Hi
@Marie_pri,
None of us relish the long haul but it comes with the territory. I've met so many Northern Hemispherers who say they'd love to come to Australia but don't because of the flight. Aussies & Kiwis are everywhere & anywhere you can go in the world...imagine if we all had that same attitude & didn't go because of time & distance?!
I've tried the stop-over thing a few times, on the way over or back, & IMHO it doesn't help but merely delays the inevitable. I didn't arrive feeling any better or worse.
My airline of choice is Qatar making their stop-over option Doha. In that instance, although an interesting place with a brilliant museum, the arrival & departure times were awful..around midnight in both directions.
With decades of experience behind me, my advice is;
i/ accept it
ii/ it's 24-30 hours out of your life...a small price to pay for what you will receive from the journey
iii/ choose your departing flight time carefully. Eg..Qatar flights leave Melbourne late evening which means you've already had a full day & are more likely to get some sleep on the plane
iv/ an Aus evening departure time equals an approx early to mid arvo arrival time in the European city of your choice. This gives you time to get to your accom, settle in, run any errands or merely 'get your bearings', have dinner then go to bed at your normal time. This is the best way to adapt to the new time zone
v/ take it easy your first full day. Do whatever is your interest but don't over schedule or try to see/do too much.
vi/ from Day 2...into it!
vii/ on the return home, give yourself a few days to re-adjust.
All in all, yes...the flight is horrible (unless you can fly First Class!). It messes with our body systems but you can control your attitude towards it which will make the procedure much smoother.
The worst thing you could do is not go because of the tyranny of distance.
Best wishes, you are not alone in feeling this way BUT it will be totally worth it.
PS. I've also had stop-overs in other hubs such as Singapore, Bangkok & Hong Kong...made no difference at all. I'd only suggest a stop-over if you had a particular interest in the hub as a destination.