Travel Tip: Dealing with Jet Lag on International Holiday

You've flown for 10 hours on a great international flight to your holiday destination of Rome. You are excited to be going to the Eternal City. After you go through passport control and customs, you claim your baggage. Sitting in the taxi to the hotel you feel Morpheus slam into you with the force of a large truck. You cannot keep your eyes open. Your mind is telling you that you want to see all you can this first day but your body is saying, "No way."

Jet lag. The curse of modern international travel. It happens to everyone in some way or another.

But many endure it because they are traveling because it is their job (think pilots and flight attendants), for others it is a part of their job (business people, politicians).

What is jet leg and how can you avoid it or at least minimize the effects of jet lag?

Jet Lag is...
First, what is jet lag anyway? Jet lag means the psychological and physiological effects of long travel through various time zones. A person suffering jet lag is often extremely tired and irritable.

Second, why does it happen? Essentially, if you have ever pulled an all-nighter you have had similar results. After a certain number of hours awake, your body begins to feel odd, you might long for a comfortable seat or place to lie down. As you stay awake longer you begin to feel mental fatigue--you might have trouble focusing. At a certain point your body simply gives up and you cannot stay awake.

The difference between jet lag and an all-nighter is that with jet lag you 1) have stayed awake while moving through time zones at a fast rate. You might have awakened at 4:00am for a flight to Rome. You spend all day traveling and while doing so, the clock keeps ticking. The problem is at a certain point you reach a point at which you have been awake for nearly 24 hours but the time on the clock says it is, say only 7:00am local time. Your mind wants to go by the clock time: explore the city. Your body goes by its clock: go to sleep.

How to avoid it or minimize effects...
There are many pieces of advise for avoiding or minimizing jet lag. These I will touch on in below. But first, you should fundamentally understand that you need to sleep. I prefer to take those long international flights because I can sleep on them. That way I tell my body that I am going to have a night's sleep, albeit a shorter than usual and less comfortable one, but a sleep nonetheless. Whatever you do, try to sleep without drugs on the plane.

Hydration (drink water)
Flying dehydrates you. Your body needs water. Your brain needs water. Do not deprive yourself of it. Drink water throughout your flight and have some nearby when sleeping. Do not drink alcohol or caffeine excessively. Alcohol is particularly dehydrating (if you have ever had a hangover, you know).

Sleep
Sleeping is your body's natural way to re-energize. When you can, let your body do its work. (I'll talk below about how to sleep and what to do if you can't.) Sleep on the journey as much as possible, sleep when you arrive at a reasonable time. If you arrive early in the morning, that is difficult because if you may not be able to get into your hotel until the afternoon and even if you do, you will find yourself sleeping through till the late afternoon and then not wanting to go to bed.

Avoid too much...
Too much food and too much alcohol on the journey just means more work for your body when it needs to rest. Lot's of movies and entertainment are now available in-flight but don't be tempted to watch the entire entertainment programing line-up.

Great, you say. What if you can't sleep. You are one who just is too wound up, too uncomfortable or too nervous to sleep on the plane. My personal suggestion is to find a way that you normally use that is without drugs to help you get to sleep. Listen to music, read a good but slow novel. Whatever.

But in reality there are as many suggested ways to avoid and deal with jet lag as there are people you ask. So, to end this blog sooner than later, here are a few interesting approaches:

Melatonin and other medications: http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/sleep/jetlag.cfm.

Nasa Ames Research Center Fatigue Countermeasures Group: http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/zteam/.

Argonne National Laboratory Anti-Jet-Lag Diet:
http://www.anl.gov/Media_Center/News/2009/news090602.html
http://www.antijetlagdiet.com/faqs.asp
http://www.netlib.org/misc/jet-lag-diet

"A Drug's Second Act: Battling Jet Lag" (from the New York Times on Cephalon and other drugs): http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/business/07jetlag.html.

"Living on Mars Time: Scientists Suffer Perpetual Jet Lag" (from Space.com): http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080729-st-mars-time.html.

