Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Philadelphia to Amsterdam. Left side wins both departure and arrival. At PHL you get the Philadelphia skyline and Delaware River on departure, and at AMS you get the Dutch coastline, greenhouse districts, and Amsterdam approach on landing. The right side offers New Jersey flatlands on departure and open North Sea on approach — significantly less interesting.

During takeoff from Philadelphia International (PHL), sit on the Left side for the best views. PHL typically departs northeast on runway 27L/27R or southeast on 9L/9R. On the common westerly departure (runway 27), a left turn northeast puts the left side over the Delaware River, Center City Philadelphia skyline, and the Ben Franklin Bridge. On runway 9 departures heading east, the left side faces north toward the city core and the confluence of the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers. Notable sights include: Center City Philadelphia skyline, Delaware River and Ben Franklin Bridge, Schuylkill River confluence, Camden waterfront across the river.

When landing at Schiphol (AMS), sit on the Left side for the best views. Schiphol typically lands from the east or southeast on runways 18R, 18C, or 36L/36C depending on wind. Approaching from the west over the North Sea, the left side gets the first view of the Dutch coastline, the Hook of Holland, and then the flat polder landscape with the distinctive geometry of the Westland greenhouse district and the Haarlemmermeer. On the common 18R/18C approach heading south, the left side also looks east toward Amsterdam's canal ring and the IJ waterway. Notable sights include: North Sea coastline and Hook of Holland, Westland greenhouse district (vast glass rooftops), Haarlemmermeer polder geometry, Amsterdam canal ring and IJ waterway.

The flight from Philadelphia International (PHL) to Schiphol (AMS) takes Approximately 7 hours 30 minutes to 8 hours 15 minutes westbound, 7 hours to 7 hours 45 minutes eastbound.

The route tracks northeast from PHL over New England, crossing the Nova Scotia coastline near Halifax, then the North Atlantic. Mid-ocean the flight passes south of Greenland's tip. The eastern Atlantic crossing brings the Irish coast into view — County Clare and Galway Bay are often visible — followed by Wales or southern England depending on routing, then the English Channel or southern North Sea before descending into the Netherlands.