Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to Amsterdam?
Flying from Chicago to Amsterdam? 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
9:05 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 Big Bay (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)
- rightView of Big Bay (bay and coastline)
- leftView of Columbia Bay (bay and coastline)
Flight path features
1:19 PMOut over the Labrador Sea, the left window looks out over the sunset, the La Cloche Range and the Hirosalik (the low sun on the horizon), with the Montagnes Blanches on the right.
- leftCatch the sunset
- leftView of La Cloche Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Montagnes Blanches (mountain range)
- leftView of Hirosalik (peninsula coastline)
Landing views
12:34 AMDescending into Amsterdam from the northwest over the North Sea, 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 Chicago to Amsterdam?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Labrador Sea, the left window looks out over the sunset, the La Cloche Range and the Hirosalik (the low sun on the horizon), with the Montagnes Blanches 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 Big Bay (canyons and wild country), with the Columbia Bay on the left.
What about on the descent into Amsterdam?
Descending into Amsterdam from the northwest over the North Sea, it's dark out with little to see from either window.