Trip countdown
Days, hours, minutes and seconds until you fly. Pick your route and departure time, then share the link.
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The flight takes about 7h 32m. Copy the address to share this countdown.
Focus for 7h 32m. In Flight, this trip is a focus timer: your plane leaves New York when you start and lands in Paris when the time is up.
Fly this routeThe countdown checklist
What to do as the numbers come down, so nothing is left for the night before.
- 3 months out. Check your passport is valid for six months beyond your return; some countries insist on it. Look up visas and entry authorizations.
- 1 month out. Book anything that sells out: trains, tours, restaurants. Tell your bank you're travelling, and check your phone plan abroad.
- 2 weeks out. Sort travel insurance if you haven't. Refill prescriptions. Start a packing list.
- 1 week out. Check the weather and finish the list. If you're crossing several time zones, plan when you'll start shifting your sleep.
- 3 days out. Start shifting bedtime an hour a day toward your destination. Download maps, films and boarding passes.
- 24 hours out. Check in online, choose a seat, and confirm the departure time and terminal.
Why counting down feels good
Looking forward to a trip is part of the trip. In a study of 1,530 Dutch adults, Jeroen Nawijn and colleagues found that people with a holiday coming up were happier than those without one, and that the lift came before the trip rather than after it. A countdown makes that anticipation something you can see.
It also makes the last weeks of preparation concrete. Use the packing list generator to know what to bring, and the jet lag calculator to know how to arrive rested.
Questions
How do I share my countdown?
Set the route, date and time, then copy the page's address: everything is in the link, and whoever opens it sees the same countdown ticking.
Which time zone does the countdown use?
The departure airport's. Enter the time printed on your ticket, which is always local time where the flight leaves, and the countdown is right wherever you are.
Does counting down to a trip make you happier?
Research suggests it does. A Dutch study of over 1,500 people found vacationers were happier than non-vacationers before their trips, an effect the authors put down to anticipation, while the boost after the trip faded quickly.
Will the countdown keep running if I close the page?
The countdown isn't stored anywhere; it's worked out from the date in the link each time you open it, so it's always up to date when you come back.
Further reading
More free tools
- Time zone converterWhat time is 3 PM in London in Tokyo? Any city to any city.
- Time zone meeting plannerThe hours that work for everyone, in up to four cities.
- World clockThe time right now in the cities you care about.
- Packing list generatorA checklist for your trip, from its length and weather.
- Flight time calculatorHow long is the flight? Flying time, distance and local arrival time.
- Flight distance calculatorMiles, kilometers and nautical miles between any two airports.