Which side of the plane
London Gatwick ⇄ Nice: which side should you sit on?
One of the best window flights in Europe: the French Alps at cruise, then the Riviera coast on the way down to Nice.
London Gatwick → Nice · 1000 km · about 115 min gate to gate
Sit on the left · seat A
For Mont Blanc (about an hour after take-off), the southern Alps, and the Esterel, Cannes and Antibes coast on the usual landing at Nice.
Likely Clear-weather estimate from the usual path. Actual routes vary by tens of kilometres.
What you will see
- take-off BrightonDepends on the runway in use either
- ~5 min Seven Sisters cliffsClose to the path: either side, or straight below · about 6 km from the path either
- ~30 min Paris (Eiffel Tower)Close to the path: either side, or straight below · about 4 km from the path either
- ~65 min Mont Blanc (northern Alps)Likely on this side · about 101 km from the path L
- ~72 min Barre des Ecrins (central French Alps)Close to the path: either side, or straight below · about 15 km from the path either
- ~79 min Monte Viso (southern Alps)Likely on this side · about 49 km from the path L
- ~86 min Monte Argentera (Maritime Alps)Probably this side; depends on the exact path · about 36 km from the path L
- landing Esterel massifDepends on the runway in use either
- landing Nice / Baie des AngesDepends on the runway in use either
- landing MonacoDepends on the runway in use either
- landing Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratDepends on the runway in use either
- landing AntibesDepends on the runway in use either
- landing Lerins IslandsDepends on the runway in use either
Take-off and landing
Leaving London Gatwick
Gatwick takes off towards the west about 70% of the time. Southbound flights cross the Sussex coast within minutes; the South Downs and Brighton can show on either side, depending on the departure route.
Arriving at Nice
Nice gives priority to landing towards the north-east. You fly in over the sea along the coast and make a late left turn: the Esterel, Cannes, the Lérins Islands and Antibes are on the LEFT, with the Baie des Anges and Nice ahead to the right. On the less common runway 22 days you come round Cap Ferrat over the sea, and Nice and the Promenade des Anglais are on the RIGHT.
Sun side
| Departing | 08:00 | 13:00 | 17:00 | 20:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | ahead | right | dark | dark |
| Summer | left | right | right | behind |
Where the sun is at mid-flight, by local departure time. “Low” means sunrise or sunset light on that side; the other side then gets the soft colours without the glare.
Nice → London Gatwick · 1000 km · about 115 min gate to gate
Sit on the right · seat F
For the Maritime Alps, Monte Viso and Mont Blanc in the first 25 minutes. Nice and the Baie des Anges show briefly on the left just after take-off.
Likely Clear-weather estimate from the usual path. Actual routes vary by tens of kilometres.
What you will see
- take-off Lerins IslandsDepends on the runway in use either
- take-off AntibesDepends on the runway in use either
- take-off Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratDepends on the runway in use either
- take-off MonacoDepends on the runway in use either
- take-off Esterel massifDepends on the runway in use either
- take-off Nice / Baie des AngesDepends on the runway in use either
- ~5 min Monte Argentera (Maritime Alps)Probably this side; depends on the exact path · about 36 km from the path R
- ~11 min Monte Viso (southern Alps)Likely on this side · about 49 km from the path R
- ~17 min Barre des Ecrins (central French Alps)Close to the path: either side, or straight below · about 15 km from the path either
- ~23 min Mont Blanc (northern Alps)Likely on this side · about 101 km from the path R
- ~58 min Paris (Eiffel Tower)Close to the path: either side, or straight below · about 4 km from the path either
- ~85 min Seven Sisters cliffsClose to the path: either side, or straight below · about 6 km from the path either
- landing BrightonDepends on the runway in use either
Take-off and landing
Leaving Nice
Nice usually takes off towards the north-east and turns right out to sea at once, so Nice and the Baie des Anges show briefly on the LEFT. On runway 22 days you head south-west over the sea, with the Antibes and Cannes coast on the RIGHT.
Arriving at London Gatwick
The final approach is over Kent and Sussex farmland, from the east about 70% of the time. There are no big landmarks on final.
Sun side
| Departing | 08:00 | 13:00 | 17:00 | 20:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | behind | left | dark | dark |
| Summer | right | left | left | left, low |
Where the sun is at mid-flight, by local departure time. “Low” means sunrise or sunset light on that side; the other side then gets the soft colours without the glare.