A Week In Australia

[MelainesLaugh]

I’ve always wanted to go to Australia, and I’ve recently been looking at British Airways Flights and Holidays. They do direct flights to Sydney now and it got me wondering whether a weeks holiday would be feasible.

With 23 hours on the plane and no change I could easily use that to sleep. Which would, hopefully, then have me refreshed to spend the days in Sydney before doing the same on the way back.

AIBU to consider this or is it an absolutely ridiculous idea.

Technically yes. Depends how jet lagged you think you will be and what kind of holiday you are aiming for. If you want to go out at night jet lag can perversely mean you're raring to go at 2am. Family holiday with young children, I wouldn't.

How are you with sleep deprivation? I've only flown in two legs and all the times I've felt like death when I've arrived. However the next day I'm pretty ok. So if you think you can cope go for it!

I mean you could but it doesn't sound pleasant. Can you stretch it out to 2 weeks so you actually get some rest in the sun ?

Direct from London to Perth is not bad actually, the flight landing times are good both here and there so that helps with jet lag.

Personally I would go somewhere nearer if I only have a week (Miami, Florida Keys) or wait until I can go for at least 2 weeks.

Is that one week including or excluding the flights?

I would only do it if I was in an upgraded more roomy seat.

But I cannot operate on no sleep, so that is just my opinion.

You need to factor the time difference and jet lag in as well. You will just be adjusting when it will be to to fly back again.

I wouldn’t even consider it…..jet lag is a bummer for me…..and the travel time ( including travel to and from airport and the check in and boarding time) would not make it worth my while…..I’ve been to Australia 3 times…..seen some amazing things……but to pay all that flight money to visit one city seems like a massive waste of money.

Wait until you have a few weeks.
Jet lag is a killer.

Have you ever done a properly longhaul flight before? Did you arrive ‘refreshed’?

My DH did it for his best friends wedding - 8 days which included all fight time. He loved it, but powered on through and used to live in Australia so wasn’t going for the purpose of actual sightseeing

Its a hell of a long way to go for a week. Do you only want to go to Sydney ?Sydney is a beautiful city but there are so many better places IMO. I tell people that you need at least three weeks here to make it worth your while, but YMMV. I guess if you flew business it might be easier, but better to spend on a longer (and more varied) trip

With sleeping pills and at least a premium economy seat maybe?

We had friends come to visit for two weeks a long time ago, when economy was still comfortable. They had a stop over but still were utterly knackered. Then they had heat to contend with, came in March so it would be cooler, had indian summer heatwave. 4 weeks minimum.

Don't bother - you will feel absolutely horrendous from jet lag, even if you manage some sleep on the plane.

It's not worth it. I speak from experience! You want at least two weeks, ideally three.

I did it a few years ago when I flew to Sydney for my brother's funeral. The jet lag didn't hit me too badly until I got back home again.

I’d do it without kids. Kids do make it harder!

Sydney is nice enough but, on its own, not really worth flying that distance for. Getting anywhere else in Australia takes ages because it's huge.

When on business in Oz a week is minimum stay and it’s brutal.
No way I’d inflict that on myself with my own time and leisure money, would be a waste.
2 weeks min, but 3weeks ideal with a stop over both ways to somewhere new.

No way would I go all the way to Australia just for a week. You need 2-3 weeks.

Regular visitor to Australia. You need two weeks minimum for your body to recalibrate and actually enjoy it. I can't sleep the first week despite being exhausted, awake from around 1am for hours then it gradually subsides. I do three flights though to get to my final destination but this time I stayed in Brisbane and it was just as bad!
I can't imagine how you would feel when you got back to the UK either. Guess it depends on age too as I find it harder as I age, I'm 55. It was easier in my 30's.

The jet leg will be a killer

Also just to flag those 'direct' London the Sydney BA flights have a stop to refuel in Singapore where you have to get off for an hour - I did them in December and in June - unless it's been updated in the last 12 weeks!
Straight to Perth though!

FWIW, there are no BA direct non-stop flights to Sydney from the U.K. So don’t make your decision based on that. They stop in Singapore for a couple of hours where you have to get off the plane and wait in the airport. I am crew on the fleet which flies this route and their would be a riot if we did not get 2 nights off in Singapore each way! Certainly you could not pay me or my colleagues enough to sit on an aircraft for 23hrs without getting off.

Speaking from experience, Sydney for a week is one of those journeys I made once because I had to for a family occasion, but would not do again unless for another wedding or funeral. It’s not a fun journey, and even as someone used to dealing with jet lag it messes with your body. If you feel a burning desire to visit Australia that you cannot stop thinking, and are happy with the idea you will be visiting all the sights feeling like shit, fill your boots. I know when we went, we tried to cram some sightseeing in, and we basically had to go from place to place waiting for my husband to get up off the floor. He laid down on the floor at Sydney Opera House, the aquarium, the Botanical Gardens. He couldn’t come to the zoo because he couldn’t get out of bed.

We flew in Club when we went, that was bad enough - I wouldn’t want to be sitting upright for 23 hours!

In a frequent flier between UK and Sydney/NZ. It's perfectly doable as long as you are disciplined.

Sleep as much as you can on the flight but don't stress if not. If you travel Emirates they pay for a hotel at DXB if your connection is over 10 hours so that is an option to break it up but will reduce time spent in Aus.

On arrival stay awake until 9pm. Sleep the best sleep ever and wake up ready to go the next day.

I wouldn’t do it. It’s not just the flight length and whether or not you are able to sleep on the 20 hour plus flight, but the fact that with the time difference, you have to reverse day and night when you arrive.

In fact it’s often better not to sleep much on the flight as you tend to adjust faster - but that said, even if you do get the right amount of sleep on arrival you can still feel rubbish for several days due to body clock being out of synch in other respects.

We always go for min of 3 weeks (including flights). I echo PP that Sydney is just another large city, Australia is an amazing country but you really need to go and see more of it than just the cities.

I've flown to Australia multiple times over the years - never have I ever woken up feeling refreshed the next day - I always feel like death warmed up and don't have the energy to do anything except maybe shower and go back to bed 😂

The problem is jet lag hits everyone differently and if it hits OP badly, she'll have spent thousands of pounds to feel like shit for a week.

You'll be perfectly fine on the flight going, but the jetlag on the way back to the UK is hellish. I've been 5 times, shortest trip was 2 weeks and that definitely wasn't enough, 3 weeks minimum for me