How to find the best meeting time across timezones
Scheduling across timezones is one of the most common frustrations for remote teams. The key is identifying the overlap window — the hours when all participants are within their normal working day. This tool does that automatically, but here are the principles behind it.
Common timezone overlaps
- US East Coast + UK: 9 AM–1 PM EST (2 PM–6 PM GMT) — 4 hours of clean overlap
- US East Coast + India: 8–9:30 AM EST (6:30–8 PM IST) — tight 1.5 hour window
- US West Coast + India: Nearly impossible during normal hours — 13.5 hour gap
- UK + India: 9 AM–1 PM GMT (2:30–6:30 PM IST) — comfortable 4 hour overlap
- US East + Europe: 9 AM–1 PM EST (3–7 PM CET) — good overlap
- Australia + US: Very difficult — consider async communication instead
Tips for scheduling across difficult timezones
- Rotate the inconvenient slot. If one person always takes the early morning or late evening call, rotate who bears that burden fairly.
- Use async-first. For teams with no overlap window, consider whether a recorded Loom video or a detailed written brief can replace the meeting entirely.
- Book at the edge. 8 AM for one person and 6 PM for another is far better than 6 AM or 8 PM.
- Be explicit about timezones. Always include the timezone when sending a meeting invite — write "3:00 PM EST / 8:00 PM GMT" to avoid confusion.
- Account for DST changes. Daylight Saving Time shifts the US and Europe at different times, briefly changing your usual overlap by an hour.
What is UTC offset?
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is the global time standard. All timezones are defined as an offset from UTC. For example, New York is UTC-5 in winter (EST) and UTC-4 in summer (EDT). Mumbai is always UTC+5:30. When you see a time listed as "15:00 UTC," that is 3:00 PM at the prime meridian, and you add or subtract your offset to find your local time.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best window is typically 8:00–9:30 AM US Eastern Time, which translates to 6:30–8:00 PM India Standard Time. This is the only practical overlap that keeps both parties within reasonable hours given the 10.5-hour difference.
Add each participant's city to a timezone planner tool, set your working hours, and look for the overlap window. When no clean overlap exists, aim for early morning in one timezone and end of day in another, and rotate who takes the inconvenient slot.