Time difference between Madrid and Athens

The gap holds all year

Neither city changes its clocks — Madrid goes forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October and Athens goes forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October — so 1 hour is the difference in January and in July alike. That is worth knowing about this pair specifically, because most international pairs do move and a recurring meeting between them does not need checking twice a year.

About Madrid and Athens

Spain is on Central European Time and sits west of Britain — Madrid is at the same longitude as Cardiff and keeps clocks an hour ahead of it. Franco moved the country onto German time in 1940 and it stayed, which is the reason Spanish dinner is at ten.

Greece keeps Eastern European Time, an hour ahead of most of the continent, and changes clocks on the same weekend as the rest of the EU. The gap to Central Europe is therefore fixed all year, which is unusual for a cross-border pair.

What 1 hour actually costs you

This is an easy pair. 7 hours of the working day are shared, which is enough for a standing meeting at a time neither side has to think about. 9:00 AM–4:00 PM in Madrid lands inside office hours at both ends.

When they can both be at their desks

Nine-to-five in both cities overlaps for 7 hours — 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM in Madrid, the same moment as 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM in Athens.

Madrid

Athens

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How far apart Madrid and Athens are

The shortest path over the Earth's surface between the two is 2,370 km (1,472 miles). That is a short flight — about 3 hours 20 minutes in the air along that line.

A gap of 1 hour is small enough that most people adjust within a day or two, and short enough that it rarely disrupts a trip.

Madrid to Athens, hour by hour

On the usual gap of 1 hour.

Frequently asked questions