Paris to San Jose flight path: CDG to SJO

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Paris to San Jose. The left side wins both ends of the flight: a genuine glimpse of Paris during departure and a dramatic volcanic Central Valley approach into Costa Rica, while the right side offers little more than open ocean and hazy southern hills.

During takeoff from Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing CDG on the westerly '26' configuration, aircraft bound for the Americas typically bank south-southwest after climb-out, putting central Paris on the left side of the cabin. Passengers get a brief but recognizable view of the Seine, the Eiffel Tower area, and the dense grid of the city before the turn onto the oceanic track. Notable sights include: Eiffel Tower and central Paris skyline, the Seine river bends, Bois de Boulogne, Paris suburban sprawl.

When landing at Juan Santamaria International (SJO), sit on the Left side for the best views. On the common runway 07 approach into SJO, aircraft come in from the southwest and touch down heading northeast, which places the volcanic peaks of Poás and Barva—rising north of the Central Valley—on the left side of the cabin as the plane descends. The right side mostly shows the southern Talamanca foothills receding into haze. Notable sights include: Poás Volcano, Barva Volcano, the patchwork Central Valley farmland, the city of San Jose's skyline in the valley floor.

The flight from Charles De Gaulle (CDG) to Juan Santamaria International (SJO) takes about 11 hours 20 minutes. The shortest flight path between them is 5,552 miles (8,936 km); winds and air traffic control usually add a few percent.

Mid-Atlantic open ocean, with the flight path passing south of the Azores and north of the Lesser Antilles before crossing the western Caribbean Sea toward Nicaragua and Costa Rica.