Day 1 ·
Houston to Lisbon, with ten hours in Newark
Houston · Portugal · 3 min read
Travel day: Houston to Newark before dawn, a ten-hour layover in Terminal C and the overnight flight to Lisbon. How we organized the layover and our plan against jet lag.
- 1
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Uber booked for 3:40 AM to Terminal C. TSA opens at 4:00 and we wanted to be there right then. United flight at 6:00.
- 2
Newark Airport, Terminal C
About three and a half hours in the air (Eastern time on arrival). We arrived and left from the same terminal, without changing buildings or going through security again.
- 3
United Club at gate C123
Our base for the layover. It's the only United Club in Newark with showers (six suites) and the big buffet with hot dishes. Don't confuse it with the one at C74, which has no showers.
- 4
Lisbon Airport
We took off from Newark at 8:25 PM on a 787-10 and landed at 8:20 AM Lisbon time the next day. About seven hours of flying.
The first day of the trip was all airport. We left home at 3:40 in the morning, flew to Newark at 6:00 and spent almost ten hours in Terminal C before the overnight flight to Lisbon. No sightseeing, but there was a plan, because a layover like that is either something you live through or something you suffer through.
Why we planned it this way
We had two goals: arrive in Lisbon rested and not lose our first day there. So we planned the layover almost by the hour. We settled into the United Club at gate C123, the only one in Newark with showers, and at 11:15 we calmly went over our three days in Lisbon and Sintra, with the maps downloaded for offline use.
At midday we walked the whole terminal, had lunch, took a one-hour nap with an alarm and at 2:30 we showered, ahead of the rush. Then we played cards for a while, no phones, just to disconnect. Dinner was at 5:30 in the club, big and early, so we wouldn’t have to wait for the food on the plane.
We also had a rule for the upgrade to Polaris, the business class with lie-flat beds: check the price in the United app at 3:00 in the afternoon and buy it only if it cost less than $500 per person. It was the only flight of the trip where really sleeping made a difference.
What to know before you go
The plan against jet lag starts on the plane: watch set to Lisbon time, zero movies and straight to sleep. Once you land, the rule is to stay awake until 9 at night, get out in the sun in the morning and drink coffee only until noon. If you use melatonin, take 3 mg half an hour before sleeping on the flight.
Before leaving Houston we activated our eSIMs and bought the Lisboa Card online, to pick it up at the Ask Me Lisboa desk in arrivals, open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
What we booked and tasted
United Club C123
Order A sandwich from the buffet (they heat it to order), salad and a hot dish
A real meal at midday so we had energy for the afternoon without snacking all the time.
United Club C123
Order Soup, salad and a hot dish; one glass of wine at most
A big dinner at 5:30 let us skip the meal on the plane and fall asleep as soon as they turned off the lights.
Houston IAH Airport
Uber scheduled the night before. There's no traffic at that hour, but you still have to allow for check-in and checked bags.
Houston IAH Newark EWR
United, on a 737 MAX 9. Leaves at 6:00 Central time and lands at 10:29 Eastern time.
Newark EWR Lisbon LIS
Overnight flight on a 787-10 Dreamliner. Boarding at 7:55 PM.
What we learned
Tips
- In Newark, the shower at the United Club C123 is least busy around 2:30 in the afternoon. Between 4 and 7 a line forms for the six suites.
- The 787 pressurizes the cabin as if you were at 6,000 feet (1,800 meters), lower than older planes. Even so, alcohol hits harder and you sleep worse: one drink at most.
- In May, Lisbon is six hours ahead of Houston. When you land at 8:20 AM, your body thinks it's 2:20 in the morning.
- If you fly Ryanair on a Plus fare later in the trip, measure your personal item before you leave home: only one bag of 40 × 30 × 20 cm fits under the seat.
Do
- Walk Terminal C end to end (from C70 to C139 and back, about 1.5 km) before the long flight. It helps your circulation.
- Set your watch to Lisbon time when you board and go to sleep right after takeoff, with an eye mask and earplugs.
- Keep a change of clothes at the top of your backpack for the afternoon shower.
Don’t
- Don't leave the airport, even with a ten-hour layover. Going back through security on a Sunday afternoon in Newark isn't worth the stress before a transatlantic flight.
- Don't nap for more than an hour. A long nap during the layover takes away your sleep on the plane.