Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Montreal to Paris. While the left side wins at takeoff for Montreal views, the right side delivers the more dramatic payoff on arrival with the Paris cityscape, the Seine, and the Eiffel Tower on descent. Over the Atlantic the views are similar on both sides, so the landing experience tips the balance to the right.

During takeoff from Montreal International Dorval (YUL), sit on the Left side for the best views. Montreal departures on runway 24L/24R head southwest before turning northeast toward the Atlantic. The left side gives you the Montreal city skyline, the St. Lawrence River, and Mount Royal as you climb out. Right side faces suburban sprawl toward Laval. Notable sights include: Mount Royal and its wooded summit, the St. Lawrence River broadening toward Lac Saint-Pierre, the Montreal downtown skyline including Place Ville Marie, the Jacques Cartier Bridge spanning the river.

When landing at Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Right side for the best views. CDG arrivals from the west on runway 27L/27R or from the north on 09R approach over the Ile-de-France plain. The right side gives you views over central Paris including the Seine, Eiffel Tower, and the dense Haussmann street grid as you descend through 5,000-8,000 feet on final approach from the west. Notable sights include: The Seine River snaking through central Paris, the Eiffel Tower visible as a distinctive iron lattice structure, the dense Haussmann boulevard grid of central arrondissements, the Bois de Boulogne as a large rectangular forest patch west of the city.

The flight from Montreal International Dorval (YUL) to Charles De Gaulle (CDG) takes Approximately 7 hours 15 minutes to 7 hours 45 minutes westbound, 6 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours eastbound.

The flight tracks northeast from Montreal over the Gulf of St. Lawrence and southern Newfoundland, then crosses the North Atlantic along a great circle route passing south of Greenland and Iceland. Mid-flight you may see sea ice or icebergs in the Labrador Sea at lower latitudes in spring. The Irish coast appears as the first European landfall, typically County Clare or Galway, followed by the green patchwork of central Ireland, then Wales or southern England before crossing the English Channel into France.