Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Athens. While the right side wins at Gatwick departure, the left side delivers the more dramatic payoff: the entire descent into Athens with the Acropolis, Piraeus, and the Saronic Gulf laid out in front of you. Over the flight, the left side also tracks the Alps from a distance and picks up the Adriatic coastline of Greece on approach.

During takeoff from Gatwick (LGW), sit on the Right side for the best views. Gatwick typically departs on runway 26L heading west before turning southeast, so the right side gets views over the Surrey Hills and the North Downs as the aircraft banks south. You'll also catch a clear look at the urban sprawl of Crawley and the Weald below before the aircraft tracks toward the Channel. Notable sights include: Surrey Hills AONB, the North Downs ridge, Crawley town grid, the English Channel coastline near Eastbourne.

When landing at Athinai (HEW), sit on the Left side for the best views. Athens Eleftherios Venizelos typically lands on runway 03L/03R from the south, meaning the aircraft approaches from over the Saronic Gulf heading north. The left side faces west, giving clear views of Athens city centre, the Acropolis hill, and Piraeus port as you descend. The right side looks east toward the relatively featureless Attica plain. Notable sights include: Acropolis of Athens, Piraeus port and harbour, Saronic Gulf islands (Aegina visible), Athens urban basin.

The flight from Gatwick (LGW) to Athinai (HEW) takes Approximately 3 hours 30 minutes.

The route crosses the English Channel near Eastbourne, then tracks southeast over northern France and Belgium, crosses the Alps (visible as a broad white mountain mass on the horizon), continues over northern Italy and the Adriatic Sea, crosses the Greek coastline near Preveza or Lefkada, then descends over the Corinthian Gulf and Attica toward Athens. The Adriatic and Ionian Sea are visible for a significant portion of the southern leg.