Paris to Madrid flight path: ORY to MAD

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Paris to Madrid. The left side wins because of the two most dramatic moments of the flight: the fleeting Fontainebleau/Seine view on departure and the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain backdrop on arrival, both giving genuine terrain relief compared to the flatter, less distinctive scenery on the right.

During takeoff from Orly (ORY), sit on the Left side for the best views. As the aircraft climbs south from Orly, the left side offers a brief look back over the Seine valley and the wooded Fontainebleau plateau before the route settles onto its southbound track toward Orléans and Bordeaux. The right side mostly shows the flatter Beauce farmland with fewer distinguishing features. Notable sights include: Seine river bends, Fontainebleau forest, Essonne farmland, distant Paris skyline.

When landing at Barajas (MAD), sit on the Left side for the best views. On the descent into Madrid, the north-configuration approach brings the aircraft down past the Sierra de Guadarrama, whose granite peaks are visible off the left side before the final turn toward Barajas. The right side during this phase mostly faces the flat Meseta plain with little visual interest. Notable sights include: Sierra de Guadarrama peaks, Manzanares river valley, Madrid's Cuatro Torres skyline, Barajas plateau.

The flight from Orly (ORY) to Barajas (MAD) takes about 2 hours 5 minutes. The shortest flight path between them is 639 miles (1,028 km); winds and air traffic control usually add a few percent.

Bordeaux vineyard country, the Landes pine forest, the western Pyrenees near Navarre, and the Ebro river basin before the descent onto the Spanish Meseta