Which side of the plane to sit on: Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to New York?
Flying from Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to New York? 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
9:04 AMClimbing out of Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) toward the west, the right window looks out over the Reims Mountain and the Argonne Forest (mountain ridges and peaks), with Versailles and Paris & the Eiffel Tower on the left.
- rightView of Reims Mountain (mountain range)
- rightView of Argonne Forest (mountain range)
- leftView of Versailles (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Paris & the Eiffel Tower (the City of Light from above)
Flight path features
12:50 PMOut over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Cobequid Mountains and the Blue Hill Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with reconstructed center of Le Havre and Grand-Pre on the left.
- rightView of Cobequid Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Blue Hill Range (mountain range)
- leftView of reconstructed center of Le Havre (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Grand-Pre (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
10:36 AMDescending into New York from the northeast over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline and the Long Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Candlewood Hills on the right.
- rightView of Candlewood Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Shinnecock Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of the Atlantic coastline
- leftView of Long Island (island)
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 Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to New York?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Cobequid Mountains and the Blue Hill Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with reconstructed center of Le Havre and Grand-Pre on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)?
Climbing out of Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) toward the west, the right window looks out over the Reims Mountain and the Argonne Forest (mountain ridges and peaks), with Versailles and Paris & the Eiffel Tower on the left.
What about on the descent into New York?
Descending into New York from the northeast over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline and the Long Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Candlewood Hills on the right.