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Which side of the plane to sit on: Atlanta to Madrid?

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

:
Atlanta (ATL) → Madrid (MAD)6,960 km~9h 6mDep 9:00 AM daytimeArr 12:05 AM after dark

Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset

Best overall window for this flight.

Confidence: high

Takeoff views

9:05 AM
Daytime

Climbing out of Atlanta toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the John Dick Mountains, the Baltzell Mountains and the Tallulah Gorge (mountain ridges and peaks).

  • leftView of John Dick Mountains (mountain range)
  • leftView of Baltzell Mountains (mountain range)
  • leftView of Tallulah Gorge (waterfall)
  • leftView of Chattahoochee Bay (bay and coastline)

Flight path features

1:32 PM
Daytime

Out over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Caraway Mountains and the Gnitsevich Seamounts (mountain ridges and peaks), with the sunset and the Pocahontas Island on the left.

  • leftCatch the sunset
  • rightView of Caraway Mountains (mountain range)
  • rightView of Gnitsevich Seamounts (mountain range)
  • leftView of Pocahontas Island (peninsula coastline)

Landing views

12:00 AM
After dark

Descending into Madrid from the west, it's dark out with little to see from either window.

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 Atlanta to Madrid?

Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Out over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Caraway Mountains and the Gnitsevich Seamounts (mountain ridges and peaks), with the sunset and the Pocahontas Island on the left.

What views will you get at takeoff from Atlanta?

Climbing out of Atlanta toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the John Dick Mountains, the Baltzell Mountains and the Tallulah Gorge (mountain ridges and peaks).

What about on the descent into Madrid?

Descending into Madrid from the west, it's dark out with little to see from either window.