# How to handle time zones in a long-distance relationship · Farline

Source: /guides/long-distance-relationship-time-zones

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# How to handle time zones in a long-distance relationship

Write down the hours each of you is actually free in your own time zone, find where they overlap, and book a few calls a week inside that overlap instead of trying to talk every day. Put the calls in both calendars, move them a little each week so they never feel like a meeting, and reschedule a missed call right away instead of saying later.

## Find your real overlap

Most couples guess at their overlap and end up calling when one person is exhausted. List the hours each of you is free on a normal weekday and on a weekend, then convert one list into the other time zone. The hours that appear in both lists are your overlap.

With 8 or more hours between you, the overlap is often a morning for one person and an evening for the other. That is normal. Name it out loud so neither of you feels like the one always giving things up.

## Pick a rhythm, not a rule

- Three or four planned calls a week is easier to keep than a daily call that keeps slipping.
- Mix lengths: a long call on the weekend, short check-ins on busy days.
- Shift the time a little each week so the call feels like a choice, not an appointment.
- Leave one day a week with no plan at all.

## Watch out for daylight saving

Many countries change their clocks on different dates, and some never change at all. For a few weeks each spring and autumn your usual call can land an hour early or late. Check the dates for both countries and adjust your calls ahead of time.

## Make missed calls easy to recover

A missed call is not the problem. The silence after it is. Agree that whoever misses a call suggests two new times within a day. A short reason like work, sleep or travel is enough, and no one has to explain more.

## Questions

What is a good time difference for a long-distance relationship?

Anything under 6 hours usually leaves a comfortable evening overlap. From 7 to 12 hours, one of you will often call in the morning while the other calls at night, which works well once it is planned.

Is there an app that schedules calls across time zones for couples?

Farline is built for this. It finds the hours you are both free, plans calls inside them, adds them to Google Calendar and suggests new times when a call is missed.

## More guides

- [How often should long-distance couples talk?](/guides/how-often-should-long-distance-couples-talk)
- [What to do on a long-distance call when you run out of things to say](/guides/long-distance-call-ideas)
- [How to stay close in a long-distance relationship](/guides/how-to-stay-close-in-a-long-distance-relationship)
- [Open when letter ideas for long-distance couples](/guides/open-when-letter-ideas)
- [Apps for long-distance couples: what each kind is good for](/guides/best-apps-for-long-distance-couples)

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