Clocks Go Back on 25 October: Early Flights and Your Airport Pickup
British Summer Time ends at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, when the clocks go back one hour to 1am. Most people simply enjoy the extra hour in bed, but if you are flying out of London early that morning – or landing overnight – it is worth a minute of planning.
Which time do you book?
Always book your pickup in UK local time on the day of travel, the same time your phone will show. Airline departure times are also given in local time, so a 6:00 flight on Sunday 25 October leaves at 6:00 GMT. Your driver works to the local time on the booking, and smartphones change automatically.
Pickups between 1am and 2am on 25 October
This hour happens twice: once in summer time and once again after the clocks go back. If you need a pickup in that window, add a short note to the booking – for example “after the clock change” – so nobody is left wondering which 1:30 you mean. The simplest option is to choose a pickup just before 1am or just after 2am.
How early to leave on a Sunday morning
Roads into Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are usually quiet before 6am at weekends, but security queues at the start of the half-term holidays can be long. As a guide, plan to reach the terminal two hours before a European flight and three hours before a long-haul flight. From central London that means leaving roughly three hours before a short-haul departure from Heathrow, and a little more for Gatwick or Stansted.
Landing overnight
If your flight lands in the small hours of 25 October, give us the flight number. Your driver follows the flight, not the clock on the booking, so a timetable that looks an hour out after the change does not matter. The first 60 minutes after landing are free.
Darker mornings and evenings
After the change it gets dark around 5pm in London. That does not change your transfer, but it is a good moment to check that your contact number on the booking is correct – drivers meet you in arrivals with your name on a sign, and a phone call is the quickest way to find each other in a busy hall.
- Book in local time on the day of travel.
- Avoid pickups between 1am and 2am on 25 October, or add a note.
- Add your flight number for arrivals.
Get your fixed price – enter your pickup, destination, date and time and every vehicle is priced in seconds.
See also: Heathrow transfers, Gatwick transfers and what happens if your flight is delayed.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the clocks go back in 2026?
At 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026 the clocks in the UK go back one hour to 1am, and British Summer Time ends.
Should I book my pickup in GMT or BST?
Book in UK local time on the day of travel. For pickups on or after 25 October that is GMT, the same time your phone shows.
My flight lands during the night of the clock change. Is that a problem?
No. Add your flight number and the driver follows your actual landing time; the first 60 minutes after landing are free.
