Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Addis Ababa to Paris. Left side wins both the departure over the Ethiopian Highlands and the arrival over central Paris. During the cruise over Sudan, Egypt, and the Mediterranean, the left side also faces west giving slightly better views of the Nile valley and North African terrain in daylight portions of the flight.

During takeoff from Bole International (ADD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Bole International typically departs on runway 07R heading northeast, which puts the left (north) side facing the Entoto Hills and the broader Addis Ababa urban sprawl. As the aircraft banks northward toward Europe, the left side gets a clear view of the Ethiopian Highlands rising dramatically west of the city. Notable sights include: Entoto Hills directly north of the city, the dense urban grid of Addis Ababa spreading across the plateau, the Akaki River valley to the south visible briefly, and the high plateau terrain of the central Ethiopian Highlands stretching westward.

When landing at Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Left side for the best views. CDG typically lands on runways 26L or 27R approaching from the east, meaning the aircraft tracks westward over the Ile-de-France region. The left (south) side gives a clear view of Paris city center including the Seine river bends, the Eiffel Tower area, and the dense Haussmann boulevard grid before the aircraft descends into the airport north of the city. Notable sights include: The Seine river snaking through central Paris, the dense urban grid of the arrondissements, the Bois de Boulogne visible as a large green rectangle on the western edge of the city, and the La Defense business district cluster of towers.

The flight from Bole International (ADD) to Charles De Gaulle (CDG) takes Approximately 7 hours 30 minutes to 8 hours.

The route tracks north-northwest over Sudan and the Nile River valley near Khartoum, then across Egypt where the Nile delta and the green agricultural ribbon along the river are visible in daylight, crossing the Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Italy, then over the Alps or northern Italy depending on routing, before descending across France. The Nile valley from Sudan through Egypt is the single most dramatic geographic feature of the cruise phase if flown in daylight.