhythm. It is easier for our internal clock to play catch up with extra time than to readjust after essentially losing half a day.

I know jet lag symptoms are different for everybody and you may be fine travelling in either direction (lucky you!), But, if you travelling to Australia and want to get out and enjoy the beach and water without jet lag then we’ve got you.

Here’s how you can avoid jet lag when flying between England and Australia.

1. Buy Phenergan or a herbal supplement

I had no idea what Phenergan was either until my hairdresser  Stevie English told me about it. This is his trick for his entire family to skip the jet lag symptoms when flying between England and Australia. They are not sleeping pills, it’s an anti-histamine if you were wondering. When I asked for it over the counter, the first thing they asked was  “ Are you flying long distance?”. It looks as though Phenergan must be a common thing to take on long-haul flights.

The choice is between getting the 10mg or 25mg tablets. However, they would only sell me the 10mg’s because they said the 25mg would make me feel hungover.

Truth be told, I didn’t need the 25mg in the end.

My flight from London – Sydney took place at the following times:

London Heathrow: 9:30pm – arrive into Kulaa Lumper at 6:00pm (13.5 hour flight)

Kuala Lumper: 4:00am (flight was delayed) – Sydney 12:00pm (8 hour flight).

My plan was to sleep as much as I honestly could throughout both flights because arriving at 12pm on a Friday afternoon in Sydney was technically 3am UK time.

When you board the plane, the pilot usually tells everyone what the local time is. Set your watch straight away so you can try and adapt to the hours as soon as possible. There’s nothing worse than going on about how it’s like 5am your time right now. It doesn’t help anyone.

On the first flight, I watched one movie and then fell asleep for a solid 9 hours. This was purely because I took a Phenergan tablet about 30 minutes before I fell asleep. Interestingly I didn’t take one on the way to England and kept waking up every hour or so.

When I arrived into Kuala Lumper, I stayed awake the entire time while I sat there pondering about whether I should have made the effort to go out and explore the city.

The second flight was delayed by three hours at 4am. It psychologically made me feel like it was really late and should be going to sleep. After the inflight meal, I took another Phenergan and I passed out not long afterwards. When I woke up 5 hours later, we were landing in an hour or so.

The following day after we arrived, I took another Phenergan to ensure I slept through the night and it worked. That my friends was how I beat jet lag. But the following factors definitely contributed to not waking up once in the night when I arrived back in Australia.

2. Think about travel times

In my personal opinion, it is best to arrive early afternoon or evening in Australia as this reduced my jet lag symptoms massively. There is actually a scientific reason behind this.

Your internal clock is naturally suited to a day-night cycle. When you fly from England to Australia, you will have travelled around 24 hours, then go forward in time by 9-11 hours. Your body clock will adapt easily to a night schedule, rather than shocking the body into another full day ahead.

When landing early evening, you can relax for a few hours, go out for dinner and then hit the hay at your normal bedtime in your new time zone. Asking your body to stay awake for a few more hours rather than another 12-hour day is a far easier feat when your internal clock is disorientated.

3. Buy a decent travel pillow

Something I have tried to get right for years is investing in a decent travel pillow. Trust me, we’ve tried loads of them but when we bought this travel pillow , it has literally changed our world! We’ve literally had it for 5 years and take it on all flights now.

It’s got a decent cushioning to it, a strap that clicks in so it supports your neck and best of all, it actually makes you want to sleep when you put it on. Maybe it’s something to do with the cushioning but it works.

We also read on this blog a little trick to turn your travel pillow around so that the neck rest actually supports your chin. This is a genius idea because it really does work. I tend to alternate mine throughout the flight which works a treat.

I also use this eye mask and these ear plugs every time I fly. Trust me, you’ll need them when all you want to do is sleep for as long as possible on the flight.

4. Bring some noise cancelling headphones with you

Steve bought these Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones and swears by them. When you’re on a long haul flight and you get given headphones for the entertainment. The downside is I’ve been on loads of flights where I can’t even hear the movie at all because the headphones have been so terrible. I then totally regret not investing in a decent pair.

5. Pick your seat near the back of the plane

When you check in online, you get the option to choose your seat. If you have to pay extra for this service, when you drop your bags off, ask the person on the counter if you can move seats. It’s worked for me every time.

I have a bit of OCD about sitting on the right-hand side of the plane next to the window. The window seat gives you that extra headrest support to fall asleep and for me, it generally feels like I have more room.

The key is to get a seat towards the back of the plane because they tend to block out a couple of rows at the back if the plane isn’t full. This means you have more of a chance to change seats and potentially get a whole row to yourself. Always ask the cabin crew before the flight leaves if there are any other seats available, try and make up some story about why you need to get more sleep on the plane.

Also, by being at the back of the plane, the line for the toilets never seems as bad. If you need to get any extra snacks or drinks, it’s easy to get them from the cabin crew too. You’re welcome.

If you suffer from claustrophobia when flying, I find that it doesn’t feel as cramped in at the back of the plane either.

6. Take your own water bottle onto the plane

I bought  this brilliant water bottle  a while back from Amazon and I take it everywhere with me. It’s especially good if you live in Australia as it keeps your water cold all day long, no matter how hot it is outside.

Take it with you in your hand luggage because there are always water stations once you walk through customs, usually located near the toilets.

Make sure you fill your water up so that you don’t need to go out of your way to ask for water on the flight. It’s free too so you won’t need to spend a fortune on it at the airport. Makes me think back to being in LAX airport and we had to pay $15 for a bottle of water and a bottle of orange juice – crazy!

Drink plenty on the flight as dehydration can increase jet lag symptoms like headaches and tiredness. Stay hydrated even if you are trying to sleep the whole way.

7. Take a short nap when you land into Sydney

If you’re feeling totally exhausted when you land in Sydney, I recommend taking a short nap, for 1 hour tops. This will help you get through to the evening and try and get yourself back on the same time zone. Don’t sleep any longer than an hour as you could end up being up all night.

7. Stay in a hotel when you land in Sydney (even if you live here)

After around 24 hours on a cramped plane chair (not talking to you lucky first-class people here), the best thing you can do is treat yourself to a little bit of luxury. Check out our guide for the Best Hotels In Sydney CBD to help you find the most convenient to help you transition between time zones.

Firstly, that post-flight shower is incredible and necessary to cure jet lag. It can refresh your body and mind to adjust to your new time zone and schedule.

Secondly, uninterrupted sleep is what your body will be craving. With the constant distractions on a flight and the odd meal times, you need to let your internal clock rest and reset with a good sleep.

You will feel like a new human, ready to tackle your day after a peaceful hotel stay.

9. Have some drinks on your first night back

When I woke up after my nap, we got ready to go out for dinner. Because we were staying in the middle of Sydney, we made the effort to got out and the night actually turned into drinks so we didn’t actually get in until 1am. How I did this, I don’t know but it worked a treat.

The key is, wait until the evening to have the drinks. Don’t go straight to the pub if you land in the morning or in the middle of the day as you’ll probably crash a lot sooner than you think. And don’t drink on the plane. While it might seem like a good idea to spend your flight time, you’ll feel bloomin’ awful when you land.

Check out our Best British Pubs In Sydney guide if you’re feeling a bit homesick after you land. Hopefully these pubs might help you get over jet lag a little.

The next day I felt like I was back on Sydney time and just took one phenergan before I went to bed and slept the whole way through.

10. Order yourself a Sun alarm clock

A sun alarm clock will help you get back to the right time zone. The clock aligns itself to the sun and will encourage your circadian rhythm to do the same. Plus, it’s way better than hearing that dreaded Apple alarm clock.

A clear landing to cure jet lag

I understand that not everyone can have the luxury of staying in Sydney accommodation or enjoying a few drinks, especially if you’re travelling with kids and have responsibilities to juggle. However, there’s a valuable alternative worth exploring – consider trying Phenergan and investing in that fantastic travel pillow . These simple solutions may hold the key to steering clear of jet lag altogether!

Phenergan can seriously make your journey significantly more comfortable. Coupled with drinking water, getting your flight times right and blocking out everyone with earplugs and a sleep mask, you’ll fall asleep in no time.

While not every jet lag hack is for everyone, I do feel like these were a game-changer for me!

Read more of our Sydney posts below!

45 Best Sydney Tourist Attractions To Put On Your List

Where to Live in Sydney

Sydney vs London

How to beat jet lag from England to Australia

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If you found this post helpful, please share it below 🙂 

Hi Annie. The best way I deal with jet lag is to land in Brisbane in the early evening. Then I can go to bed and go to sleep at a reasonable time. If I land in the early morning from a long haul flight it will take me days to recover as I will go to sleep early and wake at 2am. I have been travelling back and forwards to Australia for over 42 years and this is the only way it works for me. Otherwise it would be a stopover on the way to break the long flight.

Thanks for the great tips! I’ve never taken phenergan for jet lag but a little hesitant as we have an 8 and 10 year old with us and am worried mum and dad will be totally zonked and not wake up if the kids do wake and need something during flight (I have melatonin for them). Would be keen to know if others take phenergan when they have kids with them. Does it totally knock you out?

Just like to say, try the phernergan before you use it on the plane. I used to fly with my young son regularly from Perth to Sydney , always took the red eye ( as he was always a good sleeper & this was his natural sleep time, he’d sleep for the whole 5 hour trip). Then his little brother was born, so I was to do the trip alone with 2 kids under two. Someone suggested trying kids phernergan to guarantee the oldest boy sleeping through & I’d only have to deal with a fussing new born. Unfortunately the perfect traveller who’d slept every prior trip went hyper…….he didn’t sleep the whole trip nor for half the next day! So just a warning in some people it has the opposite effect.

Phenergan is also a brilliant medication to prevent seasickness. I’ve used it crossing the North Sea and the Drake Passage. My travel doctor told me this is the medication frequently used by astronauts for motion sickness.

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Jet Lag Calculator

Switching time zones the jet lag calculator.

It isn’t always easy to recover when you’re switching time zones - the inability to sleep, fatigue and disorientation that comes with jet lag can put a serious dampener on your time away. Using your flight itinerary, you can now manage jet lag with this interactive calculator.

Enter your travel details below and find out how to get the most out of your trip.

Below is your personalized travel sleep plan. Follow the suggested sleep pattern and light exposure times to minimize the effects of jet lag.

• Flight / travel
• Sleep or dark conditions ideal (during/after flight)
• Aim to be in lighter environments

Scroll across to explore your sleep plan

In order to beat jet lag and establish a new sleep routine you first need to determine your phase change in hours, eg the difference in hours forward or back. Ideally, you should start shifting your sleep schedule two days before departure, moving your sleep period one or two steps towards your new sleep time each day.

When moving forward, after waking, try to stay in light conditions for at least three hours, and when moving back, before sleep, try to stay in light conditions for three hours.

From the day of the flight (including during the flight), try to adjust your meal times to those of your new destination. If convenient, starting to do this a few days beforehand too can help ease jet lag by adjusting your body clock.

Doing exercise during the period that your schedule recommends staying in light conditions can enhance circadian rhythm shift, reducing the symptoms of jet lag.

Frequently asked questions

Sleep shifting is where you stagger your sleeping patterns ahead of visiting a country with a different time zone.

For example, if you’re visiting New York to Dubai, it has a nine hour time difference, so in order to not suffer from jet lag it’s recommended you start shifting your sleep two days before your flight. By shifting your sleep an hour back from your regular sleep time each day, over a nine day adjustment period, you should avoid jet lag.

It’s important to drink plenty of water prior to landing in a new time zone. When bodies are low on fluids they begin to feel fatigued and weaker than usual, therefore, water helps pump oxygen into bodily organs and makes you more energized.

If water doesn’t do the trick, try doing some exercise - a light jog, HIIT workout or a yoga session will wake up all of your muscles. It’s important you have a good balance between being active and getting plenty of rest though. Too much exercise could make you feel even more fatigued .

Try to get into the same routine as the natives of the country you have just arrived in - if they are having breakfast, but your body clock wants you to go to sleep, try and power through and eat some breakfast too. It’s important to get your body used to the new time zone as soon as possible.

It's recommended that adults get an average of seven to nine hours of sleep every night - it is possible to get by on fewer hours sleep, but in order to function optimally, you should aim to get as close to these hours as possible.

Many people with busy and hectic lifestyles may be getting by on six hours of sleep a night, and although they may feel like a productive and functioning human being, chronic sleep deprivation can easily sneak up on them. As time goes by, a consistent amount of sleep loss can result in health problems, such as, insomnia, narcolepsy or severe mood swings, therefore, it’s important to aim for a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night.

If you’re on a flight for a long period of time, you’ll want to try and get some sleep. Some key tips include cutting down, or completely cutting out caffeine ahead of your flight - caffeine is renowned for keeping people awake, so aim to remove it from your diet 24-hours ahead of your flight time.

Airplanes are also quite typically cold :

The heat given off by passengers in a fully occupied cabin is considerable, therefore, incoming air needs to be at or below the required cabin temperature if that temperature is to be maintained.

With that said, a blanket and flight socks to keep you warm should help you fall asleep on a flight.

Above everything, if you have the chance to pick your seat for your flight, be sure to pick wisely. If you’re situated near the toilets, you’ll be constantly woken up, so try and find a prime window seat.

If you have a long haul flight booked, you may be worrying about eating times and if it will affect your jet lag.

Usually, many flights will get you onto a new time zone and wake you up - or keep you awake - to provide food. For example, if you’re departing at 9 am but the destination you are traveling to is 10 hours ahead, they will look to give you your dinner swiftly after departure.

The more time zones you cross, the worse your jet lag may be. Jet lag symptoms usually occur within a day or two of travel if you’ve crossed two time zones. Jet lag can be worse if you travel in an easterly direction and for every time zone crossed, it can take about a day to recover.

Crossing multiple time zones puts your internal clock or circadian rhythms out of sync - they regulate your sleep-wake cycle and if they are out of sync with your new time, you’ll struggle to sleep - or stay awake!

