Which side of the plane to sit on: Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to Chicago?
Flying from Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to Chicago? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.
The best window changes along the way.
Confidence: lowTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Alpes mancelles and Versailles (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Reims Mountain and Grande Tombe de Villeroy (Chauconin-Neufmontiers) on the right.
- rightView of Reims Mountain (mountain range)
- leftView of Alpes mancelles (mountain range)
- rightView of Grande Tombe de Villeroy (Chauconin-Neufmontiers) (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Versailles (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Flight path features
1:21 PMOut over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Comeragh Mountains and the Mealy Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with Jurassic Coast and reconstructed center of Le Havre on the left.
- rightView of Comeragh Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Mealy Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Jurassic Coast (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of reconstructed center of Le Havre (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
10:38 AMDescending into Chicago from the northeast, the right window looks out over the Gogebic Range and the Indian Point (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the left.
- rightView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- leftView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
- rightView of Indian Point (coastal cape)
Good to know
- Based on the geometric great-circle route; real flight paths can differ with air-traffic routing and winds.
- "Left/right" means facing the direction of travel. Left is the seat A side, right is the F/K side (varies by aircraft).
- Glare advice assumes you want clear ground views; flip it if you'd rather watch the sunrise/sunset directly.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to Chicago?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Comeragh Mountains and the Mealy Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with Jurassic Coast and reconstructed center of Le Havre on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)?
Climbing out of Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Alpes mancelles and Versailles (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Reims Mountain and Grande Tombe de Villeroy (Chauconin-Neufmontiers) on the right.
What about on the descent into Chicago?
Descending into Chicago from the northeast, the right window looks out over the Gogebic Range and the Indian Point (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the left.