whichsidetosit

Which side of the plane to sit on: New York to Rome?

Flying from New York to Rome? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.

:
New York (JFK)Rome (FCO)6,866 km~8h 59mDep 9:00 AM daytimeArr 11:58 PM after dark

Sit on the RIGHT: View of Shinnecock Hills (mountain range)

Best overall window for this flight.

Confidence: high

Takeoff views

9:05 AM
Daytime

Climbing out of New York toward the northeast over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline and the Long Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Candlewood Hills on the left.

  • rightView of Shinnecock Hills (mountain range)
  • leftView of Candlewood Hills (mountain range)
  • rightView of the Atlantic coastline
  • rightView of Long Island (island)

Flight path features

1:29 PM
Daytime

Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Blue Hill Range (the low sun on the horizon), with The Hills and Old Town Lunenburg on the right.

  • leftCatch the sunset
  • rightView of The Hills (mountain range)
  • leftView of Blue Hill Range (mountain range)
  • rightView of Old Town Lunenburg (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Landing views

11:53 PM
After dark

Descending into Rome from the northwest over the Tyrrhenian Sea, the right window looks out over the coastline (rugged cliffs and headlands).

  • rightView of the Tyrrhenian Sea coastline

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 New York to Rome?

Sit on the RIGHT: View of Shinnecock Hills (mountain range). Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Blue Hill Range (the low sun on the horizon), with The Hills and Old Town Lunenburg on the right.

What views will you get at takeoff from New York?

Climbing out of New York toward the northeast over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline and the Long Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Candlewood Hills on the left.

What about on the descent into Rome?

Descending into Rome from the northwest over the Tyrrhenian Sea, the right window looks out over the coastline (rugged cliffs and headlands).