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Zurich · August · sunshine

Sunniest places to go from Zurich in August

In August, the sunniest well-known place within 15 hours of Zurich is Ankara, Turkey, 13.2 h of sun a day and 26.5 °C, about 6h 18m each way by air. Without flying, it is Cosenza, Italy, 13.0 h of sun a day, about 14h 12m each way by train, for about 16× less carbon (32.2 kg CO₂e return against 531 kg).

The 10 sunniest places within 15 hours of Zurich

Ranked on sunshine in August alone, among well-known places (a Wikivoyage travel guide and at least 40,000 Wikipedia readers a year), one per area and at most three per country. The carbon is shown, not used to choose: the list further down is the other question, how much sunshine each extra kilogram buys.

  1. Ankara, Turkey13.2 h · 26.5 °C · mostly dryair ≈ 6h 18m · 531 kg CO₂e return
  2. Cosenza, Italy13.0 h · 25.4 °C · 1.2 mm rain a day · sea 28.3 °Crail ≈ 14h 12m · 32.2 kg CO₂e return
  3. Catanzaro, Italy13.0 h · 26.7 °C · mostly dry · sea 27.7 °Crail ≈ 15h · 33.8 kg CO₂e return
  4. Mytilene, Greece13.0 h · 28.5 °C · mostly dry · sea 25.0 °Cair ≈ 5h 48m · 432 kg CO₂e return
  5. Konya, Turkey13.0 h · 26.7 °C · mostly dryair ≈ 6h 24m · 556 kg CO₂e return
  6. Izmir, Turkey13.0 h · 29.2 °C · mostly dry · sea 25.8 °Cair ≈ 5h 54m · 454 kg CO₂e return
  7. Potenza, Italy13.0 h · 23.3 °C · mostly dryrail ≈ 12h 36m · 27.9 kg CO₂e return
  8. Athens, Greece12.9 h · 28.7 °C · mostly dry · sea 27.7 °Cair ≈ 5h 42m · 407 kg CO₂e return
  9. Korçë, Albania12.9 h · 22.1 °C · mostly dryair ≈ 5h 6m · 310 kg CO₂e return
  10. Pristina, Kosovo12.9 h · 23.4 °C · mostly dryair ≈ 5h · 281 kg CO₂e return

Without flying

The sunniest places the train reaches within 15 hours. Cosenza is 13.0 h for 32.2 kg — about 16× less carbon than flying to Ankara.

  1. Cosenza, Italy13.0 h · 25.4 °C · 1.2 mm rain a day · sea 28.3 °Crail ≈ 14h 12m · 32.2 kg CO₂e return
  2. Catanzaro, Italy13.0 h · 26.7 °C · mostly dry · sea 27.7 °Crail ≈ 15h · 33.8 kg CO₂e return
  3. Potenza, Italy13.0 h · 23.3 °C · mostly dryrail ≈ 12h 36m · 27.9 kg CO₂e return
  4. Taranto, Italy12.9 h · 28.5 °C · mostly dry · sea 27.8 °Crail ≈ 14h 24m · 30.5 kg CO₂e return
  5. Lleida, Spain12.8 h · 27.9 °C · mostly dryrail ≈ 14h 54m · 26.4 kg CO₂e return
  6. Zadar, Croatia12.8 h · 26.1 °C · 3.3 mm rain a dayrail ≈ 14h 30m · 18.6 kg CO₂e return

≈ is the model's estimate (air times include getting to and through the airport); ✓ is a rail journey checked against a real timetable, with the date it was checked. Temperatures are historical daily means for 2023–2024, averaged across day and night, so afternoons run warmer.

The low-carbon trade-off

The sunniest place you can reach from Zurich in August within 15 hours is Sulmona, 12.9 h, costing 21.5 kg CO₂e return. The lowest-carbon option is Lugano at 4.5 kg — 5× less carbon, for 1.1 hours less sunshine.

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

LuganoSulmona
Where they are. Solid lines are rail or ferry, dashed are flights, from Zurich. Pick one to compare.
Carbon against sunshine, August, departing Zurich. Journeys of up to 15 hours each way.3 destinations. Lowest carbon Lugano at 4.5 kilograms and 11.8 h; best for sunshine Sulmona at 21.5 kilograms and 12.9 h. Lugano · 4.5 kgAosta · 6.0 kgSulmona · 21.5 kg

By rail or ferry By air

Carbon against sunshine, August, departing Zurich. Journeys of up to 15 hours each way.
August from Zurich — 3 destinations on the frontier, 3 without flying.
DestinationHowCO₂e returnTempSun/dayRain/dayJourney
Lugano, SwitzerlandRail4.5 kg24.6 °C11.8 h5.2 mm3h 30m
Aosta, ItalyRail6.0 kg24.3 °C12.4 h1.6 mm5h
Sulmona, ItalyRail21.5 kg25.2 °C12.9 h0.7 mm11h 6m

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 Aosta (6.0 kg, 12.4 h) to Sulmona (21.5 kg, 12.9 h) buys 0.5 hours more sunshine for an extra 15.5 kg — 31 kg of CO₂e per hour. That single step is the most expensive sunshine on the whole curve.

The pick of them

Lugano, SwitzerlandLuganoSwitzerland4.5 kg CO₂e return24.6 °C · 11.8 h sun · 3h 30m by railwarm but wetSulmonaItaly21.5 kg CO₂e return25.2 °C · 12.9 h sun · 11h 6m by railwarm, bright and dry

The same month, asked differently

August answers differently depending on what you are after, and the lists genuinely diverge: the brightest places are not the hottest, and in summer the useful question stops being where is warm at all.

Where to stay in Sulmona

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

Search places to stay in Sulmona →Opens the booking search in a new tab. Same partners as the map below.

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 Zurich

August from elsewhere

Photo credits

Questions

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

Sulmona, Italy, at 12.9 h. Reaching it emits 21.5 kg CO₂e return, travelling 11h 6m each way by rail (modelled).

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

Yes. Sulmona reaches 12.9 h and is reachable by rail or ferry in 11h 6m (modelled), emitting 21.5 kg CO₂e return — which is also the best on this frontier.

How much carbon does a return trip from Zurich to Sulmona produce?

21.5 kg CO₂e for one person, return, by rail. 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.