Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Birmingham to Paris. The Paris arrival on the left side is the single most spectacular moment of the flight, with the Seine and central Paris laid out below on descent. While the right side wins at takeoff over Birmingham, the left side's Paris arrival view is the highlight of the journey and tips the balance.

During takeoff from Birmingham International (BHM), sit on the Right side for the best views. BHM's primary departure runway 06 sends the aircraft northeast, putting the right side facing southeast toward downtown Birmingham and Red Mountain. You get a clear look at the city skyline and the ridge system that defines the Birmingham metro. Notable sights include: Downtown Birmingham skyline, Red Mountain ridge, Vulcan statue area on Red Mountain, Shades Mountain to the south.

When landing at Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Left side for the best views. CDG's primary arrival runways 27L and 27R bring aircraft in from the east heading west, placing the left side on the south-facing side with views over central Paris, the Seine, and the Eiffel Tower as you descend through the Ile-de-France. The right side faces north toward flat agricultural land. Notable sights include: Paris city center and the Seine river bends, Eiffel Tower, La Defense business district to the west, the dense Haussmann boulevard grid of central Paris.

The flight from Birmingham International (BHM) to Charles De Gaulle (CDG) takes Approximately 9 to 10 hours nonstop, though most routings connect through a hub such as Atlanta or New York, adding 3 to 5 hours total travel time.

Departing Alabama the route tracks northeast over the Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic coast, crossing the Atlantic over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Mid-ocean the flight passes south of Greenland. On the European side the route crosses Ireland and southern England before entering French airspace over Normandy and descending into the Paris basin across the flat agricultural Ile-de-France.