Vienna to Chicago flight path: VIE to ORD

Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Vienna to Chicago. The right side wins overall because the long transatlantic cruise phase passes over some of the most dramatic terrain on the route — the North Sea coastline, Iceland's volcanic landscape, and the vast ice sheets of southern Greenland — offering far more visual variety than the featureless ocean and plains seen from the left for most of the flight.

During takeoff from Schwechat (VIE), sit on the Right side for the best views. As the aircraft lifts off from VIE's north-south runway and turns onto its northwesterly routing toward Germany, the right side offers a brief look back over the Danube and Vienna's outskirts before the plains of Lower Austria and Bavaria unfold below. The left side mostly shows flat farmland with little contrast. Notable sights include: Danube River, Vienna city outskirts, Vienna Woods foothills, Lower Austrian farmland.

When landing at Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. On approach to ORD from the east, aircraft typically cross Lake Michigan before turning onto the east-west runways, giving the left side of the plane a clear view of the Chicago skyline and lakefront as the city passes to the south. The right side during this turn faces mostly suburban sprawl with less visual interest. Notable sights include: Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago downtown skyline, Navy Pier, Chicago River mouth.

The flight from Schwechat (VIE) to Chicago Ohare International (ORD) takes 10h 25m.

North Sea coastline, southern Iceland's glaciers and volcanic peaks, the ice-covered fjords of southern Greenland, and the tundra and lakes of Labrador and northern Quebec before crossing into the Great Lakes region