I never have. I just stay awake and not take a nap until it's midnight in Italy.

I think you can adjust just don't be surprised if you still have fatigue. Spend the next couple of weeks getting closer and closer to the time zone that you're going to and still expect some lag time on feeling adjusted to the place. All in all I think it still works very well to adjust slowly over a period of time.

As for spending I do all of the above. I have money with me and cash I use a international ATM card sort of deal and I charge it when required. I'm careful about carrying cash around though. I hate hate hate being robbed!

This article talks about prepaid cards. Credit cards and travelers checks are also discussed. It doesn't mention posting lots of pictures to us here but that's great advice too:-)

https://www.holidaystoeurope.com.au/home/resources/blog/318-money-money-money-

As soon as I get on the plane I change my watch to the time of my destination and start thinking in that time. No naps when I arrive. I get right on their time. As for money, I get euros from the ATM at the airport, usually a pretty good chunk of change because I pay a fee for every ATM transaction. I charge as much as I can because my card has no foreign transaction fees. It’s a Capital One card.

My biggest struggle with jet lag comes on the trip home. Have fun! I know you will.

None of the adjustment tips ever seem to make much of a difference for me. I get as much rest as I can on the plane (not much as I can’t really sleep on planes). Then I try to stay awake until at least dark after we land.

I did get a small amount of euros at our bank before we left—enough to cover a meal and a cab just in case. Then we grabbed euros from an atm for the rest of our trip. I made sure I stayed ahead on that because there were daily limits and I wanted to build a stash for days when I needed to pay our driver, etc. I did also use our credit card to pay for a few things. I checked ahead on fees and exchange rates for those and used the option that was the best deal from the cards we already had.

Can you sleep on the plane (I used to use Nyquil for that purpose). What time do you land?

I assume you get to your hotel in the late morning or early afternoon. Try to stay up, preferably outdoors in sunlight and even better yet walking, as long as you can. In a perfect world, you would go to bed shortly after local dinner time and wake up with everyone else.

I have never tried adjusting in advance, but the above works for me. I find sunlight in particular to be amazingly powerful for keeping me awake and feeling well.

I try to charge as much as possible on credit cards. I get a small amount of local currency out of ATMs. I don't worry much about fees other than I try to avoid changing currency back and forth especially other than at a bank.

Have a wonderful time!

When I get there I also stay awake until their bedtime. And then I feel like I am on "their" time. I must admit that I doze more than sleep that first night. But by the second night I'm really on their time. As to money, I use an ATM and make sure my account at home has only what I want to spend plus $100 to $200 more. I take out quite a bit of money each time I go to the ATM and don't go that often. I always wear a small cross body bag and often wear a cape over it so it's not seen. And if I have a lot of cash, I have a bag I wear under my clothes around my neck with my cash in that. I also have more problem with jet lag on the way back. But you can eliminate jet lag -- just take a cruise over!

I typically try to stay up very very late the night before I take an overnight flight so I'm completely exhausted and sleep on the flight. Then get right into local time.

We exchanged some money at AAA b/c my husband likes to have some cash w/ him. But a minimal amount. We use credit cards w/o a foreign transaction fee for almost all purchases.

I also have pictures of our credit cards, passports, and driver's licenses that I take beforehand and put into Dropbox so they can be accessed from any device w/ the Internet just in case of theft or something so I could call the credit card company, have proof of citizenship, etc.

Like most of the others I don't try to adjust ahead of time, and the last time that I didn't get enough sleep the night before my flight I was more tired than usual when I arrived, despite getting some sleep on the plane.

I use my Charles Schwab account to get cash from ATMs, as they refund all ATM fees. It's an account that I only use for travel. I also carry my other debit card in case of any problems. I do try to use my no foreign transaction fee credit card as much as possible. When they ask you if you want to be charged in Euros or Dollars always choose dollars! Otherwise you will be hit with a higher "courtesy" exchange rate fee. I noticed many ATMs offering the "courtesy" conversion too. They are definitely not doing you any favors.

Our (maybe all) AAA offices recently stopped exchanging US$ for Euros.

We will be leaving home by 8:30 am and actually boarding by noon. And yes we land in Florence and are to our hotel by 10 am local time the next day. I will most likely not have as big of a problem as the others due to the fact that I worked night shift for many years and am somewhat used to being sleep deprived. :-( I am hoping we can all sleep on the plane. We upgrade to FIrst/Business class to be a little more comfortable.