If you were to travel from New York on a flight at 4 pm on Tuesday and arrive in Paris at 7 am on Wednesday your internal sleep pattern and clock would think it is 1 am - this would mean that you’re ready for bed just as Paris is waking up for the day. So, if you then travel across another two time zones, your body clock will struggle to catch up even more so. You can find some more top tips below:

Split up your trip

If you’re planning on taking a long journey, for example, from the United States, over to Bali, think about splitting your flights up and look at having a stopover in Dubai or Singapore. Not only does this give your body the time to catch up and adapt to a new routine, but it can almost half the price of your airfare.

Set your watch to your new time zone

You need to get yourself psychologically aligned with the time at your new destination, so, as soon as you get onto your flight, set your watch backward or forwards.

Seek some sun

If you’re due to be awake once you’ve landed, but feel sleepy, it’s a good idea to seek out some sun - daylight makes you feel better.

Use an eye mask and earplugs during your flight

If you want to get into a new time zone but struggle to sleep on flights, why not invest in an eye mask and earplugs? They will help convince your body that it’s nighttime and you’re due some sleep.

The interactive jet lag calculator allows users to input their travel details and find out how to get the most of their trip by keeping jet lag at bay. It then generates a personalized sleep plan that - if followed correctly - should minimize the effects of jet lag.

Jet lag is a physiological condition that results from shifts in the circadian rhythms - it’s physically a result of crossing time zones, therefore it is inevitable that your body will be affected in some way - that is why this tool will help many people travelling across countries and time zones.

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What is jet lag?

Jet lag happens when your sleep rhythms are disturbed after you've been on a long flight and travelled quickly through multiple time zones.

Jet lag affects everybody, but it can become more of a problem as you get older because you take longer to recover. It can be worse the more time zones you travel through, especially if you travel east. As a general rule, it takes about a day to recover for each time zone you go through.

What are the symptoms of jet lag?

The main symptom of jet lag is that you feel very tired during the day and find it hard to sleep at night.

Other common symptoms include:

• irritability
• changed bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhoea
• difficulty concentrating
• not being as alert as normal
• not feeling very well
• feeling low

The symptoms will gradually get better as your body adjusts to the new time zone. It’s important to take care when driving if you have jet lag.

What causes jet lag?

Your body's urges to eat and sleep are controlled by circadian rhythms – a type of internal 'body clock' set by hormones such as melatonin . Jet lag happens when your body takes time to adjust its circadian rhythms to a new time zone.

If you have jet lag, your body might tell you it's time to sleep when it's only afternoon in the new time zone. It can also keep you wide awake in the middle of the night.

How is jet lag treated?

There is no cure for jet lag, but there is a lot you can do to make yourself feel better.

The best way to reset your sleep/wake cycle is to go outside into the sunlight and do some exercise. If you have travelled eastward, get some sunshine in the early morning. If you have travelled westward, aim for sunlight in the evening. Make sure you keep the room as dark as possible when you try to sleep at night.

For the first few days, take short naps to help you stay more alert. Make sure you nap for no more than 30 minutes, and that you are awake for at least 4 hours before bed time.

Caffeine in tea and coffee can help keep you awake, but don’t drink too much because you won’t be able to sleep later. Limit alcohol too, since as it prevents you from sleeping well at night.

Medicine containing melatonin has been used to treat jet lag but in Australia it is only available with a prescription for certain conditions. You should talk to your doctor about whether this is right for you. There are also several remedies available from a pharmacy. Ask your pharmacist about the best one for you.

As a last resort, sleeping pills can help you sleep. But be careful because taking sleeping pills can quickly become a habit. It is not recommended that you use sleeping tablets during your flight in case there is an emergency.

Can jet lag be prevented?

If you are only going to be away for a few days, consider keeping to your home schedule for eating and sleeping. If you are going to be away for longer, try to adjust to the new time zone as soon as possible – while you are on the plane.

It is often better if you time your flight to arrive at night, and consider a stopover if it’s a long trip.

Make sure you drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine during the flight – dehydration can make jet lag worse.

If you take medication, talk to your doctor before the trip about managing your medicines when you travel. If you are very badly affected by jet lag, or if you have a job which means you suffer from jet lag a lot, it might be worth seeing a sleep specialist.

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For more information about jet lag and how to sleep better, visit the Sleep Health Foundation website.

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How to Avoid Jet Lag when Traveling (Simple Tips That Actually Work)

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: February 2, 2024

Are you looking for advice on how to avoid jet lag or how to overcome jetlag when traveling? This article might just be what you need!

Stop worrying and take a look at the simple tips that help us to overcome jetlag when we travel. No secret formulas or scientific explanations, just stupid simple common sense that will help you deal with jet lag on every trip. Find out!

If you google ‘how to avoid jet lag’, you get more than a billion results… There is so much advice out there, thousands of articles, suggestions… There are even jet lag apps that, supposedly, can help you deal with jet lag by telling you when to sleep, what and when to eat, when to go outside and when to avoid daylight… So why write another article? Good question…

Because, in my opinion, jet lag is overrated, over-worried (is this even the right word?) and too theoretical. 

During all the years of extensive traveling through many different time zones we never really paid much attention to jet lag. We just followed our bodies, slept when we felt like, ate at strange hours, went to sleep in the morning and went out in the evening…

Listening to our bodies rather than following ‘scientific’ advice has proven to be the easiest method to get rid of jet lag quickly.

Below you can find some experience-based examples of what we do to overcome jetlag. We have tips for dealing with jetlag when flying East or West. Further down, you can also find 9 simple tips on how to avoid jet lag. Read on!

How to Beat Jet Lag – OVERVIEW:

• How to Beat Jet Lag Traveling East
• How to Avoid Jet Lag Traveling West
• 9 Simple Tips How to Avoid Jet Lag

How to Avoid Jet Lag when Flying East

We don’t have a jet lag plan, no apps, no specific rules or tricks . As I said, we follow what our body tells us. Let me share a few examples of how we deal with jet lag. This has become a rather usual routine for us, actually.

When traveling Eastwards to the destination that is 3 to 9 hours ahead of you, you’ll usually arrive there early in the morning. This means that it’s middle of the night back home. Ideally, you try to get some sleep on the plane. But even if you succeed, chances are high that you’ll still be exhausted when you land…

The sun is shining and, according to the jet lag specialists, you should stay outside the whole morning. They tell you to go and have breakfast, then lunch, then dinner, and only go to bed in the evening. That’s more than 12 hours before you’re allowed to sleep! The worst thing is that if you do this, you’re likely to wake up at 3-4 AM and not be able to get to sleep again…

Furthermore, while adults can still force themselves to follow this advice, no way you can keep young kids to stay awake the whole day… So ever since we sarted traveling with kids, we had to look for our own ways to deal with jet lag that actually work.

So what do we do? Take a look below!

Our experience dealing with jet lag when traveling East

When we travel East and arrive at our destination in the morning, we go to our hotel and do whatever it takes to get a room as soon as possible.

Usually, the room isn’t ready and somehow they never seem to have any vacancies… If that’s the case, we wait, get a drink (no food – who can eat in the middle of the night!).

We make sure to stay in the neighborhood of the reception so that we can get the room the moment it becomes available. Once we even paid for an upgrade to a bigger room, just to be able to go to bed sooner.

Here’s how our 1st day looks like following our personal ‘jet lag plan’

The moment the room becomes available we all go to sleep. But not before setting an alarm clock to wake us up in the afternoon (around 3-4-5pm, depending on the time difference).

When the alarm clock rings, everyone is usually still really tired, but we make an effort to get up. A shower does wonder too.

By the time we leave our hotel room, it’s usually about dinner time. By then, we are all starving, and so we look for a nice restaurant. After dinner, we walk around a bit, explore the new place, and go to bed at around 11 pm.

We also try to find a grocery store and buy some snacks and drinks before heading back to the hotel (this one is important – you’ll see why later) .

Usually, none of us have any trouble falling asleep after such a long day and we sleep pretty much through the night. So when we wake up the next morning, we are already partially adapted to the new time zone . Sometimes it’s too early for breakfast and we are hungry. That’s why it’s handy to have some fruit or cookies in your hotel room.

We used this tactic when we traveled from Europe to Australia (9 hours difference), from Europe to Asia (7 hours time difference), and also to the Middle East (4 hours time difference).

One day is all it took us to adjust to the new time zone in Thailand and Dubai. It took us about 2-3 days to adjust to it in Australia, but that was mainly because our kids were really young at that time, and they still woke up at night too often (at home too).

For Australia, we used melatonin pills . For such a big time difference, I’d do it again. It was the perfect way to make sure that our three kids would go to sleep at the same time and we could get some rest too. The last thing you want after a 28-hour trip and 9 hours of time difference, is having to deal with three toddlers who wake up and sleep at different times…

Anyway, let’s take a look at how our jet lag experience would have been if we had followed a ‘scientifically proven’ plan.

Here’s how your 1st day would look like, following jet lag expert advice

I tested a couple of jet lag plans that are available online and they give you the whole schedule telling you what to do.

The first thing they tell you is to already start adjusting to a new time zone at home. Now, be honest with yourself – the last days before traveling are hectic. Changing your schedule will just make the whole trip preparation even more stressful. It’s much better that you are well-rested before you travel!

Then you arrive at your destination. Following the jet lag tips, here is how our 1st day would have looked like in Thailand.

We arrive at 7 am, force ourselves to eat breakfast at 9am and go for a walk outside (seek daylight). By 11 am the kids are grumpy and impossible to deal with, and we try to find a place for lunch. Which none of us finishes because nobody is hungry…

We have trouble staying awake. We do our best and stretch the day as long as we possibly can, get angry at the kids for being impossible, and eventually give up the fight and head to bed at 6 pm without dinner.

This is not according to the plan, but no way can we stay awake till 9 pm. To be honest with you, there is a big chance that kids won’t even make it to 6 pm…

We get our 8 hours of sleep and wake up at 2 am hungry. The whole family is wide awake in the middle of the night. Needless to say, everyone is exhausted the next morning…

Here’s how our 2nd day looks like following our bodies to deal with jet lag

Here is how our second day looks like when we let our bodies tell us when to sleep and when to eat. We wake up early but well-rested. We might even be early enough to catch a sunrise. We do nothing special with regards to the jet lag and have a regular vacation day doing regular activities. We try to eat at regular times, do some sightseeing and don’t go to bed before the evening.

The second day can sometimes get a bit tiring, especially towards the evening and even more so for the children . So we might have an early dinner and go to bed a bit earlier than usual. We try to make sure it’s not before 7 pm for the kids and 9 pm for us. We can stretch the time a bit by taking a long bath or reading stories to the kids before going to bed…

If we don’t have any snacks left, we make sure to buy some more to have in the hotel room for the next couple of days. It often happens that one (or all) of us wake up after having slept a few hours feeling hungry. We once ate sandwiches with chocolate spread at midnight in Australia… And then we went back to bed. This would be a big no-no according to the jet lag plan, but try telling that to a hungry child. Forget about the rules – eat when you’re hungry.

I have no idea how our second or third day would be like following the jet lag plan, but I can just imagine that we would probably be waking up too early and be too tired to enjoy our vacation during the day…

How to Overcome Jet Lag when Traveling West

It is much easier to deal with jet lag if you are traveling Westwards. Our personal experience shows that it’s extremely easy to adjust to a new time zone when flying West and you don’t need to do anything really special to ‘beat the jet lag’.

We never had any significant problems adjusting to the new time zone when traveling from East to West. I still remember that everyone was surprised to see our kids at school the day after we were back from Australia. But the kids felt just fine… They slept on the plane and went to bed a bit earlier than usual at night, and the next morning they were completely adjusted to the time zone at home.

When we fly Westwards, we do the same as going Eastwards – try to sleep on the plane if it’s night time at our destination.

If we arrive at our destination early in the morning, we go to bed during the day (and get up in the afternoon). If we arrive in the afternoon or early evening, we stay up as long as we can. It usually means that we get up at around 5-6 AM the next morning. In that case, we just start our day early – perfect for visiting some really popular landmarks without the crowds.

Now that you know how we beat the jet lag by simply following our bodies, let me summarize. Below you can find 9 easy tips for how to avoid jet lag. Take a look!

Our 9 Simple Tips for Avoiding Jet Lag

• Don’t be proactive by trying to change your schedule before leaving home. Make sure you start your trip well-rested.
• Try to get some sleep on the plane , but only at the time when it’s night at your destination.
• Drink lots of water during the flight. You may want to take it easy on alcoholic drinks and caffeine.
• Don’t try to stay awake the whole day if you arrive early in the morning . Better get some sleep, get up in the afternoon and make it a long evening than try to stay awake, exhaust yourself, and end up in bed much too early.
• Don’t eat when you don’t feel like it . Eat when you are hungry. So what if you only have two meals during the day, eat lunch at 3 pm or dinner at 5 pm or 11 pm, or treat yourself to some snacks at midnight? We won’t tell anybody!
• If you are traveling through multiple time zones and have certain commitments (business meeting or three kids that need your attention), then melatonin is something to consider . Ask your doctor for advice, of course.
• If you are traveling with kids, try to sleep when they sleep .
• For those of you who want something more ‘scientific’, here is some information I found in a book called ‘Why don’t spiders stick to their webs?’ . It’s full of all kinds of interesting and trivial (scientific) facts, including this one in regards to avoiding jet lag: If you have the choice, try to book a flight that leaves between 8 am and noon and arrives between 6 pm and 10 pm. According to this book, flights that leave late at night (10 pm-1 am) and arrive in the morning (8 am to noon) give a much bigger risk for jet lag.
• Don’t worry, follow what your body tells you , and enjoy your vacation!

How do you beat jet lag? Do you follow a strict plan, have some secret advice, or just go with the flow? Feel free to share your experience.

Read also: Simple Tips for Flying with Young Kids How to Travel Cheaper Tips and Tricks for Traveling with Children

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin this image!

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Monday 26th of September 2016

Great tips! Beating jet lag can be such an easier transition when you know little tips and tricks to adjust. Thanks for sharing! :)

Thanks for stopping by, Desiree and hopefully this will help you get over the jet lag easier next time.

Saturday 24th of September 2016

Interesting to hear how to deal with jet lag. I always struggle when I'm travelling East. I heard that if you are a morning person then travelling east is easier, and if you are a night owl then west is easier. I'm not sure how true that is.

I think it depends on so many factors that it's difficult to find one 'recipe' that fits all, Katy. That's why we try to listen to our body first and not follow general recommendations blindly.

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Peer reviewed by Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGP Last updated by Dr Hayley Willacy, FRCGP Last updated 19 Jul 2023

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In this series: Health advice for travel abroad Travelling to remote locations Ears and flying Motion sickness Altitude sickness

Jet lag occurs after travelling rapidly across several time zones, because the body's internal clock has not adjusted to the required sleep-wake cycle in the new time zone.

Jet lag causes physical and psychological symptoms, the severity of which increases with the number of time zones crossed and direction of travel. Eastward travel, when hours are 'gained' is associated with worse jet lag than westward travel, when hours are 'lost.'

In this article :

What causes jet lag, what are the symptoms of jet lag, when to see a doctor about jet lag, who gets jet lag, do some people get worse jet lag than others, how long does jet lag last, why does travelling east cause worse jet lag than travelling west, how can i prevent jet lag, how do i get over jet lag when i arrive, do commercial light devices help with jet lag, do jet lag calculators help with jet lag, do coloured spectacles help with jet lag, do sleeping tablets help with jet lag, what is the circadian rhythm, does taking melatonin help with jet lag, how do i prevent jet lag in my baby or toddler, how do i treat jet lag in my baby or toddler.

Continue reading below

Jet lag is a group of symptoms caused by disruption to the natural rhythms of the body, called circadian rhythm, by moving quickly across the world's time zones. It results from a temporary mismatch between the body's internal clock and the destination sleep/wake schedule.

This can either make it hard to fall asleep, or make you sleepy when you're trying to stay awake. It can also cause dizziness , indigestion , nausea , constipation , altered appetite and mild anxiety .

Before the advent of fast air travel, long journeys were slow enough for us to adjust gradually to different time zones as we travelled. Jet lag occurs when we travel so fast that we 'gain' or 'lose' extra hours more quickly than our body's capacity to adjust allows.

You don't need to travel to get jet lag. Shift work or a series of late nights can have the same effect. This also puts your melatonin and cortisol clocks out of synch with the daylight hours that you need to work to.

If you are travelling over only one or two, or possibly three, time zones, jet lag is not usually a problem. It usually affects people travelling across more than three time zones. So if the time at your destination is more than three hours different to that at the start of your journey, you are likely to experience jet lag. The more the time difference, the greater the problem jet lag is likely to be.

Jet lag only affects people travelling quickly. If you are travelling more slowly, by boat or car, your body clock will be able to adjust gradually.

The most common symptoms of jet lag are related to sleep. You may have difficulty getting to sleep at bedtime and struggle to wake up in the morning, or you may be tired long before bedtime and wake up while it is still night and too early to get up.

The effect of this difficulty with sleeping is feeling tired and not being able to function as well as usual. Common symptoms include:

Tiredness, which can be severe.

Sleepiness.

Disturbed and wakeful nights.

Feeling light-headed or 'spaced out.'

Feeling jittery, anxious or shaky.

Having a fine tremor.

Poor concentration and memory.

Being less co-ordinated than usual.

Irritability.

Low mood and weepiness.

Homesickness.

Not wanting to join in normal activities.

Poorer performance in sports than usual (particularly a problem for athletes).

Constipation .

Poor appetite.

Nausea and indigestion.

Other aspects of travel, such as cabin pressure, can also have an effect on your digestion. Changes in cabin pressure can cause both lack of fluid in the body (dehydration) and bloating, which may contribute to your symptoms.

Complications

Some of the symptoms of jet lag (such as poor concentration, or feeling 'spaced out') may cause problems performing complex (potentially dangerous) tasks, such as driving or operating machinery. You should not drive if you feel you are not functioning normally.

If you are not recovering from jet lag and your symptoms are causing problems (such as sleep disturbance, disrupted appetite or altered mood - anxiety and depression), you should see your doctor. They can assess your symptoms and suggest how to manage them.

Risk factors

People who travel frequently, particularly airline pilots and crew, are most likely to have problems with jet lag. Most people who fly very long distances will be affected, particularly if they fly coach class and can't easily manage to sleep on the flight even when they are sleepy.

Jet lag can be a problem for athletes competing in different parts of the world, as it is likely to affect physical performance. It is also a concern for business travellers as it may cloud their thinking for several days.

People vary in their ability to adjust to travel across time zones. Whilst people will take on average one day to correct for each hour, once they have crossed more than three time zones, some people take longer than this.

There is a small subgroup of people whose adjustment is very slow to begin, so that their circadian clock does not initially shift. You may know if you are one of these people, as you may experience worse jet lag than others. If this is the case then consider starting the jet lag preparations detailed here 4-5 days prior to travel, rather than only 2-3 days beforehand.

The circadian 'clock' is capable of adjusting by 1-2 hours each day without too much difficulty, so that we can accommodate variety in bedtime and getting up times - but adjusting to more than three hours or more can take time - roughly a day for each hour's adjustment. Three hours is borderline - some people will notice it, others will not.

The principle behind jet lag is that we need a similar amount of quality sleep, in one stretch. It's not easy to make ourselves sleep for extra hours when we travel, so we mainly need to move the sleep time, increasing or reducing our awake time.

Travelling to the west is easier as the brain finds it easier to move its clock back (by delaying release of melatonin and cortisol and sleeping later), than to move it forward (releasing it earlier).

Travelling to the east is harder, because you have to try to go to sleep when you are not tired, and without your body having produced the melatonin that usually helps this happen.

It is possible to avoid jet lag but it needs commitment and advance planning. The main key to these strategies is getting enough quality sleep in the few days before your trip, whilst trying to move your sleep period forwards or backwards.

If you try these strategies for 2-3 days before travel (4-5 days if you are a slow adjuster) then you can 'advance adjust' your circadian rhythm and reduce or even eliminate jet lag.

How do I reduce jet lag when travelling west?

If you are travelling west then you will gain time, so the principle of preventing jet lag is to prepare in advance by convincing your body it is earlier than it is, whilst continuing to get the right amount of quality sleep.

You won't be able to sleep for longer than usual, so you need to move your sleep period to later.

Try to stay in bright light in the evening, so that you delay release of melatonin until the new bedtime, and avoid bright lights in the morning, so your brain will think the sun hasn't risen yet.

Exercising at night will increase your body temperature, which will also shift your clock backwards. Staying up and sleeping in late will help even more.

How do I reduce jet lag when travelling east?

If you are travelling east, then you will lose time, so the principle of preventing jet lag is to convince your body it is later than it is, whilst continuing to get enough quality sleep.

You won't be able to sleep for longer than usual, and your challenge is to move your sleep period backwards and convince your body it is later than it really is. Long-haul flights east from the UK usually dim the lights early to assist you with this.

Avoid light as much as possible in the evening.

Go to sleep early, and get plenty of bright light when you wake up.

It also helps to exercise soon after rising, to increase your body temperature.

It is possible that taking melatonin may help (see below).

What should I do to ward off jet lag once I reach my destination?

Once you get to your destination use light to assist your body's adjustment to the new time zone - plenty of light (and exercise) in the morning and during the day, and darkness at night.

Avoid power napping when you're trying to adjust your clock.

Don't think about the old time zone at all - reset your watch and eat, stay well-hydrated, exercise and sleep in the new zone.

Avoid alcohol until you feel you have fully adjusted.

The most effective treatments for jet lag rely on shifting the circadian clock to the new time zone as fast as possible.

If you don't have time to prepare and experience jet lag, it will gradually subside on its own after a few days, as your body clock adapts to the new time zone. There are a number of strategies to help you get over it more quickly:

Ensure good-quality sleep in the darkness

After arrival at your destination, try to change your schedule to the new time zone as quickly as possible.

Avoid going to sleep until it is a reasonable bedtime for the new time zone. Then turn all the lights out, and use ear plugs if others have not settled to sleep.

Set alarms to stop you oversleeping in the morning. When you get up, turn the lights on.

Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in the six hours before you plan to sleep as they may interfere with your sleep cycle.

Prior to going to bed, try to relax. Avoid large meals, heavy exercise and exciting books or films before sleeping.

Shortwave or 'blue' light is thought to be most important in stopping melatonin being released. Therefore, glasses which block out blue light may help you release melatonin earlier than usual. It may therefore be helpful to wear them for a couple of hours before bed, although more research is needed. This would only be helpful if you are trying to bring forward the time you go to sleep - for example, after travelling east.

Ensure wakefulness when it's daylight

Warm up in the morning with light exercise and a hot shower.

If you normally exercise at night, consider switching your routine and exercising in the morning.

Caffeine-containing drinks such as coffee may help keep you awake until it is a reasonable time to go to sleep.

Expose yourself to outside natural light as much as possible. This will help your internal clock adjust.

If you are only in the new time zone for two to three days it may be easier to stay on your original timings. Eat and go to sleep at times that would be normal for you, even if they aren't the right times for the place you are now in. This may not be practical for everybody, as it depends on what you want or need to do while you are away.

Some people use light boxes or commercial light devices to increase their light exposure. This may be helpful.

Various commercial light boxes and light devices are marketed for jet lag - many of them are also marketed for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) .

Large boxes are easier to sit in front of, and usually more tolerable.

Small light boxes and worn devices are more portable.

Light boxes that can produce blue light, and which use LEDs, may be more effective because the circadian system is most sensitive to blue light.

Several online calculators, apps and devices are available to tell the traveller how and when to use the light, when to seek darkness and to seek normal daylight in the days after travelling.

Jet lag calculators are online tools that give you an 'adjustment programme' to try to prepare for international travel. The idea is that you put your travel details into the calculator and it tells you how to adjust your sleeping patterns prior to, and during, travel.

Many of them are based around the use of light devices, some of which are marketed by the makers of the app or calculator.

Some calculators may be based on expecting a faster adjustment than the one hour per day recovery which most researchers agree is typical for most of us. This means that the timetables offered over several days are not always helpful - they may, in other words, give you too much light too soon. Using the light devices before travel, to prepare for the new time zone, is thought to help reduce this problem.

The idea of wearing coloured specs on the plane relates to the fact that melatonin production is reduced by the presence of blue light. Coloured specs - they usually look red - filter out the blue light. The idea is that these are worn for a couple of hours before you want to sleep, particularly when travelling east, to try to stimulate your natural melatonin production in order to start to shift your circadian rhythm.

There are currently no treatments specifically licensed for jet lag. This is partly because adjusting the sleep-wake cycle is complicated, and affected by travel itself.

We all adjust differently, and the time at which medicines need to be taken in order to make things better rather than worse, differs between individuals and journeys.

Sleeping tablets are often considered by those trying to get back into a sleeping pattern. However, most doctors will advise against this. Sleeping tablets do not treat jet lag; they only mask it because they don't reset your circadian rhythm, they just sedate you.

They are highly addictive and can affect your ability to fall asleep by yourself even after only a couple of days of use. You also may be more irritable, and perform less well, when you wake.

We all have an internal clock, managing our body through day and night. Many of the systems in our bodies are affected by it, including appetite and energy levels, and sleepiness. The normal cycle, of sleeping at night and being alert and active in daytime, is called the circadian rhythm.

All living beings, even plants, have an internal clock. The rhythm is a response to the cycle of daylight and darkness.

There are two main components to our internal clock. These are melatonin (produced by a gland in our brain called the pineal gland) and cortisol, (produced by the adrenal gland, on top of the kidney).

Both affect arousal (alertness), sleepiness, mood, energy level, and body temperature, and both are mainly regulated by an area of the brain called the hypothalamus, a kind of central control zone located at the base of the brain, behind your eyes.

What is melatonin?

Melatonin is one of the main hormones involved in helping you sleep. Melatonin production occurs mainly when it is dark. Bright artificial light, blue light and natural light, can reduce melatonin levels.

Higher melatonin levels are associated with better sleep quality, reduction in depression, and better cognitive performance (this means performance in tasks like attention, reaction time, visual memory and mental maths).

The brain releases melatonin an hour or two before you normally sleep. At the same time body temperature begins to fall, reaching its lowest temperature in the early hours of the morning.

What is cortisol?

An hour or two before expected waking, your body releases cortisol, and then adrenaline (epinephrine). These hormones increase arousal and wakefulness. If levels are high they can make you anxious or uneasy.

Once you have crossed more than three time zones it typically takes the cortisol production pattern one full day to adjust for every time zone crossed. It takes four days to adjust to a four-hour change (even though a two-hour or even a three-hour change can usually be managed without jet lag).

Melatonin is often suggested and discussed as a remedy for jet lag. It is not a licensed treatment, although it is a tablet form of the natural melatonin hormone which your brain produces. You might imagine, from reading this leaflet, that melatonin would help jet lag. However, the truth is more complicated.

A wide body of research suggests that melatonin pills do effectively shift the circadian clock and can be a useful tool for reducing jet lag, particularly when travelling east.

Melatonin is available from health food shops as a dietary supplement.

However, it is also not yet known what dose should be used, or exactly when melatonin should be taken.

Some evidence suggests that melatonin can prevent jet lag if taken as part of the advance preparation for jet lag detailed above.

One possible downside of taking melatonin is that adjusting to a new time zone means adjusting your OWN circadian clock, which means producing your OWN melatonin. Until you do that you won't have adjusted, so even though taking large doses of melatonin can make you sleepy, it's not adjusting your body, and it may actually interfere with your body's own efforts to adjust, simply delaying the jet lag without preventing it.

