Sunniest places to go from Zurich in December
The sunniest place you can reach from Zurich in December within 15 hours is Aswan at 10.1 h, costing 847 kg CO₂e return. The lowest-carbon option is Lugano at 4.5 kg — 188× less carbon for 3.6 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.
By rail or ferry By air
What the 15-hour limit costs: at this budget Almería can only be reached by air — 372 kg CO₂e, in 5h 30m. Allow up to 24 hours and the train does the same journey for 43.6 kg in 22h 12m — 9× less carbon for 16h 42m more travelling.
| Destination | How | CO₂e return | Temp | Sun/day | Rain/day | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lugano, Switzerland | Rail | 4.5 kg | 5.9 °C | 6.5 h | 1.1 mm | 4h 6m |
| Cuneo, Italy | Rail | 10.0 kg | 3.5 °C | 7.3 h | 0.9 mm | 6h 42m |
| Tarragona, Spain | Rail | 26.7 kg | 10.6 °C | 7.8 h | 0.5 mm | 14h 24m |
| Palma, Spain | Air | 249 kg | 12.4 °C | 8.3 h | 0.6 mm | 4h 48m |
| Almería, Spain | Air | 372 kg | 13.5 °C | 8.9 h | 0.2 mm | 5h 30m |
| Bouarfa, Morocco | Air | 471 kg | 8.7 °C | 9.6 h | 0.0 mm | 6h |
| Aswan, Egypt | Air | 847 kg | 18.7 °C | 10.1 h | 0.0 mm | 8h |
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 (471 kg, 9.6 h) to Aswan (847 kg, 10.1 h) buys 0.5 hours more sunshine for an extra 376 kg — 751 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
December answers differently depending on what you're after. The warmest destinations from Zurich 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 Aswan
Places to stay in Aswan, 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 Zurich
December 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 Zurich in December?
Aswan, Egypt, at 10.1 h. Reaching it emits 847 kg CO₂e return, travelling 8h each way by air.
Can I get somewhere sunny from Zurich in December without flying?
Yes. Tarragona reaches 7.8 h and is reachable by rail or ferry in 14h 24m, emitting 26.7 kg CO₂e return — though Aswan is sunnier still, if you fly.
How much carbon does a return trip from Zurich to Aswan produce?
847 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.