Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Frankfurt. Left side wins both departure and arrival with the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan on takeoff, and the Frankfurt skyline with the Taunus hills and Main River on approach. Over the Atlantic the views are symmetric, but the bookend city views make left the clear overall choice.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. ORD departures heading northeast (typical for transatlantic routing) put the left side facing southeast toward downtown Chicago. You get a clear view of the Loop skyline, Lake Michigan's shoreline, and the lakefront parks as the aircraft climbs out over the northern suburbs. Notable sights include: Chicago Loop skyline with Willis Tower, Lake Michigan shoreline, Grant Park and Museum Campus, Evanston and North Shore lakefront.

When landing at Frankfurt Main (FRA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Frankfurt approaches from the west on runway 25L/25R put the left side facing south toward the Taunus hills and the Rhine-Main plain. You get views of the Frankfurt skyline, the Main River bends, and the Taunus ridge as the aircraft descends over Wiesbaden and the Rhine. Notable sights include: Frankfurt Bankenviertel skyline, Main River bends through the city, Taunus hills ridge to the north, Rhine River near Wiesbaden.

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Frankfurt Main (FRA) takes Approximately 9 to 9.5 hours.

The flight tracks northeast over the Great Lakes region, then crosses southern Canada over Quebec, exits North America near Newfoundland or Labrador, crosses the North Atlantic on a great circle route passing south of Greenland and Iceland, then crosses Ireland and southern England before entering continental Europe over the Netherlands or Belgium and descending into the Rhine-Main region. Mid-Atlantic views are open ocean with occasional cloud decks; Greenland's ice sheet may be visible on the northern horizon on clear days.