Seeing Paris from a planeup to 18 ★
The Seine draws a long arc through the city, with the Île de la Cité in the middle. Look for the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe with 12 avenues radiating from it, and the Périphérique ring road. At night it glows gold.
28 of our routes pass it. France · rated 8 of 10
The easy pick
Paris to Zurich: sit on the left, on the climb, 2 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam to Barcelona | Right | 31 min after takeoff |
| Amsterdam to Madrid | Right | 37 min after takeoff |
| Barcelona to Amsterdam | Right | 65 min after takeoff |
| Barcelona to Paris | Right | on the way down |
| Geneva to London | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 37 min after takeoff |
| Geneva to Paris | Left | on the way down |
| London to Rome | Left | 27 min after takeoff |
| London to Geneva | Left | 29 min after takeoff |
| London to Nice | Left | 29 min after takeoff |
| Madrid to Amsterdam | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 72 min after takeoff |
| Madrid to Paris | Right | on the way down |
| Marseille to Paris | Left | on the way down |
| New York to Zurich | Left | 370 min after takeoff |
| Nice to Amsterdam | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 52 min after takeoff |
| Nice to Paris | Left | on the way down |
| Nice to London | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 59 min after takeoff |
| Paris to Zurich | Left | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| Paris to Barcelona | Left | on the climb, 5 min after takeoff |
| Paris to Rome | Left | on the climb, 5 min after takeoff |
| Paris to Geneva | Left | on the climb, 6 min after takeoff |
| Paris to Madrid | Right | on the climb, 6 min after takeoff |
| Paris to Lisbon | Left | on the climb, 7 min after takeoff |
| Rome to London | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 79 min after takeoff |
| Rome to Paris | Left | on the way down |
| Vienna to Paris | Right | on the way down |
| Zurich to London | Left | 40 min after takeoff |
| Zurich to New York | Right | 41 min after takeoff |
| Zurich to Paris | Left | on the way down |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day. Where the best seat for the whole flight is on the other side, you'd trade this sight for more elsewhere.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Paris from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (19 of 28). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Paris from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Can you see Paris at night?
Yes, by its lights. The app scores lit places at night by how bright they are.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Louvre Sacré-Cœur Arc de Triomphe Stade de France Grande Arche Amsterdam (AMS) Barcelona (BCN) Madrid (MAD) Paris (CDG) All routes