Structuring a remote workday around Spanish meals and shop hours

Key rules

• Errands: Do errands before 13:30, because banks and public offices usually open mornings only.
• Lunch: Plan lunch for about 14:00 to 15:00, when most Spanish restaurants are busiest.
• Time gap to US Eastern: Spain is usually 6 hours ahead of US Eastern, but the gap shrinks for a few weeks when clock changes do not match.
• Canary Islands: The Canary Islands are 1 hour behind mainland Spain.

The short version

Run errands in the morning, before 13:30. Eat lunch around 14:00 to 15:00. Keep your foreign calls for the afternoon and evening, when Spain is ahead of the Americas and the working days overlap.

Your midday window

Lunch is the main meal in Spain. People usually eat between 14:00 and 15:30. Many restaurants serve a set lunch, the menú del día, from about 13:00 or 13:30 to 16:00. It is usually good value, and it is a simple way to take a proper break.

Shop and office hours depend on where you live:

• Banks and public offices usually open in the morning only, about 8:30 to 14:00. Do not plan to visit them in the afternoon.
• Small independent shops, boutiques and some professional offices often close from about 13:30 or 14:00 until 16:30 or 17:00. They then reopen until about 20:00 or 20:30. This is most common in smaller towns and in the south.
• Large department stores, shopping centres, supermarkets and chains stay open all day, usually from 9:00 or 10:00 to 21:00 or 22:00. In Madrid and Barcelona, chains do not close at midday.
• Pharmacies often close at midday. Only the on-duty ones (farmacias de guardia) stay open.
• Bars and restaurants are open for lunch. Some close in the mid-afternoon between lunch and dinner.
• Tourist areas stay open all day.

Hours vary by town and region, so check the door or the shop's listing for the places you use most.

A day that works

1. Early morning: do focused work or calls with Asia.
2. 10:00 to 13:30: the best slot for errands, banks, public offices and small shops.
3. 14:00 to 15:00: lunch.
4. Afternoon: calls with the Americas begin. If you need a small shop, go when it reopens, from about 17:00 to 20:00.
5. Evening: later calls with the US West Coast or Latin America fit here.

Time gaps to your home country

Mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands use UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer. Clocks change on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October. The Canary Islands are 1 hour behind the mainland.

Usual gaps, with Spain ahead:

The US gaps stay the same through the year because the US also changes its clocks. The exceptions are the weeks when the two sides change on different dates. Most of Latin America and Asia do not change clocks, so those gaps shift with Spain's clocks. Chile has its own clock changes, so check it separately.

Put both time zones in your calendar. Then confirm any call that falls in the weeks around a clock change.

The timeline and questions below cover the weeks when the US and Spain are out of step.

Timeline and deadlines

• Spain and the US are on different clock schedules; Spain is 5 hours ahead of US Eastern: for about 2-3 weeks in March, between the US change on the second Sunday and Spain's on the last Sunday

• Spain's clocks change; the usual gap of 6 hours to US Eastern returns: on the last Sunday of March

• Spain's clocks go back; the gap to US Eastern is 5 hours until the US changes: from the last Sunday of October for about 1 week, until the first Sunday of November

• The usual gap of 6 hours to US Eastern is back: from the first Sunday of November

Frequently asked questions

What happens to call times when the US and Spain change clocks on different dates?

The gap to the US shrinks by 1 hour for a short stretch, so Spain is 5 hours ahead of US Eastern instead of 6. This lasts about 2-3 weeks in March and about 1 week from late October to early November. Check your call invites in those weeks.

How far behind Spain is Mexico City?

Mexico City is 7 hours behind Spain in winter and 8 hours behind in summer. Mexico dropped daylight saving in 2022, so the gap changes only with Spain's clocks.

How far ahead of Spain are India and China?

India is 4.5 hours ahead of Spain in winter and 3.5 hours in summer. China, Singapore and the Philippines are 7 hours ahead in winter and 6 in summer. Japan and Korea are 8 ahead in winter and 7 in summer.

Is the time difference the same in the Canary Islands?

No, the Canary Islands are 1 hour behind mainland Spain, so every gap to the US is 1 hour smaller there and every gap to Asia is 1 hour larger.