Most of Europe switches from summer time to winter time on October 25, 2026 — clocks go back one hour. Georgia, however, hasn't changed its clocks since 2005 and stays on UTC+4 year-round. That gap directly affects how your boarding pass reads local time, how long your layover really is, and how much your body clock shifts on arrival in Europe.
🕐 When Europe's clocks change
Most of the EU and the UK change clocks twice a year: forward on the last Sunday of March (summer time begins) and back on the last Sunday of October (winter time begins). In 2026 that switch happens on October 25, at 3:00 AM local time.
Georgia doesn't change its clocks at all — it stays on UTC+4 all year. That means the time difference with Europe shifts in two steps over the year: smaller in summer, larger from late October.
🌍 Time difference between Tbilisi and Europe
- Central Europe (Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy): −2 hours from Tbilisi in summer, −3 hours from Oct 26
- UK and Ireland: −3 hours in summer, −4 hours in winter
- Eastern Europe (Greece, Romania, Finland): −1 hour in summer, −2 hours in winter
- Turkey: doesn't change clocks — stays −1 hour from Tbilisi all year
✈️ Why it matters for your booking
If you're flying around the weekend of October 25, your outbound and return tickets can display times from two different clock settings — airline websites calculate local time automatically, but it's worth double-checking your connection math yourself. This matters most on short layovers — see the guide to minimum connection time and boarding time vs. departure time.
Don't take the printed time on your ticket at face value — recheck the exact departure time in the airline's app 24-48 hours before flying, especially if your route crosses the clock-change weekend.
😴 The effect on jet lag
After October 26, the time difference with most of Europe grows by an hour, which is more noticeable on longer routes. Surviving a long flight and managing jet lag become even more relevant during this stretch — flying to Stockholm, for example, the gap widens to 3-4 hours from November onward.
💡 Practical tips
- Around clock-change weekend (Oct 25-26), double-check both your departure and arrival times when booking
- Turn on push notifications in the airline's app — schedule changes are usually flagged automatically
- Autumn also brings more fog and weather delays — see the guide to fog-related delays and rebooking
- Compare flights and dates on Travel365's price calendar — the easiest way to spot the best fare
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