The first day when you arrive in Europe from the US is going to feel weird. At some point you’re going to want to take a nap, skip a meal, drink tons of coffee, or just sit and stare. Your stomach may feel off or you may feel grumpy. Planning out day one and staying busy are keys to getting quickly acclimated to European time.
But first – sleep on the plane
Before you arrive in Europe groggy but loving the scenery, try to relax and catch some sleep on the trip over. We flew from the east coast to London, a flight scheduled for around 8 hours, and arrived early. When you subtract takeoff and getting to a cruising altitude, dinner service and cleanup, then breakfast service and cleanup before the descent started, there wasn’t a lot of time to sleep. I think I got maybe an hour; my son didn’t sleep at all. But even if you can’t fall asleep, relax and close your eyes. Our flight had a relaxing music station which helped me nap.
Make day one easy
I knew we’d be tired, whether we slept every available minute or didn’t sleep at all. So I tried to plan out as much as possible before we left the US: things like what type of transit fare card we would use, where to get off the Tube, and the route to our apartment. I discovered there was an ATM outside the transit station and a cellphone store just down the street so we could buy SIM cards. Planning out small errands beforehand makes it easier when the last thing you want to do is make decisions.
Stay busy
Our walk from the metro to where we picked up the apartment keys was about half a mile, which was welcome after being on the plane and the Tube. We stopped for a bacon roll for my son who was feeling the lack of sleep, then ran our errands. When we got to the management office, we discovered our flat was already cleaned, so we were able to drop off our luggage and go find lunch. Then we bought our transit pass and did some site seeing. Try to stay busy on the first day to help reset your clock.
Fun sites
Just being in London alone was awesome. 
We learned more about riding the Tube, our lunch was delicious, and we did lots of people watching. So even though we didn’t visit a museum or historic site this first day, we were having fun. However, we did reserve a time to go to the Sky Garden later that afternoon. We picked it purposefully, because we didn’t think a four-hour tour or museum were good ideas on the first day. Unfortunately it was raining, but the view was still amazing even with the outside areas closed.
Keep a good attitude
Coming from the southern US in June, London’s mid-50s and rain felt pretty chilly. Add trying to find out where to get the seven-day travel pass at Paddington Station and it would have been easy to feel overwhelmed or frustrated. But we kept looking, asked some people, and finally found the right store. The people there were extremely pleasant. Actually, everyone we encountered was very outgoing and friendly. Even though you’re tired, make sure you’re meeting them at least half-way. This applies to your family/traveling companions too. You’re all tired, so take an extra breath before you lose your cool.
Expect curve balls
As much research as I did, I still got my family off at the wrong train station. We probably spent 20 minutes waiting for a train to come along (that never would) before heading down a couple of stations and finding the right connecting train.
I mentioned my son not feeling great when we arrived at 7:30am London time and our finding a sandwich for him. The bacon got him going but it ran out on the train ride back from the Sky Garden. He fell asleep leaning up against us. Expect that. You’re going to be hungry and tired at strange times, then feel a burst of energy. Make sure you have snacks for those times when you’re waiting in line and hunger hits.
Don’t go to bed too early
After dropping off our kids at the apartment, my wife and I headed to the grocery store for essentials for the week and dinner for that night. Yes, our first dinner in London was something we cooked ourselves. But we had plenty of time to eat out later in the week, and honestly after being awake for what felt like two days, it felt nice to just relax. We flipped through the local TV channels, everyone had a relaxing hot shower, and off to bed we went.
The unexpected alarm of day 2
Pigeons cooing outside our window. Loudly. That’s how day two started. But we’d slept for almost 12 hours and were headed to the Harry Potter Studio Tour, so I count that as a win.
Time enough?
If your trip to Europe is a long weekend, taking a day to acclimate might not fit your plan. But even if you decide to see museums or go to the Tower of London, make sure you pack your flexibility. Enjoy day one whether you’re running errands or seeing magnificent art.
Sky Garden photo by Daria Shevtsova