Paris follows Central European Time. During standard time, Paris uses Central European Time (CET), UTC+1. During the daylight-saving period, it switches to Central European Summer Time (CEST), UTC+2.
The live clock below shows the current time in Paris, France, and updates automatically, so you do not need to work out whether Paris is currently on CET or CEST yourself.
Current Time in Paris
Paris, France
The clock updates every second and uses Paris’s official Europe/Paris time zone, so it automatically follows daylight saving changes.
Paris Time Zone at a Glance
| Paris time fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Central European Time |
| Standard-time abbreviation | CET |
| Standard UTC offset | UTC+1 |
| Summer-time abbreviation | CEST |
| Summer UTC offset | UTC+2 |
| IANA time zone | Europe/Paris |
| Daylight saving time | Yes |
| Clock moves forward | Last Sunday in March |
| Clock moves back | Last Sunday in October |
France's legal reference time is maintained by the Observatoire de Paris – PSL, which is responsible for establishing the French legal time scale and connecting it to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
What Time Zone Is Paris In?
Paris is in the Central European Time Zone.
The detail that sometimes causes confusion is that the abbreviation changes during the year.
During standard time, Paris uses:
CET — Central European Time — UTC+1
During daylight saving time, Paris uses:
CEST — Central European Summer Time — UTC+2
So it is not technically correct to describe Paris as being on CET throughout the entire year.
If you're visiting during spring, summer or early autumn, there is a good chance you'll encounter CEST. During the colder part of the year, Paris returns to CET.
This seasonal shift is worth remembering alongside the city's changing weather and daylight. Our weather in Paris by month guide shows how conditions change through the year, while our best time to visit Paris guide looks at the broader travel picture.
Is Paris on CET or CEST Right Now?
That depends on the date.
Paris uses CEST (UTC+2) during the European daylight-saving period and CET (UTC+1) during standard time.
In 2026, Paris moved from CET to CEST on March 29. It returns from CEST to CET on October 25, 2026.
France's official Service-Public guidance confirms that the 2026 summer-time change took place on March 29, when 2:00 AM became 3:00 AM. It also confirms that France continues to use the current summer/winter clock-change system.
The clock at the top of this page handles this automatically, so if you simply need the current Paris time, you do not need to calculate the offset yourself.
Does Paris Change Its Clocks?
Yes. Paris currently changes its clocks twice each year.
On the last Sunday in March, clocks move forward by one hour for Central European Summer Time.
On the last Sunday in October, they move back by one hour to Central European Time.
This system applies across European Union member states under the existing seasonal-time arrangements. Although ending the twice-yearly change has been discussed for years, no final agreement has taken effect, so the current system remains in place.
The underlying EU rules specify that summer time begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.
If you are planning a spring or autumn trip, the clock change is one more seasonal detail worth checking. It often overlaps with periods when the weather itself can shift quickly; our guides to rain in Paris and snow in Paris cover the other side of seasonal planning.
Paris Time Difference From Major Cities
International time differences are slightly more complicated than they first appear because different countries follow different daylight-saving rules.
Here is a useful general guide:
| City or country | Typical difference from Paris |
|---|---|
| London | Paris is 1 hour ahead |
| Berlin | Same time as Paris |
| Rome | Same time as Paris |
| Madrid | Same time as Paris |
| New York | Paris is usually 6 hours ahead |
| Washington, D.C. | Paris is usually 6 hours ahead |
| Chicago | Paris is usually 7 hours ahead |
| Los Angeles | Paris is usually 9 hours ahead |
| Seattle | Paris is usually 9 hours ahead |
| Dubai | Dubai is 2–3 hours ahead |
| Pakistan | Pakistan is 3–4 hours ahead |
| India | India is 3.5–4.5 hours ahead |
| Tokyo | Tokyo is 7–8 hours ahead |
The ranges matter because not every country starts and ends daylight saving time on the same dates.
That is especially important when comparing Paris with cities in the United States.
Paris Time vs. London
Paris is normally one hour ahead of London.
When London is on Greenwich Mean Time and Paris is on CET, the difference is one hour. When London switches to British Summer Time and Paris switches to CEST, the difference remains one hour under the present clock-change system.
So if it is 9:00 AM in London, it is normally 10:00 AM in Paris.
Paris Time vs. New York
Paris is usually six hours ahead of New York.
For example, when the normal six-hour difference applies:
| New York | Paris |
|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | 12:00 PM |
| 9:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| 12:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
There are short periods in spring and autumn when the difference becomes five hours, because the United States and Europe do not change their clocks on exactly the same dates.
