Lag

Adventurers listed the freedom to make their own decisions as the top motivation for travelling solo (35%), followed by the peace and relaxation a solo trip offers (33%), ease of planning (21%) and not having to consider the opinions of companions (18%)

Two thirds of British travellers find planning and booking holidays overwhelming, with “decision fatigue” one of the biggest sources of stress – and 56% exhausted by the trip before it even begins.

New research found that much of the tension comes from holiday group chats, with 59% admitting trip planning has caused problems in the past.

Around 25% have given up on a break altogether after a deluge of messages but no decisions.

Causes of arguments included scheduling, budgets, finding and booking hotels and researching destinations and activities, according to the research by Moxy Hotels .

The rise of decision fatigue has helped fuel a growing desire to holiday solo, with 53% ditching travelling companions to travel alone

Adventurers listed the freedom to make their own decisions as the top motivation for travelling solo (35%), followed by the peace and relaxation a solo trip offers (33%), ease of planning (21%) and not having to consider the opinions of companions (18%).

Sandra Schulze-Potgieter, vice president, premium, select & midscale brands, Europe, Middle East & Africa at Marriott International, said: “At Moxy Hotels, we understand that decision-making can be exhausting – especially when planning with a group.

“That’s why we’re championing the joy of solo travel: giving guests the freedom to do what they want, when they want, without compromise. With our playful design, social spaces, and hassle-free experience, Moxy makes me-time feel anything but lonely.

The global hotel brand has developed spaces specifically designed to encourage solo travel, including social public areas, lounges and libraries and its “small but smart” bedrooms.

Britain’s favourite solo travel destinations

From buzzy breaks to cultural classics, we’re embracing solo travel and going it alone. These are the top ten cities we love to explore without family or friends in tow.

1. Paris (25%)
2. London (21%)
3. Barcelona (21%)
4. Amsterdam (17%)
5. Dublin (15%)
6. Athens (12%)
7. Vienna (11%)
8. Copenhagen (10%)
9. Berlin (10%)
10. Lisbon (10%)

With searches for ‘avoid jet lag’ soaring, travel experts have revealed the perfect time to fly

Anyone heading off for some winter sunshine this festive period might find themselves fretting about jet lag – particularly if you’re travelling somewhere quite distant. According to Google Trends data, searches for ‘avoid jet lag’ have rocketed by 9,900% over the past month, with holidaymakers worried this could ruin their break.

But dodging jet lag could be as straightforward as picking the ideal departure time, according to specialists at Go2Africa. They recommend booking your flight to arrive at a local time between 2pm-5pm, which means you’ll touch down in optimal conditions with plenty of daylight exposure and the chance to remain alert until bedtime. This sets you up for a properly synchronised body clock throughout your getaway.

Circadian rhythm alignment

One explanation for why your arrival time can help prevent jet lag is that it allows your body’s circadian rhythm sufficient time to adjust to external signals like light and darkness.

Any sudden shift, such as crossing time zones during air travel, can throw this alignment off balance and trigger jet lag symptoms.

Strong reset signal

“Light is the strongest signal to the body that it needs to reset”, the specialists explain. “Strategic exposure or, of course, avoidance, changes your circadian phase, supercharging the reset of your internal body clock.”

Daylight and wakefulness

The experts add: “Getting to your destination between the hours of 2pm and 5pm local time is perfect as you have enough daylight to reset your body clock, but it’s not so late that you will struggle to stay awake until bedtime. Arriving too early (morning) risks falling asleep prematurely or being awake for too many hours before night, confusing your clock.”

Other ways to beat jet lag

If you can’t manage to touch down at the ideal time, there are still plenty of methods to reduce your chances of suffering from jet lag.

The first approach is to slowly modify your sleep pattern at least three days before you travel. Achieve this by hitting the hay 30 to 60 minutes earlier each evening.

Another suggestion is to maximise your light exposure by stepping outdoors into natural sunlight as quickly as possible once you’ve landed.

Though if you touch down during the evening hours, experts recommend steering clear of harsh lighting (particularly screens) for an hour or two before your local bedtime.

During your first complete day at your destination, synchronise your meals, wake-up time and sleep schedule with the local timezone, as your body’s digestive rhythm also plays a crucial part in your circadian system.

THE thought of a long-haul holiday, far away from the cold UK, can be tempting for some – apart from the jet lag.

But experts have revealed the three day ‘hack’ that is meant to help you get over it much faster on holiday, and not waste any of your vacation time.

Most winter sun destinations are pretty far away, bar a few African islands.

And being far away comes with a tricky time difference to adjust to.

That’s because your internal body clock – also called the circadian rhythm – becomes confused when you change time zones quickly.

This can then result not only in extreme tiredness, but also headaches and stomach aches.

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Sleeping patterns as well as eating habits can both be severely affected by jet lag.

According to experts at Go2Africa, there are a few ways to try and avoid the worst symptoms of jet lag.

One is choosing the correct flight time before a long journey.

They advise booking a flight that lets you land between 2pm and 5pm, as it allows exposure to daylight which can help stave off the effects of jet lag.

Not only that, but it also means you have enough time to try and adjust before going to sleep at the location’s natural time.

Otherwise there is also the three-day rule, which you need to do before you even get on a flight.

This is particularly for anyone travelling east, as this is when you are more likely to have to go to bed earlier rather than later.

To try and get used to this, it is advised to adjust your sleep schedule three days before you travel.

This is advised to be as much as one hour per day, so you find it easier to sleep at a more sociable time on holiday.

And this is then the same when flying westwards but instead to sleep an hour later.

Of course this isn’t the easiest, trying to fall asleep earlier than you are used to.

But even as little as 30 minutes per day can still make a difference.

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Even the plane you are on could increase or decrease the effects of jet lag.

If you want to go somewhere that is 27C in December but has no jet lag – then we’ve found some great islands.