International travel with kids
How Do You Help Kids With Jet Lag on an International Trip?
Get kids outside in daylight the morning you arrive, keep naps short and early, and push bedtime to local time from the first night. Plan on about a day per time zone for everyone to fully adjust, and start shifting bedtime a little each night the week before you fly.
Flying east to Europe is harder on kids than flying west to Japan. You lose the night. Kids are usually up at 3am the first night or two, and that’s normal. Plan around it instead of fighting it.
Step by step
What I do with jet lag, in order
- 1The week before
Shift bedtime
Move bedtime 15 to 30 minutes toward the new time zone each night. Even a little helps.
- 2On the plane
Sleep on the overnight
Set everyone’s watches to the new time when you board. Dinner, then lights out.
- 3Arrival morning
Get outside
Daylight is the thing that resets the body clock. A walk, a park, a playground.
- 4Day one
Keep the nap short
An hour, early in the afternoon. A long nap on day one is how you end up awake at midnight.
- 5Night one
Local bedtime
Dinner on local time, then bed. Maybe a little early, but not at 4pm.
- 6First two days
Plan light
Nothing booked that you can’t skip. Save the big tickets for day three.
Plan smarter
How I build jet lag into the trip
I don’t pack the first two days. If you’re going to Europe for a week, that’s a big chunk of the trip, so that’s another reason I’d do 10 days if you can.
“I sort the order of the cities, the trains, and hotels that actually fit five people. And I’m there if something goes sideways.”
Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel. Former social studies teacher, mom of three, 60+ countries.
Plan your trip with meRead next
Keep planning
Want a trip built around real kids?
I’ll plan the first two days so jet lag doesn’t run the whole trip.
Start planningMore answers
More for your first international trip
Quick answers
How long does jet lag last for kids?
About a day per time zone to fully adjust. Most kids feel mostly normal by day three.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west?
East. Flying to Europe from the US you lose a night, so it’s harder than flying west to Japan.
Should kids nap when you arrive in Europe?
A short one, about an hour, early in the afternoon. A long nap makes the first night harder.
Can I give my child melatonin for jet lag?
Ask your pediatrician before you go. Don’t try it for the first time on the trip.
How do I get my kids to sleep on an overnight flight?
Set the new time zone when you board, do dinner, then lights out. Pajamas, their own pillow and headphones help.
When should we start adjusting before the trip?
About a week before. Move bedtime 15 to 30 minutes a night toward the new time zone.
Keep planning: International travel with kids, step by step, more travel questions, answered.
Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel. Adventures We Seek is my travel blog and planning resource. Trips are booked through Favorite Grampy Travels. Prices, fees and processing times last checked October 2026 and change often.
Share this:
Discover more from Adventures We Seek
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.