Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Bucharest. The right side wins overall because the London departure view is genuinely spectacular and hard to beat — the Thames and city skyline on a clear day is one of the best urban aerial views in Europe. The mid-flight right side also picks up the Rhine valley and Alpine foothills. The Bucharest arrival left-side view is good but brief and over flat terrain, so it doesn't outweigh the departure advantage.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow typically departs eastbound on runways 27L/27R (westerly wind operations) or 09L/09R heading east. On an eastbound departure toward Bucharest, the right side gives you the Thames snaking through central London, with the City skyline and Canary Wharf visible as you climb out over the capital. Left side gets suburban west London and not much else. Notable sights include: Thames River bends through central London, Canary Wharf cluster, The Shard and City of London skyline, Windsor Castle to the southwest briefly visible on left before turning east.

When landing at Baneasa (BBU), sit on the Left side for the best views. Baneasa airport sits just north of Bucharest and typically lands from the north or south on runway 07/25 or 16/34. On approach from the west, the left side gives you the best view of Bucharest's urban layout including the massive Palace of the Parliament building, which is one of the largest buildings in the world and clearly visible from the air. The right side faces away from the city center on most approach paths. Notable sights include: Palace of the Parliament (massive white building clearly visible from altitude), Herastrau Park and lake just north of city center, Bucharest urban grid, Dambovita River threading through the city.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Baneasa (BBU) takes Approximately 3 hours 15 minutes.

The route tracks southeast over Belgium and the Rhine corridor in Germany, then across Bavaria and Austria where the eastern Alps are visible to the south — particularly the Austrian Alps around Salzburg and the Dachstein massif. Crossing into Hungary the terrain flattens dramatically into the Pannonian Plain. The route then crosses the Carpathian foothills of Transylvania in Romania before descending over the flat Wallachian Plain toward Bucharest.