Which side of the plane to sit on: Madrid to San Francisco?
Flying from Madrid to San Francisco? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Central System (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:07 AMClimbing out of Madrid toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Central System, Light Landscape and Monasterio de El Escorial (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra de la Cabrera on the right.
- rightView of Sierra de la Cabrera (mountain range)
- leftView of Central System (mountain range)
- leftView of Light Landscape (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Monasterio de El Escorial (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Flight path features
3:01 PMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Kaumajet Mountains, Las Medulas and Lugo (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Smoky Mountains on the right.
- rightView of Smoky Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Kaumajet Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Las Medulas (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Lugo (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
11:56 AMDescending into San Francisco from the northeast, the right window looks out over the Berkeley Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and the Big Canyon on the left.
- leftView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Berkeley Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
- leftView of Big Canyon (deep canyon)
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 Madrid to San Francisco?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Central System (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Kaumajet Mountains, Las Medulas and Lugo (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Smoky Mountains on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Madrid?
Climbing out of Madrid toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Central System, Light Landscape and Monasterio de El Escorial (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra de la Cabrera on the right.
What about on the descent into San Francisco?
Descending into San Francisco from the northeast, the right window looks out over the Berkeley Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and the Big Canyon on the left.