10bestlogo

  • 10bestlogo

  • Awards
  • Arts & Culture
  • Food & Drink
  • Trip Planning
  • City Guides
  • Home

SEARCH: by place + food, budget, style, hotel, attraction, etc

SEARCH
10BEST: Trusted Travel & Lifestyle Advice
Trip Planning
Travel Inspiration
Itineraries
Road Trips
Strange Places
Travel Tips
Trends & News
Beaches
Gear & Tech
Health & Wellness
Sports & Outdoors
Hotels & Resorts
Budget Travel
Family Travel
Luxury Travel
Romantic Travel
Ski
 
  • facebook share
  • twitter share
  • google plus share
  • pinterest share
  • stumble upon share
  • linkedin share
  • Flipboard
graphic

Most Popular 10Best Lists

  • #
    Las Vegas: 10 Fun and Free Things to do in Las Vegas
    View This List
  • #
    Chicago: A cut above the rest: Chicago's top steakhouses
    View This List
  • #
    Chicago: A cut above the rest: Chicago's top steakhouses
    View This List
  • #
    Orlando: New Additions & Venerable Classics in Orlando: the Best of the Theme-Park Capital
    View This List
  • #
    Tampa: Explore a Host of World-Class Beaches, Just a Short Drive from Tampa
    View This List
graphic

Most Popular 10Best Articles

  • #
    Vote now to help us choose America's best small towns
    View This Article
  • #
    Road Trip: 10 Must-See Spots Along the Oregon Coast
    View This Article
  • #
    10 beautiful North American mountain destinations you need to see
    View This Slideshow
  • #
    Want to go to Westworld for real? Head to Nevada
    View This Article
  • #
    These are the best beaches in America
    View This Article
 
10bestlogo
facebook twitter instagram pinterest
  • About 10BEST
  • 10BEST Local Experts
  • Sitemap
SHOW MORE INFORMATION
  • Trip Planning
  • //
  • Travel Tips
Save This Page +

What you should know about travel and Daylight Saving Time

Springing forward might affect you more than you'd expect

March 8, 2017 // By Maggie Tuten Tyner

By Maggie Tuten Tyner
Editor March 8, 2017

 

On March 12, the U.S. (with the exception of Arizona and Hawaii) will spring forward and begin Daylight Saving Time. Love it or hate it, it seems like DST is here to stay, but if you're traveling in the near future, you might wonder how this will impact you.  Let's take a look.

Photo courtesy of iStock/SIAATH

In terms of time changes, you shouldn't feel too much of a difference if you're traveling domestically. For instance, after we spring forward, the time difference between New York and Los Angeles will still be 3 hours.  

However, traveling from Los Angeles to Phoenix is another story.  During DST, the two cities are practically in the same time zone because Los Angeles has moved the clock ahead one hour, but Arizona has not, meaning it's the same time in Los Angeles as it is in Phoenix.

Overall, domestic travel during this tricky time isn't much of an issue.  Everything shifts one hour; the hard part is remembering to set your clock accordingly.

If you're traveling internationally – especially after the U.S. begins DST, but before other countries do – this is where it can become complicated.  Say you're flying from New York to London on March 15, leaving at 9 am.  A typical flight would have you arriving around 9:00 pm, since the time difference is usually 5 hours.  

Guess what, though?  There's a two-week time period when this isn't true.  Since the U.S. has moved the clock ahead one hour and the U.K. isn't set to do so until March 26, the time difference will be just 4 hours, meaning you'd arrive at 8:00 pm instead.  That's a nice perk to traveling in mid-March.

Photo courtesy of iStock/encrier

Another scenario you might need to consider is traveling from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere during March and April.  Currently, Sydney is 16 hours ahead of New York, but that changes on Sunday when we move ahead one hour, putting the time difference at 15 hours.  This will change again when Sydney falls back on April 2 (since its currently fall there instead of spring), bringing the time difference to just 14 hours.

Ever wonder why the airlines hate Daylight Saving Time? There's your answer.

10BEST

This Map Illustrates How Insanely Strong the U.S. Dollar Is Right Now

10BEST

This Map Illustrates How Insanely Strong the U.S. Dollar Is Right Now

Apart from time changes, there are other factors to consider if you're traveling close to March 12 because springing forward can also affect your health.  And the last thing you want to have while traveling is a compromised immune system.

Photo courtesy of iStock/grinvalds

On average, studies show that we lose 40 minutes of sleep when we spring forward, so make sure you budget enough time to get the sleep you need since it's one of the most important weapons for battling irritation and illness.  You might even consider trying to gradually adjust to the time change starting now, so it's not such a shock to your system.

Lack of sleep might also mess with your diet, something that will already be in flux if you're on the road, so pack some familiar and healthy snacks to bring along with you and drink lots of water.  This will keep any DST-induced cravings at bay and lower your risk of the dreaded traveler's tummy.

Most importantly, don't forget to spring forward on Sunday, March 12.  We'd hate for you to miss a flight!

x

Next Up

Spring Forward: 10Best Things To Do With Your Extra Hour of Daylight

Read More »


About Maggie Tuten Tyner

Maggie wasn't born in Greenville, S.C., but she was certainly raised here, having called this her home for the last 20+ years.  She even graduated from local Furman University and went to work as an editor for 10Best shortly thereafter. Her daydreams come mainly in the form of screenplays and novels, and her free time is spent watching movies, enjoying the gorgeous surrounding foothills or exploring the Greenville food scene – almost always alongside her husband.

Read more about Maggie Tuten Tyner here.

Connect with Maggie via: Instagram | Google+


Share

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Pinterest
StumbleUpon
LinkedIn
Flipboard
×

×