Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to Rome?
Flying from Chicago to Rome? 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
9:06 AMClimbing out of Chicago toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the Gary Harbor (canyons and wild country), with the Columbia Bay on the left.
- rightView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- rightView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
- leftView of Columbia Bay (bay and coastline)
- rightView of Gary Harbor (bay and coastline)
Flight path features
2:02 PMOut over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Copper Range and the La Cloche Range (the low sun on the horizon), with the Lower Peninsula on the right.
- leftCatch the sunset
- leftView of Copper Range (mountain range)
- leftView of La Cloche Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Lower Peninsula (peninsula coastline)
Landing views
1:58 AMDescending 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 Chicago to Rome?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Copper Range and the La Cloche Range (the low sun on the horizon), with the Lower Peninsula on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Chicago?
Climbing out of Chicago toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the Gary Harbor (canyons and wild country), with the Columbia Bay 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).