Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Madrid to Sofia. While takeoff on the left offers good Madrid scenery, the landing approach on the right provides more dramatic and visually distinctive terrain—the Rila Mountains and Sofia's basin setting are more striking than the Guadarrama range. Right side wins overall for the descent experience.

During takeoff from Barajas (MAD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Left side captures the climb-out over the Guadarrama Mountains and the sprawling Madrid metropolitan area. The Sierra de Guadarrama runs northeast from Madrid and is clearly visible during northeastbound departure, with the city grid visible below before terrain rises. Notable sights include: Guadarrama Mountains (northeast), Madrid city center and suburbs (directly below), Tagus River valley (west), Sistema Central foothills.

When landing at Sofia (SOF), sit on the Right side for the best views. Right side offers the best views during descent into Sofia. The approach from the west passes over the Rila Mountains and the Iskar River valley, both prominent on the right side. Sofia sits in a basin surrounded by mountains, and the right window captures the dramatic terrain transition and the city's position within the valley. Notable sights include: Rila Mountains (south and southeast), Iskar River valley (north), Vitosha Mountain (south of city), Sofia basin and urban area.

The flight from Barajas (MAD) to Sofia (SOF) takes 2h 35m.

The flight path crosses the Pyrenees foothills (southern Spain), then the Mediterranean coastal plains near Valencia, continues over the Balearic Sea, crosses into southern France near Provence, traverses the Alps' southern approaches, and descends through the Danube valley into the Balkans. Notable midpoint landmarks include the Ebro River valley (Spain), the Rhône valley (France), and the transition from Alpine to Balkan terrain around the Serbia-Bulgaria border region.