At the best of times, it can be difficult to get your baby or toddler to sleep at the right time, and when you are travelling and everything is strange, worrying, tense or exciting then trying to get them to sleep when you want them to can be an impossible task.

Should I sedate my baby or toddler to avoid jet lag?

Some people try to sedate their children with antihistamine-type sedatives. Unfortunately, this is not a great solution. Only a really high dose of a sedative will make a child sleep when they don't want to - a higher dose than you would want to give for travel.

Lower doses risk making them irritable and drowsy without being sleepy, potentially making them tired and fractious. Worse than this, once the medication wears off they tend to suffer from a 'rebound' agitation which may make them irritable, upset and shaky.

Do what your baby does

The preparations above for jet lag only work if you are free to do them. If you are working around a baby or toddler when you are travelling you will need to try to rest when they rest, and accept the need to be awake when they are awake.

You can help yourself by preparing, as much as you can, before you travel, using others to help you get the sleep you need to try to adjust in advance to the new time zone.

Helping your baby adjust to a new time zone

When you reach your destination and your child is wide awake, give them breakfast. Their jet lag is telling them it is time for breakfast and you won't be able to convince them otherwise.

Accept that you can't sleep and, if you are tired, just try to be as restful as possible. Read favourite books, give them a warm bath, try not to overstimulate them, but to relax them. Eventually they will need to sleep, but they may hold out longer than you thought possible.

After an interval of 2-3 hours, if they are calm, fed and happy, try a bedtime routine again - pyjamas, quiet and darkness may all signal to your baby or toddler than it's time to sleep. If they sleep then sleep yourself, and try to make sure nobody disturbs them until they've slept it off.

See also the separate leaflet called Travelling to Remote Locations for further advice on travelling with young children .

Dr Mary Lowth is an author or the original author of this leaflet.

Further reading and references

• Doane LD, Kremen WS, Eaves LJ, et al ; Associations between jet lag and cortisol diurnal rhythms after domestic travel. Health Psychol. 2010 Mar;29(2):117-23. doi: 10.1037/a0017865.
• Eastman CI, Burgess HJ ; How To Travel the World Without Jet lag. Sleep Med Clin. 2009 Jun 1;4(2):241-255. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2009.02.006.
• Sleep disorders - shift work and jet lag ; NICE CKS, November 2019 (UK access only)
• Janse van Rensburg DC, Jansen van Rensburg A, Fowler PM, et al ; Managing Travel Fatigue and Jet Lag in Athletes: A Review and Consensus Statement. Sports Med. 2021 Oct;51(10):2029-2050. doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01502-0. Epub 2021 Jul 14.

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Next review due: 17 Jul 2028

19 jul 2023 | latest version.

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What is it like to fly to Australia from the US?

Updated on: December 5, 2023

Australia is on almost every traveler’s bucket list but the long-haul flight can seem like a daunting journey, causing some people to put off the trip.

We promise it’s totally worth it and really not as bad as you might think.

Here’s what it’s like to fly to Australia from the U.S. with a few tips to make your journey as stress free as possible!

Image by: Roderick Eime

Avoid the headaches!

Unless you found an amazing deal on airfare, we highly recommend taking a direct flight to Australia.

Likely, you’ll be flying directly to Australia from Dallas, Los Angeles or San Francisco, so your first step would be to get to one of these main hubs on a US domestic flight.

Your best bet here is to make sure you book your US domestic flights together with your international flights, so that you can check your luggage all the way through to your destination.

Otherwise you will have to get off the plane in Dallas (LA or SF), pick up your bags, check into your international flight, drop off your bags, go through security again and then get on your international flight.

We like our clients to be able to do a simple transfer from one plane to the other, knowing their bags will be transferred behind the scenes. Less lines means less stress!

Traveler’s Tip: All of your flights within the US and Australia should be booked on the same ticket as your international flight- your About Australia Destination Specialist will do this whenever possible. Not only will this lessen the stress on your way to Australia, but it also increases your luggage allowance throughout your entire journey! Usually, you’ll get two free checked bags when you book in this manner. Even if you only plan on checking one bag, the ability to check an additional bag comes in handy when you come across a flight in Australia that limits carry-on luggage to 7K (15.4 pounds). Rather than pay $50 to check your overweight carry-on, you can simply check it for free because you booked your international ticket with your Australian Domestic flights. See, it pays to book your travel with a Destination Specialist!

Your flight will most likely take off late in the evening and arrive in Australia two days later early in the morning.

No, you’re not on the plane for two days, but you will cross the international dateline causing you to lose one day. So if you leave Dallas at 10:30pm on November 20th, you would arrive in Sydney at 6am on November 22nd.

You’ll make up this day on the way back, arriving in the US just a few hours after you leave Australia. It’s like time travel!

Flight Timeline

So you’ve avoided the stress of the dreaded international transfer. Now it’s time to board your new home for the next 12-17 hours.

If you are flying First Class, Business Class or Premium Economy, great for you! The service and food are much better and you will be much more comfortable then the folks in Economy.

But these options are quite expensive, so we’ll stick to Coach in this description since that’s how most people will get to Australia.

Traveler’s Tip : Your Destination Specialist will send you information on how you can purchase advanced seat selection. If you want to sit in an exit row (for extra leg room) or sit with your travel companion, you’ll want to spend the extra cash to select your seat ahead of time.

You’ll board your flight and take your seat. Airlines like Qantas, Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand will offer in-flight entertainment from the get-go. They have a ton of options with new and classic movies, TV series, music, games and audiobooks. Get comfortable and start picking out a movie or TV show to watch.

These flights also offer USB ports that will keep your mobile device charged throughout the flight. Don’t expect Wi-Fi, though. Most international flights currently don’t offer it, but that is slowly changing.

These larger long-haul planes are much more comfortable than most US domestic planes.

You’ll likely have a winged headrest that folds in to catch your weary head and your seat will slide forward when laying back to give you a little bit more recline.

The Qantas Airbus A380 even offers little footrest nets for added comfort (but these are not available in the exit rows or bulkhead seats).

The plane will take off and after it gets to the correct altitude, flight attendants will offer bottles of water and perhaps a lemon drink.

You’ll receive a menu that tells you all that is on offer. We can’t speak for all airlines, but on Qantas, Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand, everything on this menu is included in the price of your flight – including the alcoholic beverages.

Just don’t get carried away!

Here’s what we recommend you do:

Watch a movie and enjoy dinner with a tasty dessert. Then maybe watch a TV show or read for about 45 minutes.

Three to four hours into your flight, when they turn down the lights, get out of your seat to stretch your legs. Maybe do a lap around the plane.

If you are on the Qantas Airbus A380, you can head to the back and walk up and down the flight of stairs a few times. Then go to the restroom to get ready for bed.

It might help if you bring along a change of clothes and your toothbrush (if you forget this, ask for one). Performing your nightly ritual may help you sleep more soundly.

Cuddle up with your airline provided blanket and pillow and try to get a full night’s rest. Most airlines will also have sleep masks available should you need them.

Snacks and water are available throughout the night.

Traveler’s Tip: Get lots of sleep and drink a lot of water! It may be tempting to watch all three Lord of the Ring movies while you enjoy glasses of Australian wine, but you’ll hate yourself the next day.

In the morning, the lights will come on about 3 hours before you arrive at your destination and the crew will serve breakfast. Wake up, go for a little walk to stretch your legs, eat and fill out your customs card.

You might find yourself asking, “Should I declare…..?”. The answer is yes. Just declare anything that remotely matches the description on the card. It will save you trouble in the long run.

Now you’ll have time to watch a short movie or catch a few more Zzzzzs before landing in Australia.

You’ve arrived in Australia!

When you land, you will disembark the plane and make your way through customs.

You’ll stand in a few lines, show your passport a few times and they’ll ask you what you are bringing into the country. 

Then you will collect your bags and a cute dog might come along to sniff your bag to make sure you are not smuggling illegal fruit and whatnot.

It’s not the best experience, but it’s not the worst.  And again it’s totally worth it because, yeah, you’re in Australia!

Now you have to find your way to your hotel.

If you booked with us, you’ll have a transfer waiting for you. The shuttle bus will take you to your hotel where you can try to check in.

It’s going to be pretty early in the morning, between 7 and 8 am, so unless you’ve arranged for early check in, they likely won’t have a room ready and waiting for you.

This is really a blessing in disguise.

If you had a room ready, you might be tempted to take a nap at this point.

This is not a good idea .

You have to power through your first day in Australia. Stay awake until at least 9pm.

Otherwise, the jet lag will be much worse throughout your vacation. Most hotels will store your bags for you and bring them up to your room when it is ready.

Your job is to get out into the city and explore.

Traveler’s Tip: Resist the urge to take a nap on day one!

We like to book a short tour on the first day. If you’re in Sydney, go on a hop on, hop off Harbour Cruise and/or take a tour of the Sydney Opera House.

Maybe spoil yourself with an extravagant lunch (May we suggest GRAZE in The Rocks? It’s amazing!) and then check out the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia or the Royal Botanical Gardens before heading back to your hotel for the night.

If you’re in Melbourne , maybe do a city tour to explore the hidden laneways and arcades or hop on the City Circle Tram. This free mode of transportation stops at many places of interest like Federation Square, Melbourne Aquarium and Parliament House.

There is also a free tourism shuttle bus with on-board commentary. Look for red signs that indicate the bus stops. It runs every 30 minutes between 9:30am and 4:30pm.

If you follow these suggestions you can avoid serious jet lag and start enjoying your Australian vacation straight away.

Are you ready to start planning your trip to Australia ? Talk to one of our Destination Specialists today. We’ll make sure you have an easy and enjoyable vacation!

About Australia Reviews

Ana Musgray helped me plan my dream trip to Australia and New Zealand. Everything was so well organized all the transfers,or coach buses were right on time and ran seamless. This county is absolutely beautiful and the people on my tour were so much fun! I had the time of my life and will never forget my amazing holiday! I hope to return one day and will definitely contact Ana again.

Good enjoyable trip. Melbourne: Accommodation: clean, good location, easy transportation City Food Walking Tour: OK Philip Island Trip: Good Ocean Drive: Good Cairns: Accommodation: clean, good location Snorkeling: Good Aboriginal: Duplicated day and trip events. Should have taken one, not both: the same thing, same casts. Sydney: Accommodation: OK, good location, easy transporttio(...)

Overall we were very happy with About Australia and our coordinator Koda.

All the booking and execution of travel, transfers, hotels, etc went smoothly. The location of and quality of the accommodations in Melbourne and Caines were great, and we really enjoyed the tours we did in those cities.

We especially enjoyed the foodie tour we did in Melbourne. Monique, who ran the tour, wa(...)

I’m extremely happy with the trip that we had About plan for us. I told them what cities we wanted to go, what attractions we wanted to visit and that we were nature lovers. They planned the best tours for us and nailed it! I was also very happy with the smoothness of all the connecting flights and the shuttles to and from the airports/ train stations.

Had a fantastic time in Fiji thanks to About Australia. They were knowledgeable about the location and the resorts they chose for us were spectacular. Thanks for all of your help.

It was amazing, the experience was well worth the cost.

Booking through About Australia made the trip very easy. It was nice not to worry about finding accommodations and flights and they provided good recommendations for each location. I would use the service again. I did feel that we spent too much time in some places and not enough in others, but that likely kept flight costs down.

My only concerns were that two of the accommodations didn't (...)

We have traveled all over the world. Never have we had a trip so well planned. By the third day, we were checking our itinerary and asking ourselves, “what’s the next adventure?” Everything went like clockwork. Hotels, flights, transfers, tours, all were on time and more than we expected. Our only disappointment was having to come home when it was over. Thank you, About Australia, for plannin(...)

It was an amazing family vacation almost everything was pre-paid and booked we just had to show up and have fun!! Ana was very patient with me and she was able to accommodate all my requeats and answer all my questions.

The entire experience was amazing! From booking in the short time we had, to the surprise of such a great value and then when we were there, we could not believe how wonderful everything was...from the hotels, to the excursions to the flight and transfers. Absolutely flawless, best value and would highly recommend Marissa and About Australia again! Thank you so much for a wonderful experience!

About Australia was a great company to work with, did a fantastic job in all the planning. thank you

Koda was great and kept in contact with us from the intial point and until our return and beyond. All of the events we booked were fantastic. Even though we were fresh off the cyclone the snorkeling of the Great Barrier Reef is a once in a lifetime experience. The tip about getting something for the flight crew paid off as all the flight crew treated us as though we were VIP's and other peopl(...)

The only feedback I would like to offer pertains to the Penguin Parade excursion. We had no idea how the day would unfold. Turns out, no one was dressed appropriately seeing that Phillips Island is quite breezy and the temps drop as the sun goes down! If you could suggest that long pants, or even a jacket and blanket are brought, would have helped keep everyone more comfortable as we wai(...)

My boyfriend and I (both 72 years of age) have just returned from a six-week, custom-tailored, independent trip to Australia and New Zealand.

We started talking about this trip over a year prior to our departure date. After my initial 2.5 hour telephone conversation with Christopher at About Australia, I knew we had found the perfect "partner" on whom we could depend to help us with all(...)

Tyler planned an amazing trip to Australia and New Zealand! Everything went smooth from the time we left Newark until we landed back home in Newark. The flights were great, the transfers went smooth, the accommodations were lovely and the excursions were awesome!! Any issues we had were out of everyone’s control and handled appropriately I would recommend About Australia to anyone who (...)

We got such a great deal, it made me wonder “what’s the catch?” No catch, just a wonderful adventure!

THIS TRIP WAS AMAZING WAS ABLE TO SEE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUHGOUT AUSTRALIA, EVERYTHING FROM THE FOOD TO THE PEOPLE WAS AWESOME. ALL OF OUR ACCOMODATIONS WERE FANTASTIC. ABOUT AUSTRALIA IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO IF TRAVELING ABROAD TO AUSTRALIA.

Koda was very helpful in assisting us in planning our first trip to Australia. The apartments in Melbourne and Sydney was Amazing. It is walking distance to major attractions and we felt very safe. We will definitely recommend about Australia to our friends. Thank you.