Thomas Talboy
Director
Ubiquity International
www.ubiquityinternational.com

Traveler Tip: New Rome City Tax

Planning an international holiday to Rome? Be aware that beginning January 1, 2011 a new law goes into effect in Rome.

Visitors must pay a tassa di soggiorno or city tax that varies depending on the type of accommodation. Hostels are exempt from the tax but all others must pay on the spot:

• €3.00 per person per night for 5 and 4 star accommodations (up to 10 nights)
• €2.00 per person per night for 3, 2 and 1 star accommodations, camping, cottages, B&Bs, holiday homes, houses, all residentials

Note: 1) The tax must be paid by the clients to the accommodation before the end of the stay, not through an agency, 2) the tax is payable even if accommodations were booked before January 1, 2011; 3) children under two years of age are exempt.


Our travel agents can advise you on this new tax to ensure that you are not left with an unhappy surprise.


Thomas Talboy
Director
Ubiquity International

Travel Tip: Laptops on International Holidays

If you are like me, you travel with your laptop most of the time (in fact, too much of the time!). Whether you are on an international holiday to Europe or South America, the TSA rules about removing your laptop from its bag affects you.

Make your holiday travel more enjoyable by purchasing a TSA approved laptop bag style. I find the sleeve style the quickest and easiest.

Tom

Thomas Talboy
Director
Ubiquity Internatinoal

Travel Tip: Flight Information and Google

So, you've luxuriated on the beautiful beaches of Italy's Cinque Terre. You're about to fly from Genoa to Frankfurt and on to San Francisco. The last thing you want to have happen is to be left at the airport while you wait for a ride from your friend or family member. But now you have just heard from the captain that your flight is delayed. How will your ride know?


In the old days, the only way to know as for your ride to call the airline (that still works). Nowadays you can include them on your itinerary email, you can give them the flight information and have them go to the airline website.


but there is an even easier way to let them know (or rather, have them figure it out).


Use Google's SMS Service.


Your ride just needs to text the airline code and flight number to: 466453 (GOOGLE). Then your ride waits for the response.


Here is an example:


UA 901


the response was:


31 Oct 2010
UA 901


FRA
Depart: 1:00PM
Departed


SFO 
Arrive: 4:23PM
On Time
Gate: TI/G96


UA: 800-864-8331


http://m.flightstats.com


So what did your friend get? The date, departure time and arrival time, along with the airline phone number and Google's own Fight Status mobile app page.


Are you worried that your ride does not know the airline code? No problem. Texting United 901 will return the same information.


Happy Travels!


Tom

Travel Tip: Italian Holidays and Religious Services, Part 1a--Roman Catholic in Rome

Many travelers on an international European holiday wish to continue their religious observance. Your travel agent can advise you of many places of religious devotion at your destination. Here a few travel tips for your time in Italy.


Part 1a--Roman Catholic in Rome
You can find a Roman Catholic Church just about anywhere in Italy. Rome, Florence, Naples, Milan, Venice and other larger cities have Catholic Churches that have mass in English but in smaller villages you will need to attend mass in Italian. For schedules, it is best to go to the church itself and look at it, or ask the concierge of your hotel to locate the information.


I have listed here some of the churches in Rome with mass in English along with maps and some additional information on each.


Basilica di Santa Susana
(Basilica of St. Susanne)

View Larger Map
Via XX Settembre 15,
00187, Roma
www.santasusanna.org
Weekdays and Saturdays 6pm
Sundays 9 and 10:30am
Metro: Reppublica
The Basilica of Santa Susana is the official Home of the American church in Rome. Regular mass in English is available, as well as confession. The basilica officials can also help with papal audience tickets, weddings in Rome and more.


Nostra Signora del Santissimo Sacramento e SS. Martiri Canadesis
(Our Lady of the Most Holy Sacrament and Holy Martyrs of Canada)
National Church of Canada

View Larger Map
Via Giovanni Battista de Rossi, 46
00161, Roma
06 44 23 79 84
Metro: Bologna
Feast of the Canadian Martyrs is celebrated October 19.


