Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Bilbao to Frankfurt. Left side wins both ends of the flight. During the cruise over the Pyrenees foothills, southern France, and the Rhine valley, the left side also tends to offer better views of the Alps on the distant southern horizon and the Rhine corridor on descent. Right side is largely over open Atlantic approaches and flat northern European plain.

During takeoff from Bilbao (BIO), sit on the Left side for the best views. Bilbao airport sits in a narrow valley running roughly east-west. Departing on runway 30 (northwest), the left side faces south toward the Cantabrian Mountains and the city of Bilbao itself nestled in the Nervión river valley. You get a clear view of the urban estuary and the surrounding green ridgelines. Notable sights include: Nervión river estuary, Bilbao city center, Cantabrian Mountains (Montes Vascos), Urkiola massif to the southeast.

When landing at Frankfurt Main (FRA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Frankfurt airport typically uses runways 25L/25R for westerly landings, meaning the approach comes from the east over the Rhine-Main plain. The left side faces south, giving views of the Frankfurt skyline, the Main river, and the Taunus hills beyond the city. The right side faces north over flat agricultural land with little of interest. Notable sights include: Frankfurt city skyline (Bankenviertel), Main river, Taunus hills to the north of the city, Rhine river visible to the west on final approach.

The flight from Bilbao (BIO) to Frankfurt Main (FRA) takes Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.

The route crosses the western Pyrenean foothills shortly after departure, then tracks northeast over the Landes forest of southwestern France, across the Loire valley, over Burgundy and the Vosges mountains on the French-German border, then descends across the Rhine plain into Frankfurt. The Rhine river crossing near Strasbourg is a notable midpoint feature visible from both sides.