3 countries, 13 flights, 31 vouchers, 0 problems. This was a well orchestrated trip by Ana at AboutAustralia of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

We truly enjoyed the trip you planned for us. Everything went smoothly, and the activities you chose for us were amazing.

Koda and her company were a dream to work with. Everything was easy to understand and tailored to meet our needs. This was our first time using a tour type package and agent and I was glad we did. Our trip was planned out beautifully for us. Everything was streamlined, easy, fun and friendly with top notch impeccable services, tours and hotels. We had a great balance of scheduled tours and ti(...)

This is the 1st Australia trip, we already thinking going back!

Overall, our trip was wonderful. Unfortunately, they had to change agents in the middle of planning so we lost some continuity. Majority of accommodations were great. Tours selected wonderful. My only recommendation for those using About Australia, thoroughly check and read all final documents including seat assignments on airlines.

I wrote as soon as we got back, but the email did not go through. You did a superb job of booking everything! The trip was perfectly smooth. Both Australia and New Zealand are beautiful and the people are kind. We snorkeled, zip lined, walked, went on planes, trains, gondolas, boats and ferries. We attempted to do every activity and site available and I think we succeeded! Thank you. (...)

Marissa really helped us plan the perfect vacation. She was always available by phone or email, even sometimes after hours. I had a lot of questions and made some changes, and she was very accommodating. We were visiting our son who is attending the University of Newcastle for a semester. We stayed in Sydney and Newcastle during our trip. Some of our favorite things were the sunset cruis(...)

We really enjoyed our trip to Australia. The accommodations exceeded our expectations, especially the apartment in Melbourne. Our first trip to Australia was unforgettable!

I asked for a trip to Australia focused on Australian animals and I enjoyed it immensely. I petted koalas at the Australia Zoo and at several wildlife refuges, and photographed them out in the wild. I fed and petted kangaroos and wallabies at the Australia Zoo and at several wildlife refuges, and photographed them out in the wild. While snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, I photographed mul(...)

Everything was well planned out and taken care of before we flew to Sydney. Plans went smoothly. We had a few changes to make during the planning and Koda was very helpful.

We used About Australia for our 2 week honeymoon. They were very easy to work with and helped us create the perfect itinerary. I loved how customizable everything was and it was very reassuring knowing everything was taken care of. We only had one issue the whole time and that was with our pickup from the airport when we first arrived in Sydney. It wasn’t the way we wanted to start our honey(...)

It was a wonderful trip. well organized. Hotels and people I had to deal with were excellent. I would highly recommend this outfit to anyone who wants to go to Australia.

We had a fantastic and wonderful experience. All our connections went smoothly and the Mantra hotels were very clean and in great locations. The three excursions that were booked for us were exceptional. We would definitely recommend your company to our friends.

This is my second time booking with About Australia. It was a blessing and pleasure to work with Koda! She was patient, efficient, and did her utmost to meet all my travel requests. I had a customized itinerary with many changes in between. Koda, without any hesitation, helped to meet my requests. Koda delivered friendly and professional services without any trace of Being annoyed or bother(...)

The trip that Ana put together for us was nothing short of spectacular and exceeded our expectations which were high. As we traveled from Sydney to Hamilton Island to Byron Bay and back to Sydney we were able to enjoy all the sites and activities we planned and then some! We were privy to some “insider tips” which added so much to our trip. We highly recommend AboutAustralia and plan on using(...)

We couldn't be happier with our trip to Australia that we booked through "About Australia" Travel Agency. Our agent Ana, helped us customize our trip & figure out 3 cities to visit & an excursion in each city to do. The accommodations were convenient & comfy. The excursions got us out & about the city so we could figure out more places we wanted to visit. Ana walked us through getting all o(...)

About Australia and Christopher set up the most amazing vacation for us. If there was a rating above 5 stars, we would place these travel experts into that category.

Traveling to New Zealand and Australia had been on our wish list for awhile and putting trust in Christopher with our travel plan destinations was the best decision we could have made.

Thank you for the memories.

This was the best trip of my life hands down. I was afraid that since I was saving so much money I would be getting a lesser quality trip, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Darin hit it out of the ballpark planning our trip to Australia for us. He made it very easy for us to get from one place to another. Everything went as planned!! He suggested Hamilton Island to us and It was one of our favorite places to go! Absolutely beautiful! Everyone was so friendly and they take such good care of their Island- very clean! We were able to see and do so much and all do(...)

I had a nice time in Australia. Had the opportunity to meet 4 other women on a similar adventure from various parts of the US. Their package very similar to mine so we spent time doing activities together and having meals together.

I would recommend that you ask more questions about the activities if you are going to book them through the travel agency. There was very limited information g(...)

Awesome trip, can’t wait to do another!

Our first trip to australia is awesome . Quantas airlines staffs are attentive , helpful to meet my needs & assistance .hotels & apartments provided are awesome , clean , spacious & most of all matrtra on kent , very close proximity at darling harbour in sydney. Tours best is penguin , barrier reef .the only minor complaint i have is to remember to call transfers 24 hours prior . . Australia (...)

Thoroughly enjoyed our vacation - Princess cruise New Zealand was great. Hotels in Sydney, Gold Coast were excellent, our hotel in Cairns the room itself was lovely, unfortunately the view from the room was a steel roof and brick wall - again the room itself and the staff were very nice.

Jeanne and I highly recommend a trip to Australia and to use About Australia for your arrangements! Everything they recommended we tried to fit into our schedule and it was well worth it. We especially loved Cairns and snorkeling on the Barrier Reef and hope to go back again at some point to spend more time there. One day on the water was not enough! All of our flight arrangements made by Ab(...)

Can not describe how wonderful this trip was. Every flight perfect with pickups always on schedule. Each hotel was better than described. The excursions where a highlight of every city and where very fairly priced. We added some additional tours and Chris Reeh our agent from "About Australia" handled these additions with ease. We enjoyed every day and night . Pickup for tours always on time(...)

The trip to Australia was amazing. The tours were well planned and interesting. A great value for the money.

Ana did a great job of putting my itinerary together. She has great ideas for tours, the accommodations were fantastic, and it was nice to have transportation arranged to and from the airport.

They helped me plan a amazing anniversary trip that I will never forget. We had minor hicks up but it was taken care of. I just wanted to share how much I enjoy dealing with About Australia. You have great people working to make business travel as painless as possible. I have worked a lot with Chris Reech – he is brilliant.

He is customer focused, cheerful and always willing to help you f(...)

My travel agent Darin, did a spectacular job with my tour itinerary, everything was beyond my expectation. all the hotels and their staff, were cordial, helpful and full of important information. the location of the hotels was fantastic, everywhere I wanted to see or visit was at walking distance, it was safe which was one of my main concerns, Darin assured me that everywhere I was staying wa(...)

Our flight to LAX was delayed due to weather connections (our booking), and therefore missed our flight to Melbourne. However, Virgin Australia was wonderful & put us on a flight to Sydney just a few hours later with a connecting flight to Melbourne to arrive only 5 hours late [THANKS VIRGIN!]. All accommodations were great [Rose Gums the favorite despite heat]. Also John & Sue in Port Dougl(...)

Everything was perfect for our trip. Everything I wanted to see and the package Chris put together was perfect. It was action packed but got to see everything we wanted to see. Working with About Australia was smooth and an easy process. Chris spend a lot of time putting the package together and we couldn't be more pleased. All the hotels were in great locations for us to visit the sites. C(...)

We had a wonderful time. We enjoyed all of the excursions that were included with our package. We would, however, preferred better hotels. The first one, in Melbourne, was located about 2 blocks from the office where we were dropped off by the shuttle. We had to drag our luggage to the building. We found the apartment to be well appointed, but we had to report to the management that the (...)

It was an awesome vacation except for the 24 hours of traveling(LOL). The hotels were great but made you pay for WIFI, the US does not make you pay for it. I would definitely recommend to everyone.

Just wanted to share we had an amazing trip through New Zealand and Australia, thank you for coordinating the trip. The voucher process worked perfectly and we liked the location of the accommodations. Wish you did Asia, I would love to use your services again.

Our 10 day trip to Eastern Australia was extremely enjoyable, and a valuable learning experience. Surfers Paradise was reminiscent of our days on the Jersey shores, only better. The area was very clean, there were many good restaurants and plenty of sites to see. We did sign up for a 1/2 day tour of the waterfalls and rainforest. We could have avoided this since the waterfalls and rainforests(...)

My husband and I went to Australia September 2019. From the beginning of our planning process Melanie was great. Initially we planned to go on vacation in June but we had some conflicts so requested to move our vacation to September. Since Melanie was out of the office, Melissa helped us get everything organized. Melissa was so great and attentive as well. As our vacation got closer Melanie c(...)

A most excellent vacation as a result of working with Marissa Stroud! Perfect accommodations, wonderful tours, and accommodating flights with Virgin Australia.

Awesome,fantastic,wonderful not enough words to describe this experience. It was the best! Everything went smoothly not one glitch in the entire 3 weeks. All the tours, transfers were as described. Couldn’t have been a better experience.

Hassle free if you would like to tackle all three: Northern New Zealand, Southern New Zealand and gold coast of New South Wales, Australia. Hassle free comes when about Australia was able to arrange shuttles to and from the airport, rental car, airline tickets. Ours were nine flights!. You get the most for your money. Koda did it with such ease and efficiency. About Australia knows what hot(...)

About Australia and About New Zealand planned our honeymoon amazingly! From listening to the activities we desired to do while there, to ensuring those happened, and arranging all our flights and accommodations, About Australia was great to work with. Our visas were secured and all our travel documentation was provided, which made traveling a breeze! And we had a lot of traveling to do in the(...)

We engaged with About Australia (Darin Hendry) nine months ago for a recommendation on an itinerary for a first time visit and 20th anniversary trip to Australia. From the beginning the guidance, interaction and ultimate proposal was spot on.

The 2-week journey offered an exceptional variety of terrain, climate and experiences. First stop the Tablelands, rainforest, then beach town, the(...)

Thanks, Darin, for the wonderful trip you designed for us in Australia. We had a blast! The hotels were right in the middle of things, the tours were amazing and first class, and if I needed advice you were right there for me. I would not have been able to plan this trip without you because you had been to Australia and you knew just where to send me, and in the style I wanted.

Thanks a(...)

What an amazing experience. The accommodations and extra excursions we did were wonderful. The only thing I would have changed was I wished we had a little more time in Sydney (it was more like a very long layover rather than a visit to the city). Ana was wonderful and helped us plan a trip I will always treasure!

We had a very well planned trip by about Australia, the activities were fun. The rooms were fantastic. Only complaint it wasn’t long enough. I’d definitely use them again and recommend them to friends.

TO BE FILED UNDER... WHO NEEDS A TRAVEL AGENT ... UNTIL YOU DO!

We traveled to NZ and AU in March and April this year. After a great deal of discussion with friends and colleagues about where to go and how much time to spend, we headed off.

NZ was first, not only was it one of the most spectacular Venues i have ever been lucky enough to visit, but the driving on the "Other side of the(...)

It was am amazing trip that covered a lot of the country. Only regret was we were running out of time and would have liked to spent more time in each location. Do your study before you go, the instructions in the voucher help but the little things you can miss make it important to study and plan.

My trip to Australia was amazing! The hotels were impeccable, outings to the Great Barrier Reef and Walkabout to see kangaroos and koalas will last a lifetime. No fusing with transport to and from the airport as it was arranged.Thank you Ana for putting together a fabulous adventure!

In cairns our pickup to airport for trip to sydney was not organized well. The driver picked us up too late and had 6 additional stops! Claudia and I ran to checkin and there was a long line. So she went to priority and I went to service desk. The service desk checked us in. We were lucky to make the flight due to our quick thinking. Also, we were not that pleased with the location of (...)

We had an amazing trip. We would change a couple of things about our time in Sydney. We were right in Chinatown- maybe 5 Aussies in that area the whole time we were there. No Australian food or the English language anywhere. We did not pay all of this money to stay in Asia. We have Chinatown in the states. The hotel was nice. We took public transportation to see the other parts of Syd(...)

We had a wonderful time in Australia and loved the convenience and quality product offered by About Australia. The food tour in Melbourne was great and our apartment was modern and lovely. We were very satisfied overall and thank Koda for helping us with our arrangements.

We really enjoyed our Australia vacation, especially our visits to Sydney, Melbourne, and Port Douglas. Everything went smoothly - no problems with travel arrangements, and the accommodations were comfortable and spacious. Our snorkel/scuba trip to the Great Barrier Reef was wonderful. Thanks to About Australia for helping us plan the trip of a lifetime!

Our trip to Australia would never have been as successful as it was without the help of Koda from About Australia. Using an area specialist made all the difference. She set us up with amazing excursions I doubt we would have found it n our own. She suggested the Phillips Island trip to see the tiny penguin parade when I didn’t even know there were penguins in Australia—and trip included (...)

If people go and don't wanna stay they're crazy

Through the entire trip I kept saying to Betty that I could not believe how smoothly everything was going. It was an amazing, stress free (due to your efforts) trip. The hotels in Cairns and Sydney could not have been more accommodating. The whole trip from beginning to end was just really stress free. Taxi’s to/from airports, airport personnel, etc. were just wonderful. You did an amazing jo(...)

Australia is beautiful. Our trip was well planned and very organized. Daily vouchers were easy to understand and all travel documents were very organized. Darin was extremely helpful and readily available for questions and concerns. I would definitely recommend About Australia for your travel needs.

Australia is a big country!! We are so glad we used "About Australia" tour and self-guided services!!!

Sydney was a beautiful city!! clean and lots of action at Darling Harbor ... Our accommodations were two blocks from Darling Harbor ... Easy walking distance to everything: Sydney Opera House, Harbors, Fish Market, and boat taxis to Manly...

The first half of the trip we used three(...)

