Anchor every leg to one reference time
Keeping one device set to home time throughout, specifically as a reference point, while letting a second device or watch track local time at each stop, avoids the mental math errors that come from converting repeatedly in your head.
Elapsed flight time tells you more than clock time
On a multi-leg itinerary, actual elapsed flight duration is a far more reliable guide to how tired you should expect to be than the local clock time at touchdown, which can be misleading across several zones.
Layover duration needs its own time-zone translation
A layover listed in the departure city's local time needs to be mentally converted if you are trying to plan activity around your home schedule or your body's current adjustment state, not just the airport clock on the wall.
Questions people ask
Should phone time zones update automatically on a multi-leg trip?
For most travelers, yes — automatic updates reduce confusion, though keeping a manual note of your original home time as reference can help too.
Does crossing the international date line complicate the math further?
Yes — a date line crossing can shift the calendar date by a full day in addition to the time, which is where multi-leg itinerary confusion most often happens.