Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Newark to Madrid. Left side wins both the departure and arrival phases. During the transatlantic cruise at 35,000 feet over open ocean there is little to differentiate sides, but the bookend views — Manhattan on departure and Madrid with the Guadarrama on arrival — make left the clear choice for the full journey.

During takeoff from Newark Liberty International (EWR), sit on the Left side for the best views. EWR's primary departure runway 22L sends aircraft southwest over Newark Bay before turning northeast. Left side gets the Manhattan skyline broadside as the aircraft climbs and banks, with the Hudson River and Upper Bay clearly visible. Right side faces inland New Jersey with limited visual interest. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline (Midtown and Lower Manhattan), Hudson River, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Newark Bay.

When landing at Barajas (MAD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Madrid Barajas primarily uses runways 32L/32R for northwesterly landings, meaning the approach comes from the southeast over the city. Left side faces southwest toward central Madrid — the grid of the city center, the Manzanares River, and the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains to the northwest are all visible. Right side looks northeast over flat Castilian meseta with little of interest. Notable sights include: Madrid city center grid, Manzanares River, Sierra de Guadarrama (mountain range to the northwest), Retiro Park.

The flight from Newark Liberty International (EWR) to Barajas (MAD) takes Approximately 7 hours 30 minutes to 8 hours 15 minutes westbound, 7 hours eastbound.

The flight tracks northeast from Newark, crossing Long Island Sound briefly, then out over the North Atlantic. The southern tip of Greenland may be visible on the northern horizon in clear conditions at cruise altitude. The flight crosses the Irish coast near Shannon, then tracks across northern Spain over the Cantabrian Mountains before descending toward the Castilian plateau and Madrid. The Pyrenees are typically north of the flight path and not directly overflown.