Yes, that is the key for me on overnight flights - upgrading to a flat bed. I can sleep pretty well in those. I bring something very comfy to change into for sleeping and use the amenity kit socks to help stay warm, and the eye shades. I eat at the airport so I can go to sleep right away rather than waiting through all the little meal service rituals, and tell them not to wake me for breakfast, either. I take sleep seriously! Meanwhile I find my kids instead are watching reruns of Friends and all those free movies, and DH is playing poker. Each time I swear I am making them go coach in the future.

Alert your bank and/or credit card company that you are traveling to Italy so that they don't flag your card and freeze it. I always pick up a few Euros at my local TD bank so that I have the proper currency on hand when I land. I charge whatever I can and also withdrew money from the ATM's. My credit card doesn't charge for foreign transactions and my bank reimburses any ATM fees.

Call your bank and credit card company to verify what fees they might impose.

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/card-fees

And according to both links - it's recommended to have your transactions charged in the local currency and not converted into US dollars.

https://www.creditkarma.com/credit-cards/i/foreign-transaction-fees/

.......................Choose the local currency

If you’ve traveled before, this situation may sound familiar.

Let’s say you’re eyeing a souvenir and you decide to charge it to
your card. The merchant will ask whether you want to pay in U.S. dollars
or the local currency. It may sound convenient to choose the currency
you’re familiar with — if you’re American, you’ll probably have an idea
of how much the item would cost at home, in U.S. dollars.

But it might be a good idea to choose the local currency. Here’s why.

If you choose to pay in U.S. dollars, the merchant gets to choose the
exchange rate to convert the cost of the item. It’s called dynamic
currency conversion. While the shopkeeper may seem nice, the rate used
may not be so nice.

If you choose to pay in the local currency, though, your credit card
network will handle the conversion. And like we said before, your card
often gives you the best rate...................................

Luckily I have no trouble sleeping on the plane so if it's an overnight flight I sleep and then when we land I try to stay on the local time. I also take a travel blanket on the plane and avoid the ones the airlines supply.

Have a fantastic trip. Maire

I set my watch for the time at my destination as soon as I board the plane. And I do try to sleep on overnight flights. Sleep is everything to me. I too will pass on a big dinner and breakfast in favor of sleep. I also take Benadryl with me. It helps me get used to sleeping through the night the first couple of nights. I never have trouble falling asleep. It’s the staying asleep that is hard,

Same as others....I have a card that doesn’t charge for foreign transactions so I try to charge as much as I can. I hit the ATM in the airport for a little cash for cabs or whatever I need the first day or two. Then will get more cash later at another ATM in the city. I was traveling quite frequently at one time to England, so I always kept 20 or so pounds at the end of each trip for the next time.

I don't find it's a problem going east. It's coming back west where I get jet-lagged.

I never sleep on planes--too busy trying not to be sick the whole way.The old formula for dramamine used to put me to sleep for a while, but even the non-non-drowsy dramamine does nothing that way since they reformulated it a few years back.

Funny you mention dramamine, WB. We took a boat out for a day in Tulum, and they offered seasickness pills. I opted to take one, and it worked so well I took a photo of the box and then looked it up.

It was ... dramamine. They had two kinds, one with caffiene (to counteract the drowsiness) and one without.

Do you ever try the SCOP patch for flying? I used it on a cruise and it made me very sleepy.

I'm finding certain machines in Europe sometimes are not compatible. Just wanted to add that it sometimes can be an issue -- it's usually because they may not be compatible with your network. Usually the big international bank ATMs are fine. Italy has a lot of these small regional banks - but we always just use the no transaction fee credit card and ATM/debit cards. Also, make sure you have a VISA or Mastercard, literally some places don't take Amex (though we love Amex for travelling).

We're in the "power through until after dinner" crowd.

Do you ever try the SCOP patch for flying? I used it on a cruise and it made me very sleepy.

Thanks, mtn. Yeah, I've tried everything. I find that what works best for me is to fast completely for a day or two before any flight that's longer than 3 hours and take ginger root capsules as soon as I get on. I'm still queasy and I tend to burp gingery burps, but at least it spares me having to hear anyone say, "Gee, I never saw anyone actually use one of those bags before."