Ana did a great job! In less than 3 weeks we saw the top spots ob Australia's south, middle and north. Everything was well organized, just showing the voucher and we could pass.

Fantastic trip, and so affordable! Great flight, outstanding accommodations with wonderful views--39th floor in Melbourne!--Great Barrier Reef and Penguin Island were excellent experiences! Monique and Yasmine were such entertaining guides. This trip with my daughter was one of the very best in this traveler's memory!

Our trip was amazing! Sydney, Fraser Island, and Airlie beach are places we cannot wait to go back to!!! So grateful for the recommendations and trip planning/organization.

Daren and his colleagues did a wonderful job in getting us set up for our first tour of Australia. We will return to the Land Down Under again and will be certain to engage their assistance in putting the next visit as well.

The trip you helped me put together for my clients was absolutely perfect! Thank you so much!!

We had a fantastic experience. Knowing it may be our one and only chance to see down under, we squeezed in as much as possible in 2 weeks. We went to Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland (Tasmania) and New Zealand. The flights, tours and all airport/hotel connections all went off without a hitch. We scheduled many tours but our favorites were the Feeding Frenzy at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Tasman(...)

Australian people are incredibly hospitable and fun to talk with. One story: When we disembarked our train early in the morning in Cooroy, there was no station, just a platform on a country road and no taxi stand. But there was a group of guys meeting up to go kayaking. One offered to drive us free the 30 minutes to our destination ---- the attendant in a filling station was able to call (...)

Going to Australia and snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef has been #1 on my "Bucket List" since I can remember! All the stars fell in line this year, so we decided, "This is it...we're going!"

About Australia came highly recommended to us by some friends who LOVE Australia (and are going again with them next year for the 5th time!!), so we contacted them to check them out and get the bal(...)

Had a fantastic time. Great flight arrangements, great cities (Melbourne, Cairns, Sydney), great tours, great food! Our accommodations were very nice, but the location of one was a bit inconvenient (better if had a couple of upgrade options in larger cities). For the most part, we had excellent weather; it rained on two touring days but we were still able to appreciate the sites with the exc(...)

We only have one time in Cairns where the shuttle missed picking us up because the flight was delayed and we have to wait for one and a half hour for the next shuttle Otherwise, everything else was great! I will recommend it to all my travel buddies.

We booked flights, hotels, shuttles, and activities with Ana at About Australia. The range of geographical areas and activities was exceptional I highly recommend About Australia to anyone planning to travel there.

Koda was an excellent adviser and planner to my trip to Australia. She was always very professional, patient, informative and was careful to the minimum detail. I will recommend her with friends and family.

Our first trip to AUSTRALIA did not disappoint! Our Itinarary was perfect for us Alaskan adventurers! A well rounded trip from Sydney to Cairns and so much in between. We hiked in the Blue Mountains and swam at Lake Eacham walked amongst the kangaroo s and Cockatoo s and held the precious Koala bears. We romped in the rain forest and stayed at Rose Gums enjoyed the 3 bedroom treehouse with (...)

Absolutely no complaints! Great accommodation! Everyone was on time to pick us up! Really enjoyed Australia!

About Australia Travel Agency and Christopher R (agent), did a great job in organizing, communicating and providing me and my husband with top notch accommodations and exhilarating excursions. Even though we had a few glitches due to acts of God, everything else went as planned. I give them an 'A' for a job well done.

This was my first time using About Australia and I was extremely happy with their services. They did an excellent job. Everything was just perfect. The transportation, the hotels, the locations was all spot on. My sisters and I were very pleased. I highly recommend anyone visiting Australia and New Zealand to use About Australia. Thank you so much Marissa for everything you did to make our va(...)

Thank you for putting together such a great vacation for us, very professional service. We had a blast in Australia!

The paper work including what to do pre trip was great, Australia is a long way so Ana extended my return an extra 10 days so I could have more time with son and visit Tasmania. For my return next year I plan on using their services .

The whole trip was very well organized . Starting with planning the trip consulting Darin Hendry, he made us feel very comfortable and assured us that we would be well taken care of. He told us what to expect at every cities we stopped. The instructions at each airports when we arrived were so detailed. We felt so at ease in unfamiliar places. The whole trip was very relaxed because we travel(...)

This is my 2nd time booking with About Australia. It was a blessing to work with Koda this time around! She provided outstanding services all around from the time I phoned in to during the trip and the end of the trip! Koda was very patient, efficient, and tried her utmost to meet all my travel requests. I had a customized itinerary and Koda diligently and patiently worked with me on (...)

The trip of a lifetime for us. All the arrangements worked out beautifully. The accommodations were excellent. All the transportation arrangements happened as expected and we were extremely pleased. Loved all the included tours and those that we chose to do on our own. One day at the Great Barrier Reef, the next at the Rainforest. We especially loved the city of Cairns. Truly one of the best(...)

So glad About Australia and Koda could make my dream come true. Such an incredible trip. Managed to accomplish so many things: Great Barrier Reef, Tjapuka dinner show, whitewater rafting, Wildlife Dome (picture holding koala bear), shopping, Blue Mountain tour (feeding and petting kangaroos), seeing 3 Sisters, using 2 day Harbour Pass to visit most stops, walking the Harbour Bridge and Ro(...)

We had a great first time trip to Australia. Darin and About Australia were great to work with. The sites we visited were fantastic. The hotels were excellent. The day trips and operators were first tier. Everything about the trip went smooth and was above expectations. Well Done!

I reviewed properties with the travel agency which had some issues, and these comments are said to be considered for future clients. I'm awaiting resolution of an airline baggage charge with which the agency is assisting. I'll try to post photos after I'm back from catchup mode; having been away a month. Thank you Ana, for your great service!

Fabulous trip to Australia and New Zealand. We asked for photography opportunities-- landscape and wildlife and that's just what we got at a reasonable price. Ana was with us every step of the way to include during the trip, when a hotel owner thought we had unintentionally left things in a room. Amazing service-- friendly, efficient and spot on. Thank you to Ana and to the owner, Paul, too, (...)

We loved our bucket list trip to New Zealand and Australia. However, we felt there should have been an encouragement from Koda to consider adding a day or two at each destination. We didn't realize that in almost all cases of 2 night stays, an entire day was spend traveling. This left us with little time to explore upon arrival. An example was Melbourne. We arrived in the early evening. The e(...)

Traveling to 3 Australian cities, I was surprised how effortless the whole trip was. The hotels were very nice, the pickups and transfers from airports were efficient, the included tours were fun, and it was an all around enjoyable and worthwhile experience.

Great planning, awesome communication, and perfect itinerary setup by Kelsey!! Perfect hotel locations to access the wonders of each city within walking distance!!! Australia was amazing, adventurous, and relaxing!! Great job About Australia!!

My daughter and I had an amazing time Down Under thanks to About Australia. Our hotels were wonderful and located perfectly in order to explore more of the cities we were visiting. All of the recommendations before we left were extremely helpful. It made a last minute trip into a relaxing vacation.

About Australia put together a perfect trip for us to Australia. Their suggestion that we fly Premium Coach on Virgin Australia worked out great, we slept well both ways and literally experienced no jet lag either direction. We were pleased with all of our accommodations and excursions, and when one of our flights inside Australia was cancelled, the owner was immediately on top of the situa(...)

The trip was worth the money. However, VERY disappointed with location of hotel in Sydney. Although BREAKFREE ON GEORGE was a very nice hotel/apartment I did not appreciate being in the middle of Chinatown.

I was referred by a friend to About Australia to help put together my "bucket list" trip to Australia and New Zealand. Overall, it was a great success. I saw and did all the things I really wanted to do. High points were the Sydney Bridge Climb, diving the Great Barrier Reef, the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island, driving the Great Ocean Road, hiking in Freycinet National Park, and the feeding(...)

Great travel services covering customized locations and activities. Transfers were seamless and Accommodations were perfectly located with access to in apt.laundry needs at just the right intervals for our three week trip. Couldn’t have asked for a better team in getting us flight changes mid-trip and tracking our needs throughout. All for reasonable prices! Best of the best!

Our Aussie trip could not have been planned better. The accommodations were all located centrally within short walking distances to restaurants and shopping, not to mention each one was ever so clean and the staff so friendly. The tours scheduled were just what we wanted to see and the tour guides quite knowledgeable. We got to see all the Koalas, kangaroos and wombats that we could possibly(...)

THANKS GUYS FOR THE SERVICE. HAVE NO PHOTOS TO ATTACH UNFORTUNATELY

Everything went well from transfers to tours. We had a 4 hour hiccup with the first flight, but United and Qantas redirected us. We had an extra flight but missed only a few hours of our time on Gold Coast. Tours were a nice addition to the base tour. Wished we had more time in Sydney, but we plan to go back.

Great experience. Already planning our return. Would like to single out Monique on our foodie tour. Note. Some of our contact numbers at the beginning of the trip connected but hung up after being put on hold

Everything was as good or better than we expected. Sydney was great. Melbourne was very good. The events all worked out well and were better then expected.The return flight was terrible, since it was badly planned by you or Qantas, who ever planned the connection. There was no way for anyone to make the connection to Phoenix. But other then that, it was a great trip. Lou

Accommadations were excellent except at the Short Stay Apartments where we were required to walk to another of ther properties— The Australis—which was quite difficult for us to get to with all our luggage. I think it was the one at Kangaroo Island that also wasn’t a good experience because of having to climb 2 flights of stairs to get to the room. The trip to the Great Barrier Reef on the Qu(...)

Thank you, Darin for planning our trip of a life time to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. The whole trip ran smoothly because you had everything set up for us. All the tours were top-notch and beyond enjoyable. The fact that we didn't have to go through the hassle of buying tickets for our tours was super, definitely made our trip so much easier! We seen and experienced so much that we never(...)

Well designed and good value trip, would recommend to friends

After the initial scare of missing our connection in Dallas, because our Denver to Dallas plane was running late, we were rebooked by American Airlines via Los Angeles. After that, every connection, shuttle, hotel, tour was perfectly coordinated. Our trip was a great taste of life in Australia without all the hassle of attempting to book all arrangements ourselves.

Thank you Ana ,you are the best and very professional. Amazing trip to Australia !!!!!! Very soon will be back with our son Richard. Sincerely, Acelavguerra

Koda, We just returned from our Australian adventure and wanted to thank you for the great job you did in planning and making all the arrangements. We had such a good time and no glitches of any consequence. That is really something when you are dealing with people our age. All of the vendors (i.e. bus drivers, tour operators, accommodation staff, etc) were great and we would readily reco(...)

About Australia (Joanne) did a great job working with us and customizing our trip. It was what we wanted. We certainly saw the bush and outback several times. We found animals in the wild besides at sanctuaries and Steve Irwins Zoo. We believe we saw the real Australia and not just cities. The train trips were what we expected and then some. When they stopped and let us off it was very (...)

We loved our time in Australia! The diversity between Melbourne, Cairns, and Sydney was great. We did several tours including the Phillip Island Penguins, the snorkeling/diving in Cairns (would like to do that one about 10 more times!), the Kuranda Rainforeststation, and the Hop on/Hop off tour in Sydney. We also did some extra exploring at those places and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We hi(...)

I first asked for a quote, only to find out (while on a short trip) that the trip had been booked. All I wanted to know what the "and up" cost would be for the advertised one. However, it was an excellent price, so I booked it. It seemed too short for the time spent in the airplanes, but we enjoyed the opportunity to see things out of the cities, we added a Dainforest Trip out of Caines, a(...)

All the planning and the vouchers worked out just fine. No glitches. Well done.

We did 24 days in Australia/Tasmania in March/April and loved it! About Australia made all the custom arrangements and things went so smoothly. We had two small issues which were quickly corrected...thank you! Accomodations were great, flights were easy, and the tours were very nice. Loved Kangaroo Island and Tasmania! Would do it all again :-) Thanks to all the agents who helped us!

This is our first big trip out of the country and using a travel agent. I was extremely hesitant because I am so used to planning everything. As soon as I spoke on the phone with Koda i was so excited and all hesitation went away. We went to Australia for our honeymoon 2 weeks after we got married. We were extremely exhausted so it was nice knowing everything was handled. We felt like we got (...)

Koda was absolutely amazing. Truly the best trip of our lifetime. We cannot thank you all enough for this. We will always use Koda for future trips. 100% satisfied. About Australia will be referred by us to everyone.

We usually do our own vacation planning. Grab a Lonely Planet guide book, hop on the internet and get started. I quickly realized that Australia may be different. First, its very large, 95% of the size of continental USA. Second, there is so much to do and see. Third, an itinerary can get very complicated very quickly; multiple destinations, multiple flights, rental cars, and a myriad of(...)

I was very please with our trip to Australia. Although we had a bit of a rocky start, (lack of communication from About Australia), in the end, they delivered everything they said. I was very happy that we purchased the Tours and Transfers add on. It was well worth it. We did not have to worry about getting to and from the airport, finding hotel etc. The vouchers required you to call and (...)

Every thing was above our expectations. If we knew better, we would have spent more time in New Zealand. All hotels were great except our hotel in Sydney which did not have the best location for our needs. Thank you so much!

I wasn't totally convinced that this would work out. But, it did. Darin Hendry did a fabulous job of making our trip perfect. I was worried- I didn't have to- he's a 5 star pro. We loved it all.

I went with confidence in About Australia, and ended with confidence with About Australia. Our travel Agent Daren did everything possible to make this a unforgettable trip, and he succeeded. He even went out of his way to change our plans at almost the very last minute. this is very special from a very special person. I certainly have and will recommend them to anyone wanting a trip of a li(...)

Virgin Australia made the lengthy flight enjoyable.The hotel, Breakfree, was in the heart of town, spacious clean comfortable room and front desk staff bent over backwards to assist us with all kinds of requests. The tours were informative and fun. We had time to do a few things on our own, like having dinner at the top of Sydney tower our last night. On the Blue Mountain tour, we even had an(...)

