Cardiff · May · warmth

Warmest places to go from Cardiff in May

The warmest place you can reach from Cardiff in May within 15 hours is Edfu at 31.4 °C, costing 992 kg CO₂e return. The lowest-carbon option is Portsmouth at 13.2 kg — 75× less carbon for 18.1 °C less.

Every destination here is on the efficiency frontier: nowhere else in Europe is both warmer 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 Cardiff. Pick one to compare.

By rail or ferry By air

Carbon against warmth, May, departing Cardiff. Journeys of up to 15 hours each way.

What the 15-hour limit costs: at this budget Alzira can only be reached by air — 349 kg CO₂e, in 5h 18m. Allow up to 24 hours and the train does the same journey for 57.5 kg in 23h 42m — 6× less carbon for 18h 24m more travelling.

May from Cardiff — 18 destinations on the frontier, 4 without flying.
Destination	How	CO₂e return	Temp	Sun/day	Rain/day	Journey
Portsmouth, United Kingdom	Rail	13.2 kg	13.3 °C	11.3 h	2.0 mm	4h 12m
Paris, France	Rail	27.1 kg	14.4 °C	10.9 h	3.5 mm	9h 36m
Angers, France	Rail	30.3 kg	14.8 °C	10.5 h	3.1 mm	11h
La Rochelle, France	Rail	34.7 kg	15.6 °C	11.3 h	3.1 mm	13h 6m
Montpellier, France	Air	257 kg	17.4 °C	11.3 h	3.3 mm	4h 54m
Perpignan, France	Air	271 kg	17.9 °C	11.3 h	1.6 mm	4h 54m
Zaragoza, Spain	Air	278 kg	18.8 °C	13.1 h	0.8 mm	5h
Alzira, Spain	Air	349 kg	20.3 °C	12.2 h	1.3 mm	5h 18m
Seville, Spain	Air	398 kg	21.7 °C	12.3 h	0.8 mm	5h 36m
Kairouan, Tunisia	Air	516 kg	21.8 °C	11.0 h	1.7 mm	6h 12m
Metlaoui, Tunisia	Air	534 kg	23.8 °C	11.8 h	0.8 mm	6h 18m
Tozeur, Tunisia	Air	542 kg	25.8 °C	11.6 h	0.6 mm	6h 24m
Moulay Ali Cherif, Morocco	Air	565 kg	26.6 °C	12.1 h	0.1 mm	6h 30m
Zagora, Morocco	Air	594 kg	27.6 °C	12.4 h	0.0 mm	6h 36m
Assiut, Egypt	Air	923 kg	29.0 °C	11.9 h	0.0 mm	8h 48m
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt	Air	953 kg	30.0 °C	12.6 h	0.1 mm	8h 54m
Luxor, Egypt	Air	974 kg	31.2 °C	12.0 h	0.0 mm	9h
Edfu, Egypt	Air	992 kg	31.4 °C	12.1 h	0.0 mm	9h 12m

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 Seville (398 kg, 21.7 °C) to Kairouan (516 kg, 21.8 °C) buys 0.1 °C more warmth for an extra 118 kg — 1175 kg of CO₂e per degree. That single step is the most expensive warmth on the whole curve.

The pick of them

PortsmouthUnited Kingdom13.2 kg CO₂e return13.3 °C · 11.3 h sun · 4h 12m by railmild and bright La RochelleFrance34.7 kg CO₂e return15.6 °C · 11.3 h sun · 13h 6m by railwarm but wet EdfuEgypt992 kg CO₂e return31.4 °C · 12.1 h sun · 9h 12m by airwarm, bright and dry

If you'd rather have sunshine than heat

May answers differently depending on what you're after. The sunniest destinations from Cardiff in May are a different list — the brightest places are not always the hottest, and in winter the difference is large.

Where to stay in Edfu

Places to stay in Edfu, 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 Cardiff

May from elsewhere

Questions

Where is the warmest place to go from Cardiff in May?

Edfu, Egypt, at 31.4 °C. Reaching it emits 992 kg CO₂e return, travelling 9h 12m each way by air.

Can I get somewhere warm from Cardiff in May without flying?

Yes. La Rochelle reaches 15.6 °C and is reachable by rail or ferry in 13h 6m, emitting 34.7 kg CO₂e return — though Edfu is warmer still, if you fly.

How much carbon does a return trip from Cardiff to Edfu produce?

992 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.