London touring plan for morning of arrival
 

We have an overnight flight from Toronto, arriving on a Sunday morning 7am. We have never taken our kids to Europe, so are uncertain how to plan our day to adjust to the jet lag and still get a lot out of our sightseeing. The kids are 14 and 12. We'll probably only have about 4 hours of sleep, if that on the flight. For instance, if we need to stay up as long as possible, should we do a Hop on/Hop off bus tour or do it the hard way, with lots of walking and subways? Should we plan on museums or walking tours with a guide? Would love some advice from been there/done that folks. We only have three days in London prior to our cruise.

Highly advise you consider doing at least one of these while you are in London:

http://www.walks.com/

Even my then eight year old daughter loved them and there's something there to interest everyone.

I think the bus is expensive, but it's a good way to orient yourself to what's there and get a general overall feel for where everything is. It may be a good plan to do that the first day, and not plan too much.

Three days should be plenty to see the highlights in the city. Definately don't miss the Tower of London!

This pattern of TATL flights landing at 7am is starting to get irritating. I'd like to see them arriving at 12pm (local), to help with the time change (if the gateway city is your final destination). A 10pm departure should be able to do a 12pm arrival, which works better to fit better into the hotel checkin cycles.

You'll be arriving when you're bodies think it's 1-2am. Best I can think of is to take a bus tour, so when (not if) you fall asleep, it's on something with a seat. Just be sure someone stays awake, until the hotel check-in can occur.

No matter what you do you just aren't going to get much out of the first day. Even the later arrivals aren't that great. Last year at about 4 pm after we arrived in London around noon my 10 year old had an incident that has entered into family lore as the "Cheese Shop Melt Down." She started sobbing in the Neal's Yard shop and said "I'm so tired, I just want to go back to the hotel and go to beeeeeedddddd."

PS My then 7 and 10 year old loved the Westminster by Gaslight walk wt www.walks.com

Now I'm a little annoyed at myself for paying to change my flights for this night flight so we'd have an "extra" day in London. Seems like a disaster in the making! Twenty years ago we took our oldest (three at the time)to Singapore and three years later to Sydney and I can still remember the nightmares of that jet lag. Guess I was thinking this wouldn't be too bad by comparison. Maybe going east vs west, less of a time change, etc.

The HOHO bus is ridiculously expensive, as 6rugrats mentioned. I'm afraid they'll just drop off to sleep, which certainly isn't a good use of the travel funds. We arrive on a Sunday, so can anyone suggest the best attraction for that day, late morning?

I lived in London for six years and worked transatlantic flights.

For such an early arrival, you might to chance a nap. I would make it no more than 2 hours and set your alarms! Do not sleep past noon and be sure to get your heads on the pillows as soon as possible. Toss out this idea if there is a delay and you arrive after noon.

Please do NOT do any kind of tour of anything you can't "get out" of in a hurry. Try to see outside sights. Walk around Leicester Square or Covent Garden. Watch street performers and be around awake people. They wont appreciate any museum or tour. They'll just zombie-out or feel ill. Go see some of the amazing parks... Drink, walk, get out in the fresh air (if it's not raining!)

By evening, you will be feeling better but don't be tempted to stay out late. Plan to be in the hotel or whatever by 10pm. Indulge after the first night.

I did find Melatonin helpful and your children might be old enough to try it too. Do some homework and read up on this. I have many, many drug allergies and since this already exists in our brains, I had no problems taking it.

Don't fall asleep on any public transport! Pickpockets abound.

This pattern of TATL flights landing at 7am is starting to get irritating. I'd like to see them arriving at 12pm (local), to help with the time change (if the gateway city is your final destination). A 10pm departure should be able to do a 12pm arrival, which works better to fit better into the hotel checkin cycles

Interesting suggestion but actually, London is a big connection point so the East Coasts flights come in early to get those continuing on another flight off smoothly. There's kind of a flow to international travel, which includes the fact that N.America-Europe flights arrive in the morning...

Wonderful advice. Regarding the nap idea, I have no reason to think we will be able to check in early to our hotel, although we are certainly stopping there to drop off the luggage. I'll give the early check-in a try. I already spoke to the pediatrician regarding something to help them sleep on the plane (Advil PM) and she suggested the melatonin, taking it a half hour before we want to go to sleep. Is there a reason to take it during the day of our arrival?

I also appreciate the idea of passing on the tours. My son already told me he wouldn't enjoy any major attraction while he's tired. So wise!

If you're worried about the kids staying up and complaining what about doing something totally catering to them that day? A theme park, aquarium, something really fun that will keep them awake and help de-jetlag them quick!

I know that that always worked for me as a child, and now with my own three year old I try to do something that I KNOW she'll want to stay awake for after a redeye flight. Being dragged around london on foot with my parents as a pre-teen I wanted nothing to do with it and was falling asleep wherever I could sitdown.

London has FANTASTIC childrens options for all ages. We'll be doing this same thing next month.

Your doctor is right. You take it at night to fall asleep. Please don't take it on the plane as you wont get enough hours in to justify it and some people report more vivid dreams with it. You don't want to be the "inflight entertainment" lol!

Definitely don't take it during the day!

Just be very wary of my nap advice. I think they're old enough to be woken up and understand why they need to get going. When I worked, I noticed that my body "registered" a full nights' sleep at 4 hours (that doesn't mean I was fully rested). They may be so wound up by the time they got to the hotel, they wont want to anyway.

Tell the hotel that you want to check in early and if it's possible. Call them once you arrive and remind them.

London has so much on offer that you can figure out the right balance between some activity that would need "awake" concentration but lively enough to keep their brains active. Just being around a lot of people works for me. Once I took my kids to the pool.

All of you keep drinking. Flying dehydrates and those symptoms can make jet lag worse. You probably don't want to give them caffeine but if they're really dropping off, green tea is a good compromise.

Think of this "extra day" as an extra day to adjust and recover, not an extra day touring.

In my experience I write off the first day after traveling East as a complete loss. By the time I get home I'm so tired it goes beyond simple exhaustion. It's more akin to passing out due to alcohol or anaesthetic. I agree with the idea to get a nap in the hotel, though I would be more liberal with the length. Try to wake up before sunset and go outside while it's still light out. But don't be too surprised if you sleep for longer than you expect.

Traveling East is *definitely* harder than traveling West. And I actually find a 5-hour time difference just as hard as greater differences -- probably because of the inability to get a full night's sleep on the plane.

As most hotels typically do not allow check-in until the afternoon, I would suggest contacting the hotel to see if they have the capacity to allow an earlier check-in (even if it will cost you a fee). That way you can play it by ear as the state of the family's energy level.

I find a shower helps to revive me after a TATL flight. If the kids are still tired, they may need a small nap (2hrs, no more to keep them going for the day) and hit the streets for an afternoon walking tour (or drop by the discount theater ticket sites and snatch a cheap seat.)

If it's a big enough hotel, they probably have guests leaving early in the morning. It's in their interest to get your processed and out of their hair before the big rush later on. The maids too, can't clean all the rooms at once so they usually "attack" those rooms which are free as soon as they can.

Another option, bringing up the good shower suggestion above, is once they allowed us into another room which wasn't yet cleaned, handed us some towels, allowed us to dress and get out. Thank and tip them profusely and perhaps keep this in mind when packing, leaving a complete outfit for each near the top of the bag or in a side pocket to whip out if necessary.

The hotel can then hold your bags and away you go... People... lights... action...

Just the buzz for them being in a new place should give you all a bit of momentum. Remember to buy snacks to put in the room. Your stomach might want dinner at 4am. Wont happen but a rumbling tummy will keep sleep at bay. Something diet-unfriendly, like bland cookies or a bagel (in London??) Have some munchies and get back to bed!

No T.V., computer or video games before bed or if anyone gets up in the middle of the night. It supresses melatonin, what we're doing now. Read up on good old melatonin if you're curious, or just take my many years of crossing that ocean's word for it!

I'd try to get everyone up early on the day you leave (not painfully so, just don't sleep in), and perhaps forego the meal in flight to get more sleep. Ambien is my friend on these flights, and it really does help me get enough to get through the following day.

I find moving around outside in the sunlight is best way to adjust (I will try a round of golf in many locations to adjust to time differences). Don't put pressure on yourself to do anything other than stroll around and explore, get a feel for the pace and place of the new city. Take time to look at parks, plants, shops etc. that look interesting. Eat light; a little tea can be your friend when feeling droopy mid-day. If you insist on a tourist attraction, the Tower of London is good mix of being inside and outside, and for things that will interest many kids your age.