Loved the locations we visited and the planned excursions. The Mantra hotels were ok but not great. About Australia needs to work on their response times since we didn’t always get answers without feeling like we were nagging. And the day of our departure was very stressful with a changed flight ( no fault of About Australia) and a shuttle driver who arrived 50 minutes late and was lost betw(...)

About Australia did a fantastic job planning our trip. We enjoyed the flexibility of designing it based on our preferences. I highly recommend this service!

Everything went smoothly. The accommodations were conveniently located. The transfers were on time. The Short-Stay property in Melbourne was above average. Cairns was an interesting experience.

Our trip was absolutely amazing! I usually like planning my own trips, but this time around we were in the midst of planning our wedding as well. In addition, we felt like we did not know enough about the South Pacific to know where wanted to go. Our trip was put together beautifully, and honestly we wouldn’t change a thing. Every single flight and shuttle from the airport was on time, ever(...)

About Australia was amazing to work with making this a vacation of a lifetime! I would highly recommend their services to anyone wanting to travel to Australia. The itinerary was great. The hotels we stayed in were not only wonderful, but were located in super convenient in relation to exploring the cities we were in. Any questions or concerns i had were immediately addressed. Customer servic(...)

Really wonderful trip. Everything was arranged ahead of time. All hotels were great. The tours were lovely, including the optional daintree dreaming tour. Well, well worth the money

Chris was great at helping me plan my trip to visit my daughter in Australia while she was studying abroad. We had 2 weeks and a tight budget! He was great at accommodating me. We decided on Cairns, Sydney and Melbourne. The only hiccup was the transfer from Melbourne airport to hotel. The company called con-x-ion (I think that’s how it’s spelled) had the smelliest van I have ever been in. Th(...)

This was a terrifically planned trip. The detail of the planning by About Australia was amazing. Our trip was 7 weeks long and offered us a great opportunity to see & do as much as possible. When weather changed a planned route, our travel consultant, Ana, was quick to rearrange our travel. She was there to answer my many questions by quickly responding to my emails. I am totally impres(...)

Making dreams come true. My trip to Australia was amazing and worry free knowing About Australia had made all the arrangements for an adventure of a lifetime Thanks a million

This was the most hassle-free vacation I've ever been on. We didn't communicate with the About Australia group very much before the trip simply because we didn't have to. They had all of our travel documents completely organized and squared away. To be honest, I was a little nervous checking into our first hotel in Melbourne simply because I never confirmed that we had a reservation. We d(...)

I have decided to use a travel agent to plan for my family’s trip to Australia, after trying to do it myself for months. I am glad I did. My agent was Ana. I requested her to plan a trip for us with the most affordable way to fly from San Francisco, to have city experience, to see the Great Barrier Reef, to be able to visit my good friend in Brisbane, and have wildlife experience. She came o(...)

Ana did such an amazing job! She was super kind and patient through out the process and helped answer any and every question I had. She did a wonderful job of getting a grasp on what I was interested in and everything I needed to support completing the entire trip. We had fantastic tours, hotels, and transportation the whole. It really took the stress out of the traveling and allowed us to ju(...)

My husband and I heartily recommend About Australia. Although I had done a great deal of research myself, it was wonderful to have these pros take over the details of day trips, accommodations, flights, transfers, and car rental. They put us in hotels that were wonderfully located but met our budget requirements. All three weeks of our Aussie adventure came off without a hitch.

Wow, we booked this trip through About Australia knowing it would probably be our only time to go there. They chose the BEST highlights, arranged EVERYTHING, and it was fantastic! I don't think it could have been better. In Melbourne (Melbin) we did an excellent 3 hour foodie walking tour, rode the free tram everywhere, loved the Market, stayed a an apartment, visited an animal park AND ex(...)

We had a great time and we were so grateful that About Australia had taken care of all the details. Eventhough we kept making changes to our plans (dates, cities, activities, etc) even during the trip, the staff was super patient and accommodating.

A couple of suggestions: the hotel in Queenstown was not the best (very dated) and it didn’t have air conditioning. We were also surprised whe(...)

This was one of my bucket list vacations and Anna Musgray and About Australia did not disappoint. I cannot believe everything went smoothly without a single hitch. I expected at least one thing to not go as planned, but was most pleasantly surprised that each and every detail was spelled out for me and completely followed through. I'm so glad I made this trip because it was wonderful in(...)

Best Vacation EVER! I'm not one to write reviews - but our trip to Australia was perfect in every way. From the flights, to the transfers, accommodations, & excursions - everything went without any hitches. Accommodations were comfortable, and the people so very nice. We have NO complaints.

Ana, our rep with About Australia, put a trip of a life-time together for us. Thank you (...)

I was particularly pleased with how smoothly all the transportation and tour arrangements went. We never had a problem or question about shuttles and everyone was expecting us when we arrived. The trip was fantastic and I wish it could have been longer.

We had a wonderful time, except for a glitch at the Melbourne airport enroute to Cairns. After spending a couple great days in Melbourne going too the Penguin Parade on Phillips Island and the Mooonlit wildlife Conservation park.We got to the airport, we had a voucher for a nonstop flight to Cairns, which after standing in a long line, we were told that that flight had been cancelled days ago(...)

Great flights on Qantas, excellent room accommodations (awesome view from Short Stay apartment in Melbourne), loved being up-close with koalas, kangaroos, wallabies , and adorable fairy penguins. Our guides, Monique and Yasmin, were lovely, and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, was amazing! Australia should be on everyone’s bucket list!

My husband and his brother had a very nice time in Australia. Thank you for your help in coordinating this adventure.

The accommodations were wonderful and the excursions were amazing and informative. Thank you for some amazing memories

We recently returned from an amazing 3 week holiday to Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns and Queenstown (NZ) organized by Ana with About Australia. We could not be more satisfied with our trip due to Ana's attention to detail and organization. We are experienced travelers (58 countries and 6 continents so far) and like to balance "do our own thing" with occasional organized activities. Ana guided (...)

Thank you so much Koda for all the recommendations and the itinerary tips! The stay in Melbourne was centered right in the middle - loved the people, lots to eat, lots to do and see. We loved our stay - our balcony was so beautiful - we loved our view so much! Cairns - loved our hotel and everything was in walk-able distance, we had an ocean view, sunrise was magical - wished we extended o(...)

We had a wonderful trip. Koda's help in planning all aspects of the trip was wonderful. Having never travelled abroad before, we relied heavily on her to help us with planning our travels while in Australia. All bookings were perfect for our likes. We only had one hiccup on a planned tour which was cancelled (no fault of Koda), but didn't bother our trip in the least

Koda Boulton was the one who helped me and she's was amazing even with all my questions and my unfortunate criminal background. Still got in with no problems and had a great itinerary set up. Couldn't have seen Australia in a better way than that. Strongly recommend About Australia. Good price too! Flexible.

Airline schedule, visas, hotel accommodations, tours were all excellent. The hotels chosen in Sydney, Melbourne, and Port Douglas were excellent both in terms of the venue and the locations in each city. In Sydney, Potts Point was relaxing but close enough to everything to provide a great experience. Melbourne felt busy, but Melbourne Short Stay Apartments were outstanding. And in Port Dougla(...)

All our vacation to Austria was planed by the agency and we were very happy to follow the schedule for each locations we visited. The schedules were easy to follow and it gave us a good opportunities to see all about Australia and histories.

Melbourne: accommodations were clean and well-located, and the desk staff gave helpful recommendations - it's a walking and foodie city (excellent tour by Monique) - great tour to the animal farm and little blue penguins Uluru: beautiful accommodations - good dining options - sunrise and sunset tours to Uluru and Kata Juta were amazing - again, informative guides Cairns: (would have liked (...)

Thank you for making this amazing trip happen!

The trip was incredible. People were unbelievably friendly. Enjoyed the peaceful serenity of Port Douglas. Am very glad we opted for Douglas instead of Cairns. Meridian Hotel was great. Four Mile beach is a must see (sunrise is fantastic) and be sure to climb Flagstaff Hill. Great Barrier Reef trip was ok, but opting not to go into the water was a mistake. Be sure you can tread water or(...)

We had the best time and I highly recommend Ana & the "About Aus/NZ" team. I looked into a lot of different agencies prior to planning our honeymoon to Australia and New Zealand. Truth be told, I originally planned to complete all aspects of our trip myself. When finding the "About" team, I loved that they specialize in only a few different places. I also liked how they gave us the ability to(...)

We managed to see many of the highlights of several locations in Australia without feeling too rushed. Also received good advice how to plan for the excessive heat, which was quite a change from the snow we left here, and some inside information on hot spots and recommended activities. I especially appreciated Ana's patience as we made some last minute changes in plans. Having the transport(...)

About Australia made it easy to plan our trip to Australia and included everything we needed, ensuring we did not miss any of the most popular attractions. We absolutely loved our trip and are already talking about going back.

We wish to thank Chris & all at Aboutaustralia.com who enabled our recent trip to Australia & New Zealand. We had 36 vouchers, and in each case had no problem when checking in. We had one minor issue at the hotel in Napier, and Chris responded right away despite time difference, and it was due to a new hotel clerk not finding our existing booking, and was quickly resolved. Also, Chris respo(...)

Koda did a great job proposing and organizing our itinerary. She kept us informed of any changes, gave us excellent advice, and reminded us of important things we need to do. We had a wonderful, memorable and very smooth trip. Hope to do business with you again in the future.

Our trip was so smooth and so affordable we could not believe it! Accommodations were wonderful - clean and right in the middle of the action in all 3 areas we travelled. Flights were wonderful and transfers reliable and on time. I cannot think of a way it could have been better!

We really enjoyed the tours that we were scheduled for. The guides on all the tours were excellent, they were all knowledgeable, a lot of fun, we enjoyed chatting with everybody.

The trip was very nice overall. Very good communication process with About Australia in planning and setting up trip. Agents were pleasant, professional and helpful. The hotels, excursions and shuttles were very good except with a bad shuttle experience in Sydney with RedyToGo both to and from Airport and Hotel. The side excursions and tours booked were very good and well run, especially t(...)

Great trip. Loved every moment of it. Just what I wanted and more.

We enjoyed a great time in New Zealand. We particularly enjoyed the scenic South Island, and Hobbiton on the North Island.

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Preventing Jet Lag To prevent jet lag is a problem for most people travelling to Australia from overseas. However, it can be done...

Preventing jet lag is a problem for most people travelling to Australia from overseas. The majority of overseas travellers arrive from Europe or the US, and that means they have to cross multiple time zones.

I can tell you from experience that the jet lag after the long haul flight from Europe is a doozy. To fly from Europe to Australia you have to spend not just one but two nights on planes and in airports. Flying east equals losing time. This direction causes more problems than flying west, when you gain additional hours in your day.

Flying from Europe to Australia you have to adjust your clock forward about 8 hours.

(The number of hours varies, depending on the Australian state you fly to and daylight savings. Use the page Current Time in Australia to work out the time difference between you and us.)

That makes those two nights extremely short. Not that it matters much. Who can get a restful sleep on airplanes anyway?

Here is why you definitely want to avoid jet lag :

Imagine arriving in Australia after such a long haul flight, like I used to...

You've just been awake for day, a night, another day, and now it's about midnight in Europe. But here in Australia the second night is already over and it's a bright and early morning.

Look through any jet lag tips and they will tell you that now you ought to stay awake until late at night again. Not a chance!

Most people will sleep at some stage during the day. And then lie awake the next night, because the body thinks it's day time.

And the next morning YOU know it's time to get up and do things. However, your body insists it's midnight and now's the time to sleep...

I used to be like this for three to four days: feeling groggy, unable to sleep at night, and progressively feeling worse because of the lack of sleep, before my body clock adjusted. And then of course it took a few more days to catch up on the sleep that I had missed out on...

I don't think anybody wants to go through that on the first week of their holiday!

I don't know anybody who gets jet lag as bad as I did. And that means, if I can prevent jet lag, anybody should be able to .

As it turns out, preventing jet lag is not that hard . I wish I knew 15 years ago what I know now. On my first few flights to Australia I did EVERYTHING wrong. Absolutely everything. I didn't know any better. I thought how jetlagged you get depends on some genetic factors or luck or whatever.

I know better now and after my last flight I had no jet lag symptoms whatsoever. I've never felt that good after a flight.

On the next page I'll share with you my totally natural remedy for jet lag .

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How to beat jet lag - for real!

W hen travelling across several time zones, our bodies find it hard to adjust. A phenomenon known as jet lag, we end up tired, exhausted and unable to focus. It almost feels like you have a bit of a hangover.

"During jet lag, the body's natural circadian rhythm is messed up after crossing several time zones," explains sleep specialist Professor Kneginja Richter. This is reflected in symptoms similar to those experienced during a hangover. The expert has some advice on what helps.

Ms. Richter, when it comes to jet lag, what's worse: flying east, for example from Europe to Australia, or flying west, for example from Europe to the US?

Kneginja Richter: This depends largely on a person's chronotype [meaning their body's natural inclination to sleep at a certain time]. For late risers who are active at night - so-called owls - flying west is a little easier to cope with than flying east. For early risers - known as larks - who are more active in the morning, flying east is easier to deal with than flying west.

Since owls naturally have a later sleep/wake cycle, they experience a reset when flying west. Conversely, larks find it easier to fly into the future, towards the east.

Some people advise adjusting your sleep pattern to the time zone of the country you're travelling to a few days before the flight, so that your body gets used to it. Does this help against jet lag?

Richter: This can be helpful, yes. If I know that I am going to the US or Japan from Europe or Africa, I would ideally start adjusting my sleep pattern slightly a week in advance.

For example, if I'm flying east to Japan, I would go to bed a little earlier and get up a little earlier; if I'm flying west to the US, I would go to bed a little later and get up a little later.

It's about creating regular sleep patterns, not getting more sleep - going to bed at wildly different times each day is stressful for the body. You shouldn't mess up your body's rhythm too much when preparing for a trip.

