Which side of the plane to sit on: Seattle to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)?
Flying from Seattle 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.
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 Seattle toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Cultus Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Issaquah Alps and the Snoqualmie Falls on the right.
- rightView of Issaquah Alps (mountain range)
- leftView of Cultus Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Whidby Island (island)
- rightView of Snoqualmie Falls (waterfall)
Flight path features
2:13 PMOut over the Davis Strait, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Columbia Mountains (the low sun on the horizon), with the Natsap Kangilia and Aasivissuit, Nipisat on the right.
- leftCatch the sunset
- rightView of Natsap Kangilia (mountain range)
- leftView of Columbia Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Aasivissuit, Nipisat (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
4:21 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 Seattle to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Davis Strait, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Columbia Mountains (the low sun on the horizon), with the Natsap Kangilia and Aasivissuit, Nipisat on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Seattle?
Climbing out of Seattle toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Cultus Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Issaquah Alps and the Snoqualmie Falls 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).