Which side of the plane to sit on: San Francisco to Munich?
Flying from San Francisco to Munich? 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
9:07 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.
- leftView of Vaca Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
- rightView of Niles Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
3:05 PMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the sunset, the sunrise and the Sand Hills (the low sun on the horizon).
- leftCatch the sunset
- leftCatch the sunrise
- leftView of Sand Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Sage Hen Hills (mountain range)
Landing views
6:04 AMDescending into Munich from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Franconian Jura, the Franconian Heights and Castra of Gunzenhausen (mountain ridges and peaks).
- rightView of Franconian Jura (mountain range)
- rightView of Franconian Heights (mountain range)
- rightView of Castra of Gunzenhausen (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Kalkofeninsel (peninsula coastline)
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 Munich?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the sunset, the sunrise and the Sand Hills (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 Munich?
Descending into Munich from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Franconian Jura, the Franconian Heights and Castra of Gunzenhausen (mountain ridges and peaks).