Going to sleep half an hour or an hour earlier or later for a few days before your trip and then getting up earlier or later can be a good idea to help you adapt to the time in your destination country. Taking melatonin can help with falling asleep.

If I arrive in the US and start feeling tired in the early afternoon because of jet lag, can I go to bed at 3 pm or should I stay up until the evening to force my body to adjust to the new time zone?

Richter: It's better to try and adapt to the new time zone right away and force yourself to stay awake throughout the day. It's okay to allow yourself to take a nap for 20 to a maximum of 30 minutes - but make sure to set an alarm! If you don't, your nap will turn into a two to three hour nap, and that's a no-go.

My advice: Get as much light as possible at your destination during the day and completely darken the room you're going to sleep in before going to bed. It's also a good idea to ask the hotel for a room that's as quiet as possible. And last but not least: be sure to pack a sleep mask.

ABOUT: Professor Kneginja Richter is chief physician at the CuraMed day clinic in the German city of Nuremberg and teaches at the Nuremberg University of Technology. She is the spokesperson of the Scientific Committee and the Chronobiology Working Group of the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine(DGSM).

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Taylor Swift joked that 'jet lag is a choice.' A sleep expert has thoughts about that

Regina G. Barber

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs embraces Taylor Swift after defeating the San Francisco 49ers during this year's Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Swift, who flew in from Tokyo to attend the game, jokingly told him, "jet lag is a choice." Ezra Shaw/Getty Images hide caption

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs embraces Taylor Swift after defeating the San Francisco 49ers during this year's Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Swift, who flew in from Tokyo to attend the game, jokingly told him, "jet lag is a choice."

Taylor Swift caused a stir after the Super Bowl this year by answering a question about her flight (on her private jet, no less) from Tokyo to Las Vegas. When her boyfriend Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs asked her "how do you not have jet lag right now?" she responded, perhaps jokingly, "jet lag is a choice."

But sleep experts like Jade Wu would like Swift and others to know that "jet lag is very real. It's biologically ingrained."

Jet lag is a form of circadian misalignment, an umbrella term for any time your body clock is out of sync with your current time zone or where the sun is in the sky, says Wu, a behavioral sleep medicine psychologist and researcher at Duke University.

Jet lag is not 'a choice' — here's what to know

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It happens when you cross multiple time zones in a very short amount of time, she says. A direct flight from Tokyo to Las Vegas, for instance, takes about 10 hours and sets your internal clock forward by 17 hours (in Standard Time). So if you land in Las Vegas at 7 p.m., your body might still be on Tokyo time, which is noon the next day.

What happens to your body during jet lag

For many folks, jet lag can leave them feeling groggy and out of sync with their surroundings. "Our thinking is slower, our mood is worse, our metabolism is not as good. We can't sleep when we want to sleep but we can't feel awake when we want to be awake," says Wu.

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Planning a long-haul flight here's how to outsmart jet lag.

That's because almost everything in our bodies — like our blood pressure, our organ systems and our cognitive function — runs on an internal clock, says Wu. "These clocks are synced up to each other. During jet lag, suddenly all these clocks are confused. They're saying: 'Wait a second, I thought it was daytime. Why is it night?' "

That includes the master clock in your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). "Think of all the clocks in your body as a billion-person orchestra. The SCN is the maestro. And if the maestro can't keep time, then the entire orchestra falls apart," she says.

How to minimize jet lag symptoms

To mitigate the effects of jet lag, a little preparation goes a long way, says Wu. Here are some tips to help manage symptoms of grogginess.

• Rest up beforehand. Take supplemental naps ahead of your journey, but don't force it if you're not sleepy. The goal is to get as much rest as possible so that when you're in a period of less sleep, you'll feel a little more alert.
• Time shift your sleep . Gradually adjust your schedule toward your target time zone before you leave. Let's say you live in Chicago and your usual bedtime is at 11 p.m. and you're traveling to Lisbon, Portugal, in a week. Start heading to bed (and getting up) about 15 to 30 minutes earlier each day. By the time your trip rolls around, your bedtime should be about 8 p.m. How does that help with the time change? Rather than trying to fall asleep at 5 a.m. Lisbon time (11 p.m. Chicago time), you'll now be trying to fall asleep at 2 a.m. Lisbon time — a more reasonable hour to hit the hay. If you need help with this step, try using jet lag apps like Time Shifter to create a schedule.
• Book a flight that works with your nighttime sleep schedule, not against it. If you're flying to Taipei, Taiwan, from Los Angeles, for example, take a very late flight so you can get your eight hours of nighttime sleep on the 14-hour plane ride. When you arrive, it'll be morning local time, and you'll have enough rest to start your day.
• Be careful with alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol can block or interfere with deep sleep , making sleep more fragmented. And Wu discourages using caffeine to fight jet lag because it can lead to unpredictable outcomes. Sometimes it can make you exhausted or wired or both. However, if you're heading east, you could aim to have some caffeine to help stay up. Avoid it if you're going west. 
• Consider the direction you're headed. If you're going west, say to Seoul, you'll have to stay up and wake up later. If you're going east, say to Madrid, you'll have to sleep and wake up earlier. "Going west is easier because your body [naturally] wants to go to bed later. Going east is hard because you have to fight [sleep]," says Wu.  If you're traveling west, take a short nap on the flight so you can go to bed at a reasonable hour once you reach your destination. By the time you land, hopefully you'll be sleepy enough to "sleep a nice, solid night and wake up in the morning local time," says Wu. If you're traveling east, try to stay up during your flight. "When you land, you're not going to be sleepy yet by the local bedtime. So you may need to take a sleep aid to help you fall asleep that night," she says.
• Once you reach your destination, quickly try to adjust to the local time. "Get lots of light first thing in the morning," says Wu. Exposing yourself to daylight early in the day can help sync your circadian clock to your new time zone. "Go outside, exercise, walk, hike, go around town. The quicker you get actively engaged in the rhythm of the local schedule, the more quickly you'll adjust."

The digital story was written by Malaka Gharib and edited by Andee Tagle and Meghan Keane. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at [email protected].

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IV Drips Are the Newest Luxury Travel Flex

People are now using ivs to treat all sorts of ailments, from jet lag to hangovers., tori latham, tori latham's most recent stories.

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IV drips have been well documented as hangover cures , but the medical services are gaining a new status as luxury travel amenity.

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And when you feel like another step might do you in, these companies come right to you. PureDropIV, for example, does house calls in the area. The I.V. Doc, founded by Adam Nadelson in New York City, often sees clients at some of the city’s most luxe hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton, the Four Seasons, the Plaza, and Aman, Nadelson told The Washington Post . “You name the hotel,” he said, “we’ve certainly been there.” And now the hotels themselves are getting into the IV game: A handful of Four Seasons spas have an IV drip among their services, and at the Ranch in Malibu and the Hudson Valley, you can be revitalized poolside.

Given that IV drips can be used for all sorts of reasons, people take advantage of them in different ways, with the Post noting regional differences throughout the United States. In cities like D.C. and New York, users may book a pre-travel IV to boost immunity and energy before any ill effects take place. In Los Angeles and Miami, you might see more IVs given to people interested in longevity or biohacking. And in places like Las Vegas, IV drips are still largely used as morning-after remedies.

To some, the trend may seem a little suspect, and The Washington Post noted that there are people in the medical and wellness spaces who aren’t so sure about recreational IVs, for various health and safety reasons.

Tori Latham is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. She was previously a copy editor at The Atlantic, and has written for publications including The Cut and The Hollywood Reporter. When not…

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Au$tralia is the tenth season of Jet Lag: The Game was announced on March 10, 2024, through a photo released by Sam Denby , Adam Chase , and Ben Doyle . It takes place in Australia and starts in Sydney at the Sydney Opera House . Filming began on March 11, 2024, at around 7:00am AEDT. [1] It premiered on May 15, 2024 on Nebula and will premiere on May 22, 2024 on Youtube. [2]

• 1 Toby's Clue
• 4.1 Gallery
• 5 References

Toby's Clue [ ]

8 of her tweets, she left a clue. It spells out JETLAGAU (Jet Lag AU).

J ust reached 20k…

E xcited to share...

T he project for...

L earning a lot...

A uckland has a...

G reat video about...

A view from...

U ncommon fractals.

Gameplay [ ]

Based on the trailer for Season 10, Sam, Toby, Ben and Adam will be gambling for states of Australia over the course of 4 days. Teams need to gamble money to gain control of states. Whichever team places the highest, gets control of the state. They also need this money for transport throughout the game. The challenges will also be a gamble. This is based on 2 tweets were made by Sam. The teaser for Season 10 on May 1st and the trailer [3] released on Nebula on May 8th 2024 and also on Twitter [4] by Sam.

It is also implied in the trailer that there is some way to "curse" the enemy team. Adam and Ben mention that "they took half our money" which is implying that Sam and Toby managed to "curse them" in order for them to lose half their money. Note that the Australian "Naurr" Stereotype also features in this season

Episodes [ ]

It was stated on The Layover podcast that Season 10 has at least four episodes. [5]

Multimedia [ ]

Gallery [ ].

References [ ]

• ↑ Sam Denby  [@wendoverpro] (March 10, 2024). " !!!0⇂ uosɐǝS " (Tweet) – via Twitter. Retreived on March 10, 2024.
• ↑ Sam Denby  [@wendoverpro] (May 1, 2024). " Heard y’all wanted content. " (Tweet) – via Twitter. Retreived on May 1, 2024.
• ↑ The Season 10 Trailer
• ↑ Sam Denby  [@wendoverpro] (May 8, 2024). " ʇuǝʇuoƆ " (Tweet) – via Twitter. Retreived on May 8, 2024.
• ↑ The Layover — Inside the Game Design of Season 10 (Sam said on the podcast that he watched Episode 4, so we know there are at least 4 episodes.)
• 1 Au$tralia
• 2 Ben Doyle
• 3 Adam Chase

6 essential tips for surviving long flights from a former Air Force pilot who now flies one of the longest commercial flights in the world

• Yusri Abu Bakar is an Emirates pilot who used to be a member of the Singapore Air Force.
• He now flies an A380, piloting one of the longest flights in the world from Dubai to New Zealand.
• Yusri said to pack noise-canceling earphones and ask the flight crew for anything you need at once.

Yusri Abu Bakar is a former Singapore Air Force pilot who pivoted from flying an F-16 fighter jet and now flies an A380 as a commercial pilot for Emirates out of Dubai, where he is based.

Over the past four-and-a-half years, Yusri has flown to 50 destinations, often from Dubai to Auckland, New Zealand. At close to 16 hours, this flight is one of the longest in the world. There are longer flights, such as the Singapore Airbus A350 ULR to JFK airport in New York, but those only have business-class seats.

Yusri flies this long-haul flight two or three times a month, in line with regulations regarding how many hours a pilot can fly a month.

Emirates' first-class travelers can spend the 15-hour, 45-minute flight time drinking glasses of Dom Perignon or freshening up in the private shower. But if you don't have first-class amenities, Yusri shared seven tips for traveling on a long flight in comfort and reaching your final destination feeling refreshed.

Sync with your next time zone in advance to avoid jet lag

The hardest part of flying long distances is dealing with the jet lag on either side.

Yusri said he got into sync with his new destination's time zone by changing his eating and sleeping patterns at least two days before his flight.

"I make the changes in small increments by going to bed two hours earlier each day," Yusri said. "If I'm flying on a Saturday, I will go to bed two hours earlier on the Thursday, and then four hours earlier on the Friday. It slowly nudges me closer to the new time zone."

Being considerate to the flight crew helps improve your experience

You could do a couple of things to make your life and the crew's life easier on a long-haul flight. "The first thing you should do is fasten your seatbelt on top of your blanket, so they don't have to disturb you," Yusri said.

He told Insider that passengers should try to minimize the trips the crew had to take down the plane's 50-meter-long aisle to win favor with flight attendants.

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He said passengers should think about what they would need for the next few hours of their flight — a blanket, coffee, or snacks — and ask for it all in one go.

Prioritize your body's needs

Yusri recommended stretching for five to 10 minutes each hour of the flight. "If it's a long flight, I'd recommend that you get up and stretch your glutes, your hips, and your back. These are the areas that can get stiff during a flight," he said.

He said to opt for the bulkhead seats — seats facing a divider in the plane — because they had more legroom, or an aisle seat so you didn't disturb anyone when stretching.

Yusri tries to eat light before and after the flight, as heavy meals can upset the stomach.

He said that proactively drinking lots of water while in the air would help you feel better after stepping off the flight. "If you feel thirsty, it's too late, as you're already dehydrated," Yusri added.

If you're flying with kids, create a schedule

Yusri told Insider that parents who were used to long-haul flights would plan playtime and nap time.

"I've seen parents have timed activities for their kids. They'll bring out different toys or books at set times during the flight, so the child is surprised and entertained," he said.

"Early in the flight, they will let them play games on their tablets, but as they move towards sleep time, they will remove some of the stimulation and give them a traditional board game so they calm down," Yusri added.

Pack noise-canceling headphones and an eye mask

Packing a well-thought-out carry-on could improve your long-haul flight experience, Yusri said.

"I would normally pack a good set of noise-canceling earphones and a good pair of eye shades because sometimes you don't want to be disturbed by the lights," said Yusri. He also recommended asking the cabin crew for a bottle of water so you could keep your hydration levels topped up.

He said to dress for comfort because traveling in a suit or business casual would not increase your chances of a free upgrade. "Wear loose-fitting clothes so that you are more comfortable," he added.

Listen to audiobooks and relaxing music to fall asleep

Yusri shared two tried-and-true techniques to help fall asleep on long-haul flights: reading a book or listening to relaxing music with noise-canceling earbuds.

"There are some playlists on Spotify that you can use to induce sleep. I have a playlist filled with classical music and jazz," he said.

"Otherwise, I will listen to one of my audiobooks," he added. "I love self-help books such as ikigai or Ryan Holiday books as they are kind of meditative."

Watch: Why flying is so terrible even though airlines spend billions

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