Time zones
Photo: UnaitxuGV, Heitordp and others, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Time zones and daylight hours affect travellers in many ways. Watches and smartphones may show a time different from the local one, friends may call in the middle of the night as it is afternoon at home, and the sun may rise at wall clock times you wouldn't expect. The official local time affects opening hours, but for outdoor activities you may need to also consider when it is morning or noon according to the sun. This article discusses most of those issues. Below is also a list of countries, regions, and territories grouped by time zone. For extreme sunrise and sunset times, occurring in the far north and south, see also Midnight sun.
UnderstandLike as the waves make towards the pebbled shoreSo do our minutes hasten to their end
Travel across time zonesYou need to take some care when planning trips that cross several time zones, e.g.,
Jet lagJet lag is a mismatch between your body clock and the local time wherever you are.
Political time zonesAs can be seen on the map above, some time-zones seem to defy logic and were mostly drawn by national or regional governments to make commerce and administration easier.
Sports and time zonesSports fans notice the impact of being in a different time zone any time they plan to view or listen to a live broadcast of a sporting event.
List of time zones
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Time zones" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: UnaitxuGV, Heitordp and others, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons