Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Paris to Chicago. Left side wins at both ends of this flight. Departure gives you Paris and the Seine valley, and arrival gives you the Chicago lakefront and Loop skyline on approach. Over the Atlantic and Canada the views are largely ocean and boreal forest with little to distinguish sides, so the terminal views are the deciding factor.

During takeoff from Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Left side for the best views. CDG typically departs westward on runways 27L/27R or northwestward on 09/27 configuration. A left (south-facing) seat gives you a clear view over Paris as you climb out, with the city spread below and the Seine snaking through it. The Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame island, and the dense Haussmann grid are all identifiable on a clear day. Notable sights include: Paris city center and the Seine river bends, Eiffel Tower (on the left bank, southwest of center), La Défense business district towers just west of the city, Bois de Boulogne parkland.

When landing at Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. ORD predominantly lands from the east on runways 10L/10C/10R, meaning the aircraft approaches from over Lake Michigan and the city. A left (north-facing) seat on approach gives you a direct view down the Chicago lakefront, the Loop skyline, and Grant Park along the shore. This is one of the most dramatic urban approach views in North America. Notable sights include: Lake Michigan shoreline and the Chicago lakefront, the Loop skyline including Willis Tower and the dense downtown cluster, Grant Park and Millennium Park green strip along the lakeshore, the Chicago River cutting inland from the lake.

The flight from Charles De Gaulle (CDG) to Chicago Ohare International (ORD) takes Approximately 9 to 10 hours.

The route tracks northwest from Paris over the English Channel near the Normandy coast, then across southern Ireland or over the tip of Cornwall, out over the North Atlantic. The mid-Atlantic portion is open ocean with occasional iceberg fields near Greenland's southern tip if routing goes that far north. The route then crosses Newfoundland and Labrador, where the vast boreal forest and countless lakes of the Canadian Shield are visible on clear days. Over Quebec and Ontario the St. Lawrence River valley and Great Lakes shorelines become visible before descent into Chicago.