Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Detroit to Paris. Left side wins both takeoff and landing with the most visually compelling urban and geographic features. Over the Atlantic the views are symmetric, but the left side also picks up southern Ireland and Cornwall on the UK approach, and the Seine valley on descent into CDG.

During takeoff from Detroit City (DET), sit on the Left side for the best views. Detroit City Airport typically departs northeast or east on runway 15/33 or 07/25. A left-side seat during a northeasterly departure gives you a clear view over the Detroit River, Windsor Ontario across the border, and the downtown Detroit skyline receding behind you. The river and the urban grid are distinctly readable from low altitude. Notable sights include: Detroit River, Windsor Ontario waterfront, Downtown Detroit skyline, Lake St. Clair to the northeast.

When landing at Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Left side for the best views. CDG typically lands on runways oriented roughly east-west (08/26) or northeast-southwest (09/27). Approaching from the west or northwest, a left-side seat looks south toward Paris, giving you a clear view of the Seine river bends, the Eiffel Tower, and the dense Haussmann urban fabric of central Paris. The right side faces north toward flat agricultural Picardy with little of interest. Notable sights include: Seine River bends through Paris, Eiffel Tower, La Défense business district towers, Stade de France.

The flight from Detroit City (DET) to Charles De Gaulle (CDG) takes Approximately 8 to 8.5 hours.

The route tracks northeast from Detroit over Lake Erie's eastern end, then over southern Ontario and Quebec before crossing the North Atlantic near Newfoundland. Mid-Atlantic is open ocean. The European landfall is typically over southern Ireland or Cornwall, England, followed by the English Channel crossing, then northern France's flat agricultural plains — the Beauvais plateau — before descending into the Paris basin.