There’s no escaping it, flying to Australia from Europe or the US is a killer. Whenever people talk about traveling to Australia,  it’s almost always followed up by a caveat that although they’re really excited, they’re absolutely dreading the flight.

The first time I visited Australia, I thought the best way of making the journey bearable was to book the shortest flight possible. What a mistake.

I flew the route from London to Melbourne via Doha which takes just over 21 hours (assuming you don’t miss the connection for which they generously allow 50 minutes). When I arrived in Australia dosed up on bad airline food and last years Hollywood B-movies, I barely knew what day it was. I was so exhausted and disorientated that I couldn’t sleep for the next 3 nights. I survived on a diet of strong long blacks and daytime naps.

There is a better way though. As I write this I’m sat on a flight from Singapore to Brisbane - and I feel great. 

What’s the secret?  Yesterday I took an evening flight from London to Singapore with my friend Michaela. When we arrived in Singapore, we headed into the city for a bite to eat and a stroll around before getting a solid 7 hours of sleep at an airport hotel.  Even though the journey is longer,  allows you to make the most of your time in Australia as you don’t lose the first couple of days to jet-lag. Also, who can complain about an evening in a exotic new city?

How to arrive in Australia without jet lag:

1. Book a flight with an overnight layover. An night flight is best, and the layover should be roughly two thirds of the way to Australia. For example, if you’re flying from Europe, a stopover of 15 hours somewhere like Singapore, Bangkok, or Hong Kong is ideal.
2. Before you fly, pack a change of clothes and a toothbrush into your hand luggage. You won’t see your checked luggage until you arrive at your final destination.
3. As soon as you board your flight, set your watch to the local time of your layover city.
4. Check into an airport hotel, go grab some food to eat and get a great nights sleep.
5. Get up, grab some breakfast and remember to set your watch to the time of your destination.

Let me know if this works for you! 

Update: So, after being in Brisbane for 3 days I have to admit that the first night's sleep was horrible... I made the mistake of sleeping on the flight as well as on the lay-over! Either way, breaking up the journey helped me adjust to Australia time a lot faster than on previous trips, and who wouldn't want to spend an evening in Singapore?