San Silvestro in Capite
(St. Sylvester)
National Church of England)

View Larger Map
Piazza San Silvestro, 1
00187, Roma
066 977121
Metro: Barberini or Spagna
sansilvestroincapite.com
Interesting fact: The name of the church 'in capite' comes from the claim to have the head of St. John the Baptist. Administered by the Pallottines.


Sant'Isidoro
(Saint Isidore)
National Church of Ireland

View Larger Map
Via degli Artisti, 41
00187 Roma
064885359 or 064885136
Metro: Barberini or Spagna
www.st-isidore-rome.org
Morning prayer: 9:30am
Sunday: 10am


Chiesa di San Patrizio
St. Patrick's Church in Rome

View Larger Map
Via Boncompagni, 31
00187 Roma
06 42 03 121
Sunday: 10am
www.stpatricksrome.com
Run by the Augustinians


Oratorio del Caravita
Caravita: The Oratorio of St. Francis Xavier

View Larger Map
Via del Caravita, 7
00186 Roma
Sunday: 11am
www.caravita.org

An international Catholic community in Rome

Short walk from Piazza Venezia or Pantheon; by the Church of St. Ignatius (Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio Loyola in Campo Marzio)

Venerabile Collegio Inglese
The Venerable English College

View Larger Map
Via Monserrato, 45
00186 Roma
06 68 68 546 or 06 68 65 808 
Sunday: 10am
www.englishcollegerome.org
This is the official English and Welsh Seminary. Services are open to the public but visits should be prearranged. The college is closed July through September. Near Campo dei' Fiori.

Travel Tip: International Travel and Soreness

Whether your travel agent recommend international travel by rail, car, plane or ship, or you are traveling domestically, you are likely to find yourself sitting in a position that makes you stiff and wishing you could find anywhere else to be. Holiday flights to Europe and South America can be really tiring even though you are just sitting for long hours. Cruises are better since you can move around a lot more but even so, you can be in spaces that make you feel cramped.


Have you ever noticed that after that long time, lying in your bed and stretching out feels really good?


No wonder: stretching. That's the key.


Here are a few simple stretches you can do to keep your body feeling better while you are traveling. You might recall some of these steps as basic calisthenics. Maybe we need a return to calisthenic training. Who knows?

• Stretch your neck properly. A good stretch in one direction, held for a few seconds can do wonders. Try it in the other direction, stopping at face-forward position first. Hold and repeat.
• Stretch your shoulders and neck by shrugging your shoulders with your arms at your sides, staying like that for about five seconds. Repeat.
• Where you can, stretch your back:
• From a seated position, lean forward and wrap your arms around your legs. Hold then repeat.
• If you can stand, lean forward and try to touch your hands to your toes. Hold then repeat.
• Again, if you can stand, put your hands on your hips and lean to one side. Hold then repeat. Then move to the other side. Hold and repeat.
• For your legs, raise you feet up on the balls and hold. You can do this while seated or standing. Hold and repeat.
• Focus on your breathing.
• Take several deep breaths. Go beyond the point that you think your lungs are full. Hold and repeat.

As always, keep an eye on what you eat while traveling. Hurtling through time zones (jet travel) or plodding through them (ship travel) wreaks havoc on our bodies. Listen to your body and give it a little more attention than usual.

Happy travels!


Tom
Thomas Talboy
Director
Ubiquity International

Travel Tip: Register Your International Holiday with the Department of State

Staying safe while on an international holiday to Europe, South America or elsewhere is important to all of us. We recommend that you register your travel plans with the US Department of State (US Department of State Travel Registration). It is an easy process that allows you to provide information to the department for assistance in case of an emergency. You do need to create a login but then you can use it for the future.


Americans living abroad can also register their information on the same site.


At Ubiquity International, we recommend registration to all of our clients and on our organized tours we also register the tour plans. We believe that this added measure of security is beneficial to all. It is one more way that Ubiquity International stands out as a premier provider of tours, pilgrimages and enrichment programs. Give us a call today!


Happy travels!


Tom


Thomas Talboy
Director
Ubiquity International