If you are arranging a flight, business call or reservation around those weeks, check the live time rather than relying only on the usual six-hour rule.
Is Paris the Same Time as the Rest of France?
Paris uses the same local time as metropolitan France, so cities such as Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Strasbourg share Paris time.
France's overseas territories are a different matter. They are spread across several parts of the world and do not all use mainland France's CET/CEST clock.
For a normal trip within mainland France, however, you will not need to change your watch when traveling from Paris to another French city.
Why Paris Time Matters When You Are Traveling
Knowing the local time sounds almost too basic to think about until a flight, reservation or timed attraction depends on it.
Paris runs heavily on scheduled entry times. Museums, restaurants, trains, tours and attractions often require you to arrive within a particular window, which makes having your phone set to the correct local time useful from the moment you land.
If you only have a short stay, our Paris itinerary is built around making limited time in the city work efficiently.
Your plans can also feel very different depending on the season. A summer evening gives you a very different amount of usable daylight from a winter evening even though 7:00 PM remains 7:00 PM on the clock.
That becomes particularly noticeable if you're planning Paris at night or visiting during the colder months. Our guide to things to do in Paris in winter can help with that side of the trip.
Does Paris Use a 12-Hour or 24-Hour Clock?
France commonly uses the 24-hour clock, particularly for transport, appointments, tickets and other schedules.
So instead of seeing:
6:30 PM
you may see:
18:30
The conversion is simple once you get used to it. After 12:59 PM, subtract 12 from the hour to convert it to the 12-hour format.
For example, 20:00 is 8:00 PM and 22:30 is 10:30 PM.
This is worth remembering when reading train times, restaurant reservations or attraction bookings.
Will My Phone Change to Paris Time Automatically?
Usually, yes.
Most modern smartphones update automatically when automatic date and time and automatic time zone settings are enabled.
That makes a phone much safer than manually trying to calculate your new local time after a long flight.
Before leaving home, it is worth checking your phone settings alongside the other essentials in our Paris packing guide.
Planning Your Day Around Paris Local Time
Knowing the correct Paris time is only part of planning a good day.
Once your clock is sorted, you still need to think about opening hours, daylight, meals, attraction bookings and how much you realistically want to fit into one day.
For daytime exploring, you can use our guides to the best parks in Paris, hidden gems in Paris and free things to do in Paris.
Families may also want our guide to things to do in Paris with kids.
Once evening arrives, Paris operates on its own rhythm. Dinner may be later than some visitors are used to, so our guide to what to eat in Paris is a useful companion if you're planning meals around sightseeing.
And if you're still building the trip itself, our where to stay in Paris guide can help you choose a base before you start worrying about daily schedules.
One Thing Visitors Often Miss About Time in Paris
Clock time and daylight are not the same thing.
Paris can feel dramatically different at the same clock hour depending on when you visit.
A summer evening can leave plenty of daylight after dinner, while the same hour in winter may be fully dark. That affects photography, sightseeing and how you structure outdoor plans.
It is one of the reasons seasonal context matters as much as the number displayed on your phone. If that side of Paris interests you, our guide explaining why Paris is called the City of Light adds some cultural context, while our collection of facts about Paris goes broader.
What to Remember About Paris Time
Paris uses Central European Time, changing between CET (UTC+1) in standard time and CEST (UTC+2) during the daylight-saving period.
If you only came here asking what time it is in Paris right now, the live clock at the top gives you the quickest answer.
For trip planning, remember the slightly bigger picture: Paris changes its clocks twice a year, international time differences can briefly change around daylight-saving dates, and the city's daylight hours vary dramatically by season.
Once you have the time sorted, you can get back to the more enjoyable part: deciding what to do with it in Paris.
FAQs About Paris Time
Paris is in the Central European Time Zone. It uses CET (UTC+1) during standard time and CEST (UTC+2) during daylight saving time.
The live clock at the top of this page shows the current local time in Paris and updates automatically using the Europe/Paris time zone.
Paris uses both. It follows CET during standard time and CEST during the daylight-saving period.
Paris is UTC+1 during CET and UTC+2 during CEST.
Yes. Under the current system, Paris moves its clocks forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.
Yes. Under the current European and UK clock systems, Paris remains one hour ahead of London throughout the year.
Paris is usually six hours ahead of New York. The difference briefly becomes five hours around some daylight-saving transitions because Europe and the United States change their clocks on different dates.
Metropolitan France uses the same time as Paris. French overseas territories use other time zones because they are located in different parts of the world.
You will commonly see the 24-hour clock in France, especially on transport schedules, tickets and reservations. A time such as 18:00 means 6:00 PM.
