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Copenhagen · December · warmth

Warmest places to go from Copenhagen in December

The warmest place you can reach from Copenhagen in December within 15 hours is Sharm el-Sheikh at 20.4 °C, costing 891 kg CO₂e return. The lowest-carbon option is Stralsund at 4.6 kg — 194× less carbon for 16.3 °C less.

Every destination here is on the efficiency frontier: nowhere else in Europe is both warmer in December and lower in carbon. Anything a better option beats outright has been left out.

StralsundSharm el-Sheikh
Where they are. Solid lines are rail or ferry, dashed are flights, from Copenhagen. Pick one to compare.
Carbon against warmth, December, departing Copenhagen. Journeys of up to 15 hours each way.15 destinations. Lowest carbon Stralsund at 4.6 kilograms and 4.1 °C; best for warmth Sharm el-Sheikh at 891 kilograms and 20.4 °C. Stralsund · 4.6 kgBoulogne-sur-Mer · 26.9 kgCherbourg · 293 kgSharm el-Sheikh · 891 kg

By rail or ferry By air

Carbon against warmth, December, departing Copenhagen. