France’s clocks go back on 25 October — a week before New York - Ouest-France

Mainland France changes to winter time on 25 October 2026. Britain changes that day too; New York follows on 1 November.

Metropolitan France puts its clocks back on Sunday 25 October 2026. At 3am, it becomes 2am again. Britain changes on the same morning, so the one-hour gap across the Channel stays the same. New York waits until 1 November: for one week, the gap with Paris is shorter by an hour.

The French change happens during the night of Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October. A watch showing 3am needs to go back to 2am, repeating that hour. France calls the resulting standard time heure d’hiver, or winter time. In mainland France, it is UTC+1, compared with UTC+2 during summer time.

That scope matters: these are the dates and times for metropolitan France, including Corsica, rather than a timetable for every French overseas territory. The French government’s announcement confirms the October change; the Observatoire de Paris provides the mainland legal-time reference.

The UK clock change is also on 25 October, when 2am becomes 1am and British Summer Time ends. Although the clock faces show different hours, the British and French changes happen at the same instant.

Paris therefore remains one hour ahead of London. At noon in London, it is 1pm in Paris, both before and after that Sunday. A trip across the Channel does not gain a second time difference because the seasons have changed.

In the parts of the United States that observe daylight saving time, the 2026 change is on 1 November, at 2am local time. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not make that seasonal change.

For New York, the useful comparison is this: at 7pm in Paris on 25–31 October, it is 2pm in New York. At 7pm in Paris on 24 October or 1 November, it is 1pm in New York. The usual six-hour gap briefly shrinks to five. If you keep a regular call with someone there, that is the week to move it in your diary.

And yes, the French change is still happening. The European Parliament voted in 2019 to end seasonal clock changes, but the proposal has not taken effect. For this October trip, winter time remains part of the plan.

Michel turned a love of travel into a career, working with a travellers’ association, guidebook publishers and the media, and leading groups for travel agencies.