How bad is jet lag flying to Vienna?

It depends where you start. From Los Angeles you cross 9 time zones travelling east, which typically takes about 9 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Vienna there is little or no jet lag at all.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Vienna?

Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.

How long does it take to get over jet lag in Vienna?

A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.

Jet lag when you fly to Vienna

Vienna is on Europe/Vienna. How much jet lag you get depends entirely on where you start — how many time zones you cross, and in which direction. Travelling east is the harder direction. Shift your bedtime earlier for several days beforehand and seek bright morning light on arrival.

Jet lag to Vienna by departure city

From	Time zones	Direction	Distance	Flight (approx.)	Recovery
Los Angeles	9	→ east	9,818 km	12½ hours	~9 days
Sydney	8	← west	15,976 km	19½ hours	~5 days
Tokyo	7	← west	9,128 km	11½ hours	~5 days
New York City	6	→ east	6,796 km	8½ hours	~6 days
Singapore	6	← west	9,714 km	12 hours	~4 days
São Paulo	5	→ east	10,139 km	12½ hours	~5 days
Mumbai	4	← west	5,978 km	8 hours	~3 days
Dubai	2	← west	4,251 km	6 hours	~1 day
London	1	→ east	1,235 km	2 hours	~1 day
Paris	—	same zone	1,034 km	2 hours	none
Johannesburg	—	same zone	8,356 km	10½ hours	none

Distances are great-circle; flight times are rough nonstop estimates. Recovery uses ~1 day per zone east, faster west.

Beating jet lag in Vienna

Jet lag happens because your body clock stays on home time for a while after you land. The bigger the offset between Vienna and where you flew from, the longer it takes to catch up — roughly a day for each time zone when you travel east, and somewhat faster when you travel west, because it is easier to stay up late than to force yourself to sleep early.

A few days before you fly, nudge your sleep schedule toward Vienna time — earlier if you are heading east, later if west. On arrival, get outside: daylight is the strongest signal for resetting your clock. Morning light helps after an eastward trip; evening light helps after a westward one. To see the exact current offset, check the current time in Vienna.

Frequently asked questions

How bad is jet lag flying to Vienna?: It depends where you start. From Los Angeles you cross 9 time zones travelling east, which typically takes about 9 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Vienna there is little or no jet lag at all.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Vienna?: Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.
How long does it take to get over jet lag in Vienna?: A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.