10 hour flight + ferry for a 7 night holiday?

[zambezee]

Are we mad to consider a 10 hour flight + 45 min ferry + 20 min taxi journey, for a 7 night holiday?

We’d be flying economy

Where you doing? If that’s where you want to go on holiday and that’s the way to get there then that’s fine I guess. What about 10 days? Can you stretch it out?

It also depends on the time zones. Jet lag can take 2/3 days to get over.

Are you taking kids? Is it always going to be that journey to get there? Some places are just quite remote.

I wouldn’t. Have you factored in time travelling to airport, waiting for flight, getting to the port and checking in for ferry? That will add quite a bit to the travel time.

I wouldn’t do that much travel for less than 10 days holiday. But then I need a couple of days to wind down once I get there before I start really enjoying it, even when it’s a 3-4 hour flight.

The transfer part doesn’t sound too bad depending how long you have to wait for the ferry and taxi. Yes 10 hours is a long flight and it would be better to be going for a bit longer but if you really want to go there and can’t extend it may be worth it.

I am just back from a 10hr flight holiday, approx 24hrs door to door.
It was notionally a 10 day holiday, but only 7 nights in the location we went to.
But the time difference was only 1hr (south africa), which makes a massive difference. Neither of us had jet lag either way.

If I was going West as I know jetlag won't be that bad - just means waking up early. Ideally I would want to stretch to 10 days as its never really 7 days with travel. 10hr flight wouldn't bother me.

I would do this if I was going west. Not east.

It’s west yes - to one of the bahamas

Yes. We went to New York for 3 nights recently with a 2 hour transfer after an 8 hour flight.
Was fine.

I'd do it, just think of the journey as part of the holiday and take a favourite book/activity and favourite snacks etc.

What's the time difference? If it's going to give you jet lag to get over as well, then no, I wouldn't do that distance for 7 days.

It's not just the times you've given, get to airport 3 hours before flight, add an hour/90mins to collect bags, how long from airport to ferry, checkin for ferry at least 30 mins before sailing. How long would the whole journey be door to door?

We've visited relatives a few times a 9 hour flight, 2 hour ferry then 2 hour drive . We live about an hour from the airport. The whole journey door to door takes about 21 hours with no delays, and it's an 8 hour time difference. For a holiday, I wouldn't go for less that 2 weeks, for a family emergency you could do a week but it would be hard work.

No problem. I just treat the flight day 1 of the holiday. A chance to relax, eat, drink, read, watch films, but 30000 feet in the air! And you have the bonus of a boat trip.
I love airports too.

I’d be fine with that. We went skiing in the US for a week last winter which meant a 10 hour flight, 45 minute flight and then a 30 minute taxi. Didn’t go economy but did have 2 young kids in tow. We all survived!

I wouldn't do it. For me a long haul flight takes a lot of recovery time and is just a miserable experience in itself.

I wouldn't but I hate flying long haul. These days 4.5 hrs to the Canaries is far enough for me.

I would do it. Bahamas is amazing and think of people who lives in big vast countries like the US need several hours to even cross their state. My friends come to Europe from the US for a week only after flying the same time. Once you land is holidays so even the ferry would be ok.

We did Vegas for only 4 nights, make the flight part of the holiday, few drinks, good TV, don't see it as travelling. I don't find jet lag too bad going west, just make sure you go straight back into routine when you come home to make recovery as short as possible.