Which side of the plane to sit on: San Francisco to Rome?
Flying from San Francisco to Rome? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:07 AMClimbing out of San Francisco toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Vaca Mountains and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and the Niles Canyon on the right.
- rightView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Vaca Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
- rightView of Niles Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
3:29 PMOut over the Davis Strait, the left window looks out over the sunset, the sunrise and the Pueblo Mountains (the low sun on the horizon).
- leftCatch the sunset
- leftCatch the sunrise
- leftView of Pueblo Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Sand Hills (mountain range)
Landing views
6:50 AMDescending into Rome from the northwest over the Tyrrhenian Sea, the left window looks out over the Montagnola Senese, Via Appia and Historic Centre of San Gimignano (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Colline Metallifere on the right.
- rightView of Colline Metallifere (mountain range)
- leftView of Montagnola Senese (mountain range)
- leftView of Via Appia (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Historic Centre of San Gimignano (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
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 San Francisco to Rome?
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Out over the Davis Strait, the left window looks out over the sunset, the sunrise and the Pueblo Mountains (the low sun on the horizon).
What views will you get at takeoff from San Francisco?
Climbing out of San Francisco toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Vaca Mountains and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and the Niles Canyon on the right.
What about on the descent into Rome?
Descending into Rome from the northwest over the Tyrrhenian Sea, the left window looks out over the Montagnola Senese, Via Appia and Historic Centre of San Gimignano (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Colline Metallifere on the right.