Meeting Time Zone Planner

Find the best meeting time for everyone, across any time zone. DST-aware and instant.

Up to 6 people DST-aware Shareable link .ics download
Participants 2/6
DST-aware Visual grid Meeting cost Free, no signup

Common Time Zone Combinations

Finding the right meeting time across time zones is one of the most common scheduling challenges for remote teams. Here are the most popular combinations and their best overlap windows.

Team CombinationBest WindowNotes
US East + London9-11 AM EST / 2-4 PM GMTGolden overlap
US East + Paris/Berlin9-11 AM EST / 3-5 PM CET6hr difference
US West + London8-9 AM PST / 4-5 PM GMTVery limited
London + India9-12 PM GMT / 2:30-5:30 PM ISTGood overlap
London + Singapore9-10 AM GMT / 5-6 PM SGTTight window
US + Japan/AustraliaAlmost noneUse async

Why Scheduling Across Time Zones is Hard

DST Makes Math Unreliable

New York switches in March, Europe switches in late March, and some countries (India, Japan) never switch. A "9 AM EST" meeting next month might be a different offset. This planner uses the IANA timezone database so the math is always correct.

More People = Smaller Windows

With 2 participants, you might have 6-8 overlapping hours. With 4 across 3 continents, the window shrinks to 1-2 hours. Adding a 5th in Asia Pacific can eliminate overlap entirely.

Mental Math Fails

Converting "3 PM my time" to four other time zones while accounting for DST and half-hour offsets (India is UTC+5:30) is error-prone. One mistake means someone joins at 2 AM.

Tips for Fair Global Meetings

1
Rotate Inconvenient Times

Do not let the same person always take the 7 AM call. Fairness builds long-term team trust across offices.

2
Keep Overlaps Short

When the window is small, keep meetings to 30 minutes. Tight agendas respect everyone's time, especially those dialing in early or late.

3
Record Everything

People who cannot attend at a reasonable time deserve async access. Recording costs nothing and includes everyone.

4
Always Include Timezone in Invites

Write "3 PM EST / 8 PM GMT" instead of just "3 PM." The extra few seconds save hours of confusion.

5
Question the Meeting

Small window = high friction. Could this be an email? A Loom video? An async document? Protect overlap time for decisions that truly need discussion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does daylight saving time affect meeting scheduling?

DST shifts clocks by one hour, changing UTC offsets. This planner uses the IANA timezone database (the same one your computer uses) so the math is always correct. Just select the date and the planner handles DST transitions automatically.

What is the best meeting time for US and Europe teams?

The golden overlap for US East Coast and London is 9-11 AM EST / 2-4 PM GMT. For Paris/Berlin, it shifts to 3-5 PM CET. US West Coast and London have only about 1 hour of comfortable overlap (8-9 AM PST / 4-5 PM GMT).

How many participants can I add?

Up to 6 participants, each with their own city/timezone and custom working hours. The planner finds time slots where all participants are within their working hours.

Can I download the meeting as a calendar file?

Yes. After selecting a meeting time, click "Download .ics" to get a standard calendar file compatible with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, and most calendar apps.

How is meeting cost calculated?

Meeting cost = number of participants x duration in hours x average hourly rate. The default is $75/hour, but you can customize this. A 30-minute meeting with 4 people costs approximately $150 in collective time.

What if there is no overlap between time zones?

The planner shows the best partial overlap and suggests alternatives: recording the meeting for async access, rotating who attends the inconvenient time, or splitting into shorter sessions.

Is this planner free?

Completely free with no signup required. Add participants, generate share links, download calendar files, and calculate meeting costs without creating an account.

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