I've made dozens and dozens of trips abroad, mostly to Europe but many to Asia too. Most people find travelling West to East (from North America to Europe) is a much harder adjustment than flying East to West (home from Europe or off to Asia). I think there's a biological reason why but I'm not sure what it is. There's nothing to do to avoid it but I always try to force myself to NOT nap and to stay up to a normal bedtime hour, especially the first few days. No matter how painful it can be. Be out in the sunshine and keep moving the first few days too, it will help you adapt. When you feel a slump or headache coming, a quick coffee or espresso (especially good in Italy) will give you a kick in the butt to keep moving. Otherwise, it can take as long as 1 day per hour of time change to adjust.

I always have cash with me and fill up my pocket by using a debit (not a credit) card at an ATM. You'll find ATMs all over, make your first stop at one at the airport. They're usually found in the arrival hall, after getting your baggage and going through formalities. I keep my unused currency at the end of a trip for the next trip but I usually do ATM withdrawals of 200 Euros at a time.

Visa and Mastercharge credit cards are accepted all over, use them frequently in stores and restaurants and even in in taxis. Amex is much less frequently accepted, usually just with airlines/hotels/car rentals and even then, not always.

Check with your banks to know what fees are charged for ATMs and credit charges. The better ones charge little or nothing. Unless you're going to be spending thousands and thousands on your purchases, don't sweat what the fees will be nor what the exchange rates turn out to be.

Have a great trip! Watch out for pickpockets in Italy, they're common.

WB, so sorry to hear that you get ill travelling. I tend too as well, but now it is mostly boats. Though even flying, I do not get ill but I don't feel well for a day or two. It's a real cross to bear if you like to travel.

I go to the doctor for a check up every year before any Europe travel. I have had a life long sleep disorder so always get 30 days worth of Lunesta. I save some for my return to readjust on this end. I time a pill after boarding my evening flight so that I will sleep an amount of time to cover the new time frame. It's really better for all if I get my sleep. Many years ago my first trip was a bust for close to the first week. I was in such a daze from lack of sleep I could have been anywhere. Plus, I got cranky and brain dead with zero concentration. Never again, in this case drugs help me.

Thanks, mtn. Fortunately, I'm fine as soon as I can get rehydrated, so I don't have the problem of not feeling well for a whole day. Sorry you have to deal with that.

For the weeks prior to flying to Europe, I go to bed between 9:30-10:00 pm, instead of my usual 11:00-12:00.

I sometimes take half (12mg instead of 25) a benadryl as soon as I board the plane and try to get 3-4 hours of sleep on the plane. No alcohol when taking benadryl. Most of the time, I take 3-5mg of melatonin, and will allow myself a glass of wine (I usually fly business to Europe, so I have a lie-flat bed anyway).

When I arrive, I stay up until bedtime in my destination. If I feel unsafe due to drowsiness, I'll take a nap that is no longer than one hour.

Side note: I have terrible ear problems upon landing at some airports (when the plane takes too long to descend below an altitude that I've not figured out). So, I insert and wear "Ear Planes" an hour before landing and keep them in for an hour after landing. I also use Afrin nose spray, about an hour before landing. I have to get my ears cleared out, or I will have extremely painful ears -- hurting and squeaking. My doctor says I have a dysfunctional eustachian tube. Take-offs don't bother my ears.

Euros -- since I go to Paris every year, I bring 200 Euros back with me each time, just to get me on the ground for transportation, a first meal, and a few groceries for my apartment.

I use the ATM (those INSIDE a bank) to get Euros.

I pay my landlord in cash to save not having the 3% fee he has to charge for credit cards. I've been renting from him for so many years, he stopped requiring payment on the first day. He no longer charges me a deposit upfront either. I can withdrawn $500 USD per day at an ATM, from my credit union account. When my husband was alive, we could each withdraw $500 from checking. I have two checking accounts, so technically, I could use my two different ATM cards to get up to $1000, but I keep one as a reserve when traveling. So, I pay my landlord sometime during the first week of my stay.

There are times that I've gotten Euros from AAA or my credit union, before traveling. I did that only when I thought the Euro was going to increase before my trip. It's a gamble. You can't easily guess the rate of exchanges.

Register your travels -- Online, with my credit union checking accounts, and for any credit card I'm taking, I "register" my travel dates and locations so that they won't cut it off, thinking it's fraud.