Paris · May · sunshine

Sunniest places to go from Paris in May

The sunniest place you can reach from Paris in May within 15 hours is Örnsköldsvik at 15.1 h, costing 475 kg CO₂e return. The lowest-carbon option is Dieppe at 4.4 kg — 108× less carbon for 4.2 h less.

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

By rail or ferry By air

Carbon against sunshine, May, departing Paris. Journeys of up to 15 hours each way.

What the 15-hour limit costs: at this budget Copenhagen can only be reached by air — 258 kg CO₂e, in 4h 54m. Allow up to 24 hours and the train does the same journey for 30.3 kg in 16h 6m — 9× less carbon for 11h 12m more travelling.

May from Paris — 8 destinations on the frontier, 4 without flying.
Destination	How	CO₂e return	Temp	Sun/day	Rain/day	Journey
Dieppe, France	Rail	4.4 kg	13.3 °C	10.9 h	2.3 mm	4h 6m
Le Havre, France	Rail	5.2 kg	13.4 °C	11.5 h	2.4 mm	4h 24m
Hoorn, The Netherlands	Rail	13.6 kg	13.7 °C	12.0 h	3.3 mm	8h 18m
Zaragoza, Spain	Rail	24.8 kg	18.8 °C	13.1 h	0.8 mm	13h 30m
Copenhagen, Denmark	Air	258 kg	12.7 °C	13.4 h	0.6 mm	4h 54m
Elsinore, Denmark	Air	266 kg	13.5 °C	14.0 h	0.5 mm	4h 54m
Gävle, Sweden	Air	406 kg	12.6 °C	14.7 h	0.7 mm	5h 42m
Örnsköldsvik, Sweden	Air	475 kg	9.0 °C	15.1 h	0.5 mm	6h

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 Zaragoza (24.8 kg, 13.1 h) to Copenhagen (258 kg, 13.4 h) buys 0.3 hours more sunshine for an extra 234 kg — 778 kg of CO₂e per hour. That single step is the most expensive sunshine on the whole curve.

The pick of them

DieppeFrance4.4 kg CO₂e return13.3 °C · 10.9 h sun · 4h 6m by railmild and bright ZaragozaSpain24.8 kg CO₂e return18.8 °C · 13.1 h sun · 13h 30m by railwarm, bright and dry ÖrnsköldsvikSweden475 kg CO₂e return9.0 °C · 15.1 h sun · 6h by aircold but bright

If you'd rather have heat than sunshine

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

Where to stay in Örnsköldsvik

Places to stay in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, 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 Paris

May from elsewhere

Questions

Where is the sunniest place to go from Paris in May?

Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, at 15.1 h. Reaching it emits 475 kg CO₂e return, travelling 6h each way by air.

Can I get somewhere sunny from Paris in May without flying?

Yes. Zaragoza reaches 13.1 h and is reachable by rail or ferry in 13h 30m, emitting 24.8 kg CO₂e return — though Örnsköldsvik is sunnier still, if you fly.

How much carbon does a return trip from Paris to Örnsköldsvik produce?

475 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.