Glasgow · December · sunshine

Sunniest places to go from Glasgow in December

The sunniest place you can reach from Glasgow in December within 15 hours is Luxor at 10.0 h, costing 1,048 kg CO₂e return. The lowest-carbon option is Aberdeen at 15.6 kg — 67× less carbon for 7.5 h less.

Every destination here is on the efficiency frontier: nowhere else in Europe is both sunnier in December 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 Glasgow. Pick one to compare.

By rail or ferry By air

Carbon against sunshine, December, departing Glasgow. Journeys of up to 15 hours each way.

What the 15-hour limit costs: at this budget Marseille can only be reached by air — 392 kg CO₂e, in 5h 36m. Allow up to 24 hours and the train does the same journey for 74.2 kg in 23h 18m — 5× less carbon for 17h 42m more travelling.

December from Glasgow — 14 destinations on the frontier, 3 without flying.
Destination	How	CO₂e return	Temp	Sun/day	Rain/day	Journey
Aberdeen, United Kingdom	Rail	15.6 kg	5.7 °C	2.5 h	4.5 mm	4h 42m
Caen, France	Rail	52.3 kg	7.9 °C	3.4 h	2.3 mm	13h 6m
Rennes, France	Rail	56.3 kg	7.8 °C	4.0 h	1.9 mm	15h
Saint-Nazaire, France	Air	243 kg	9.0 °C	4.5 h	2.5 mm	4h 48m
Geneva, Switzerland	Air	326 kg	3.3 °C	5.0 h	4.9 mm	5h 12m
Gijón, Spain	Air	346 kg	10.3 °C	5.9 h	3.2 mm	5h 18m
Oviedo, Spain	Air	351 kg	7.9 °C	6.0 h	3.0 mm	5h 24m
Lugano, Switzerland	Air	360 kg	5.9 °C	6.5 h	1.1 mm	5h 24m
Marseille, France	Air	392 kg	9.0 °C	7.5 h	1.1 mm	5h 36m
Tortosa, Spain	Air	430 kg	11.0 °C	7.9 h	0.4 mm	5h 48m
Alicante, Spain	Air	495 kg	13.3 °C	8.5 h	0.2 mm	6h 6m
Melilla, Spain	Air	576 kg	15.2 °C	8.9 h	0.4 mm	6h 36m
Bouarfa, Morocco	Air	654 kg	8.7 °C	9.6 h	0.0 mm	7h
Luxor, Egypt	Air	1,048 kg	18.0 °C	10.0 h	0.0 mm	9h 30m

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 Bouarfa (654 kg, 9.6 h) to Luxor (1,048 kg, 10.0 h) buys 0.4 hours more sunshine for an extra 393 kg — 983 kg of CO₂e per hour. That single step is the most expensive sunshine on the whole curve.

The pick of them

AberdeenUnited Kingdom15.6 kg CO₂e return5.7 °C · 2.5 h sun · 4h 42m by railgrey and wet RennesFrance56.3 kg CO₂e return7.8 °C · 4.0 h sun · 15h by railcool LuxorEgypt1,048 kg CO₂e return18.0 °C · 10.0 h sun · 9h 30m by airwarm, bright and dry

If you'd rather have heat than sunshine

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

Where to stay in Luxor

Places to stay in Luxor, Egypt, 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 Glasgow

December from elsewhere

Questions

Where is the sunniest place to go from Glasgow in December?

Luxor, Egypt, at 10.0 h. Reaching it emits 1,048 kg CO₂e return, travelling 9h 30m each way by air.

Can I get somewhere sunny from Glasgow in December without flying?

Yes. Rennes reaches 4.0 h and is reachable by rail or ferry in 15h, emitting 56.3 kg CO₂e return — though Luxor is sunnier still, if you fly.

How much carbon does a return trip from Glasgow to Luxor produce?

1,048 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.