Time Difference Between London and Paris

Paris is always 1 hour ahead of London — every day of the year, regardless of the season. Unlike most international city pairs, this gap never changes.

At a glance

London (GMT/BST)	Paris (CET/CEST)
6 AM	7 AM
9 AM	10 AM
12 PM (noon)	1 PM
3 PM	4 PM
5 PM	6 PM
8 PM	9 PM
11 PM	12 AM (midnight)

This table holds true all year. Both London and Paris shift their clocks on the same weekend, so the 1-hour gap is constant.

Why the gap never changes

Most cross-border city pairs have a variable time difference because different countries change their clocks on different dates. London and Paris are a rare exception: both shift on the last Sunday of March (clocks spring forward) and the last Sunday of October (clocks fall back). Because both cities move together, the gap stays locked at exactly one hour.

In winter, London is on GMT (UTC+0) and Paris is on CET (UTC+1) — one hour apart. In summer, London moves to BST (UTC+1) and Paris moves to CEST (UTC+2) — still one hour apart. The maths never changes.

This is a notable contrast to the London–New York gap, which fluctuates between 4 and 5 hours because the US and UK shift their clocks on different dates.

Best times to schedule a meeting

A one-hour difference is the easiest gap to work around — almost any time that suits one side works for the other. A few practical pointers:

Morning calls: 9 AM London = 10 AM Paris. Both sides start their day at the same stage; this is the most natural slot.
Lunchtime: 12 PM London = 1 PM Paris. Works well if you keep it short — Paris is heading into lunch, London is still at it.
Afternoon calls: 3 PM London = 4 PM Paris. Both still in their working day, giving Paris an hour before end-of-day.
Avoid 4 PM London / 5 PM Paris if you need a productive hour — Paris is often winding down at 5 PM and may not be fully engaged.

For meetings that include people in other cities beyond just London and Paris, the Meeting Planner shows everyone's working-hours overlap at once so you can spot the least-bad column across all time zones.

Travel and jet lag notes

One hour is barely noticeable for most travellers. You may feel slightly off on arrival — waking up or getting hungry an hour earlier or later than expected — but a single good night's sleep in the destination city is usually enough to reset. The bigger adjustment is often practical: remembering to mentally add or subtract that hour when checking train times or restaurant bookings you made at home.

The Eurostar journey between London St Pancras and Paris Gare du Nord takes around 2 hours 15 minutes. Note that Eurostar publishes departure and arrival times in local time at each station — so a 09:01 departure from London arrives at 12:16 in Paris (local time), not 11:16. That extra hour is the time zone shift, not a slow train.

Frequently asked questions

What time zone is Paris in?

Paris uses CET (Central European Time, UTC+1) in winter and CEST (Central European Summer Time, UTC+2) in summer. Clocks shift on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October.

Is Paris always 1 hour ahead of London?

Yes, always. Both the UK and France change their clocks on the same weekend, so the one-hour gap never changes at any point in the year.

What time is 9 AM London in Paris?

10 AM Paris. Paris is always 1 hour ahead of London.

What time is 9 AM Paris in London?

8 AM London. London is always 1 hour behind Paris.

Does daylight saving time affect the London–Paris time difference?

No. Both countries shift their clocks on exactly the same weekend each year, so the gap stays at exactly one hour all year round. This is unlike pairs such as London–New York, where the gap can briefly change because the two countries shift on different dates.

See live times and convert exact moments

For the live, currently-ticking time in both cities (and 60+ others), see the World Clock. To convert any specific date and time, use the Time Zone Converter. For coordinating a meeting across more than two cities, the Meeting Planner shows everyone's working-hours overlap visually.