Which side of the plane to sit on: Houston to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)?
Flying from Houston to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Houston toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Indian Hills and the Iron Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Galveston Bay and the Barrow Slough on the right.
- leftView of Indian Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Iron Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Galveston Bay (bay and coastline)
- rightView of Barrow Slough (bay and coastline)
Flight path features
2:14 PMOut over the Labrador Sea, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Massif du Sud and Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (the low sun on the horizon), with the Harbor Hills on the right.
- leftCatch the sunset
- rightView of Harbor Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Massif du Sud (mountain range)
- leftView of Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
2:23 AMDescending into Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) from the northwest, the right window looks out over Paris & the Eiffel Tower (the city spread out below).
- rightCity lights of Paris & the Eiffel Tower (the City of Light from above)
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 Houston to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)?
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Out over the Labrador Sea, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Massif du Sud and Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (the low sun on the horizon), with the Harbor Hills on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Houston?
Climbing out of Houston toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Indian Hills and the Iron Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Galveston Bay and the Barrow Slough on the right.
What about on the descent into Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)?
Descending into Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) from the northwest, the right window looks out over Paris & the Eiffel Tower (the city spread out below).