Bristol · August · sunshine

Sunniest places to go from Bristol in August

The sunniest place you can reach from Bristol in August within 15 hours is Guarda at 13.0 h, costing 318 kg CO₂e return. The lowest-carbon option is Hemel Hempstead at 12.2 kg — 26× less carbon for 3.2 h less.

Every destination here is on the efficiency frontier: nowhere else in Europe is both sunnier in August and lower in carbon. Anything a better option beats outright has been left out.

Where they are. Solid lines are rail or ferry, dashed are flights, from Bristol. Pick one to compare.

By rail or ferry By air

Carbon against sunshine, August, departing Bristol. Journeys of up to 15 hours each way.

What the 15-hour limit costs: at this budget Guarda can only be reached by air — 318 kg CO₂e, in 5h 12m. Allow up to 24 hours and the train does the same journey for 53.2 kg in 22h 36m — 6× less carbon for 17h 24m more travelling.

August from Bristol — 6 destinations on the frontier, 4 without flying.
Destination	How	CO₂e return	Temp	Sun/day	Rain/day	Journey
Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom	Rail	12.2 kg	16.8 °C	9.8 h	1.8 mm	4h 6m
Bognor Regis, United Kingdom	Rail	12.3 kg	17.5 °C	10.8 h	2.4 mm	4h 6m
Dunkirk, France	Rail	19.1 kg	18.5 °C	11.3 h	2.5 mm	6h 48m
La Rochelle, France	Rail	31.4 kg	20.5 °C	12.0 h	1.9 mm	12h 30m
Nîmes, France	Air	250 kg	25.8 °C	12.7 h	0.8 mm	4h 48m
Guarda, Portugal	Air	318 kg	21.6 °C	13.0 h	0.0 mm	5h 12m

Warm is not the same as pleasant, which is why sunshine and rainfall are shown alongside temperature. All three are ERA5 monthly means for 2023–2024.

Where the curve breaks

The frontier is gentle until it isn't. Going from La Rochelle (31.4 kg, 12.0 h) to Nîmes (250 kg, 12.7 h) buys 0.7 hours more sunshine for an extra 219 kg — 312 kg of CO₂e per hour. That single step is the most expensive sunshine on the whole curve.

The pick of them

Hemel HempsteadUnited Kingdom12.2 kg CO₂e return16.8 °C · 9.8 h sun · 4h 6m by railwarm overall La RochelleFrance31.4 kg CO₂e return20.5 °C · 12.0 h sun · 12h 30m by railwarm overall GuardaPortugal318 kg CO₂e return21.6 °C · 13.0 h sun · 5h 12m by airwarm, bright and dry

If you'd rather have heat than sunshine

August answers differently depending on what you're after. The warmest destinations from Bristol in August are a different list — hours of sunshine and degrees of warmth come apart, especially early and late in the year.

Where to stay in Guarda

Places to stay in Guarda, Portugal, on a live map. Prices and availability come from Stay22 and its booking partners.

Affiliate disclosure. A booking made through this map may earn 0xCarbon a commission, at no extra cost to you. It changes nothing above it: the emissions figures come from UK Government conversion factors and are computed before anyone is paid anything.See the method.

Other months from Bristol

August from elsewhere

Questions

Where is the sunniest place to go from Bristol in August?

Guarda, Portugal, at 13.0 h. Reaching it emits 318 kg CO₂e return, travelling 5h 12m each way by air.

Can I get somewhere sunny from Bristol in August without flying?

Yes. La Rochelle reaches 12.0 h and is reachable by rail or ferry in 12h 30m, emitting 31.4 kg CO₂e return — though Guarda is sunnier still, if you fly.

How much carbon does a return trip from Bristol to Guarda produce?

318 kg CO₂e for one person, return, by air. That uses the UK Government's 2026 conversion factors, including radiative forcing for flights.

Carbon uses UK Government (DESNZ/DEFRA) 2026 conversion factors applied to great-circle distance, with radiative forcing included for flights. Rail journey times are modelled estimates, not timetabled services. Full method · download the data.