Sunniest places to go from London in August
The sunniest place you can reach from London in August within 15 hours is Guarda at 13.0 h, costing 336 kg CO₂e return. The lowest-carbon option is Calais at 4.5 kg — 75× less carbon for 1.8 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.
By rail or ferry By air
What the 15-hour limit costs: at this budget Guarda can only be reached by air — 336 kg CO₂e, in 5h 18m. Allow up to 24 hours and the train does the same journey for 39.5 kg in 20h 18m — 9× less carbon for 15h more travelling.
| Destination | How | CO₂e return | Temp | Sun/day | Rain/day | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calais, France | Rail | 4.5 kg | 18.3 °C | 11.2 h | 2.4 mm | 4h 6m |
| La Rochelle, France | Rail | 17.7 kg | 20.5 °C | 12.0 h | 1.9 mm | 10h 12m |
| Avignon, France | Rail | 27.1 kg | 25.6 °C | 12.6 h | 1.3 mm | 14h 36m |
| Guarda, Portugal | Air | 336 kg | 21.6 °C | 13.0 h | 0.0 mm | 5h 18m |
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 Avignon (27.1 kg, 12.6 h) to Guarda (336 kg, 13.0 h) buys 0.4 hours more sunshine for an extra 309 kg — 773 kg of CO₂e per hour. That single step is the most expensive sunshine on the whole curve.
The pick of them
If you'd rather have heat than sunshine
August answers differently depending on what you're after. The warmest destinations from London 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 London
August from elsewhere
- Amsterdam
- Barcelona
- Berlin
- Birmingham
- Bristol
- Brussels
- Cardiff
- Copenhagen
- Dublin
- Edinburgh
- Frankfurt
- Glasgow
- Leeds
- Lisbon
- Liverpool
- London
- Madrid
- Manchester
- Milan
- Munich
- Newcastle
- Nottingham
- Oslo
- Paris
- Prague
- Rome
- Sheffield
- Southampton
- Stockholm
- Vienna
- Warsaw
- Zurich
Questions
Where is the sunniest place to go from London in August?
Guarda, Portugal, at 13.0 h. Reaching it emits 336 kg CO₂e return, travelling 5h 18m each way by air.
Can I get somewhere sunny from London in August without flying?
Yes. Avignon reaches 12.6 h and is reachable by rail or ferry in 14h 36m, emitting 27.1 kg CO₂e return — though Guarda is sunnier still, if you fly.
How much carbon does a return trip from London to Guarda produce?
336 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.