accomodations at 9am in Madrid?

i've hit a logistical snag in our plans. we'll be arriving at barajas at 7:45 am on a monday. what should we do? our bodies will be telling us it's 2am and we should go to sleep, but we'll need to get on spain time as soon as we can. do we stay up all day, wandering about madrid like a pair of zombies?

could we even find a place to sleep on a monday morning if we wanted to? in the u.s., the earliest you can check into a hotel is usually around 3pm.

what is your favorite solution to jet-lag?

So far as getting checked in and sleeping in the morning is concerned there is probably hope.

If you are the fotogrl22 who is going to be in Spain in the beginning of August there is a good chance that your room will be free even if you check in on the Monday morning for two reasons: firstly Sundays are low occupancy nights for hotels everywhere so you've a good chance of a room being free when you arrive, secondly, as you know lots of locals and especially businessmen who might usually use your hotel will avoid the city in August so, once again, there is a good chance of your room being available.

We arrived off an overnight train from Lisbon on a Monday morning once (at about the same time as you arrive) got to the hotel at about 9 am checked in, got our room, and they even gave us breakfast!

As to whether you should go straight to bed? Probably not if you want, as you say, to adjust to Spanish time. Perhaps a bit of a stroll in the area of your hotel in the morning. A leisurely lunch till about 4 pm then a siesta. If you then get up at 10 or 11 pm and hit the bars/clubs you'll have adjusted to Spanish time already!

Enjoy Spain!!!!

Best idea to avoid jet lag...... STAY AWAKE!! hehe Thats what I always do. Make sure to set your alarm clock though for the morning, or you could just sleep through and then you would have stayed up for nothing! Try and get into normal sleeping patterns immediately. Easiest way to make the transition. Goodluck!

Stay up and go and have a big lunch with lots of good wine. Then you'll sleep a siesta, and wake up in time for a SPANISH evening - ie go out and eat a few tapas at 10 or 11pm.

The day before you fly set one watch to Spanish time and each time you look at it say the time aloud and tell yourself what is happening at that time. On the flight repeat this as frequently as possible. Even if it is daylight, follow your reset watch and, if it tells you it is night, then get some sleep. Resist any interruptions (like an airline meal when it should be 2 o'clock in the morning). The meal you are offered on takeoff you tell yourself is dinner. Have a drink with it as you would at home. In the last 2 hours of the flight get a couple of soft drinks inside you, water is the best. Wash your face and, if possible, throw on some deoderant, as if you were getting up for work. There is no foolproof method but the above alleviates the problem for me every time.

At Barajas don't expect to be clear of the airport for at least an hour after landing, more if at Terminal 4. By the time you make it to central Madrid it will be midmorning (although Spanish breakfast is often taken between 1000 and 1100, with luch following around 1400. You should have no problem getting accomodation settled then hit the street for a leisurely walk followed by a good lunch and a siesta before enjoying the nightlife from 2100/2200 onwards. On your first night aim to be in bed by midnight - you will sleep long and well.

Welcome to the delights of Spain!

Dave

yay! our first day in spain is not a total loss!

i think we will go the 'stay up, eat lunch, drink wine' route, maybe wandering lazily about a couple of museums, and then take that well-deserved siesta.

man, i wish i could come sleep on you guys' couches. you're all so helpful.

cheers!

If you like museums do the smaller ones on the first day, the "Big Three" need a lot of time to enjoy them properly.

Dave

Most (all?) museums will be shut on Monday (pretty universal across Europe) - theres still plenty of free outdoor stuff you can look at though - Plaza Major, Puerto del Sol or relax in the Parque del buen Retiro.