Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to Paris. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. The San Francisco Bay departure and the Paris approach over the Seine are both on the left, making it the clear choice for the full journey.

During takeoff from San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO typically departs northwest on runways 28L/28R, then turns north over the Bay. The left side gives you San Francisco city, the Bay Bridge, and the downtown skyline as you climb out over the water. Right side faces the peninsula suburbs and hills with far less visual interest. Notable sights include: San Francisco downtown skyline, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Marin Headlands.

When landing at Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Left side for the best views. CDG typically lands from the west on runways 27L/27R or 26R, approaching over the Paris basin from the northwest. The left side faces south toward central Paris, giving you a clear view of the Seine river bends, the Eiffel Tower, and the dense Haussmann urban grid. The right side looks north toward flat agricultural land with little of interest. Notable sights include: Seine River bends, Paris urban grid, Eiffel Tower, La Défense business district.

The flight from San Francisco International (SFO) to Charles De Gaulle (CDG) takes Approximately 10 to 11 hours.

The polar great circle route tracks north over the Sierra Nevada, then across southern Canada and Hudson Bay, crosses Greenland's ice sheet and the southern tip of the Greenland ice cap, passes over Iceland or just south of it, then crosses the North Atlantic and enters Europe over Ireland or Scotland before descending across England and the English Channel into northern France. The Greenland ice sheet and the rugged coastline of Greenland are the most dramatic visual features at cruise altitude if overflown during daylight.