Clocks Go Back in France on October 25, 2026, the Earliest Date Possible

France switches to winter time overnight between Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026. At 3am the clocks go back to 2am, giving everyone an extra hour. October 25 is the earliest date the change can fall on under EU rules, and this year it lands in the middle of the Toussaint school holidays.

Why October 25 Is the Earliest Possible Date

Under EU Directive 2000/84/EC, summer time ends on the last Sunday of October. In 2026, October 31 falls on a Saturday, so the last Sunday is October 25. According to Sortiraparis, citing Selectra, that has not happened since 2020 and will not happen again until 2037. The clocks changed on October 26 in 2025, October 27 in 2024 and October 29 in 2023.

What to Change by Hand

Smartphones and computers update on their own overnight. Ovens, microwaves, car clocks, wall clocks and many watches do not, so they need adjusting on Sunday morning.

Darker Evenings From Sunday

Sunset comes an hour earlier on the clock from Sunday evening onward, according to Sortiraparis’s weekend weather report.

If You Work With the US

Europe changes its clocks a week before the United States, where daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2am local time. For one week, from October 25 to October 31, the gap between Paris and the US East Coast is five hours instead of six. Other US time zones shrink by an hour in the same way. The usual gap returns on November 1. The United Kingdom also changes its clocks on October 25, so Paris stays one hour ahead of London.

Will the Change Ever End?

Proposals to end the twice-yearly clock change have not secured enough support among EU member states. The 2000 directive therefore stays in force, and the change continues in 2026.

Source: Sortiraparis (clock change, October 24 to 25, why the date is earlier, status of abolition, weekend weather); The Old Farmer’s Almanac (US date).

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels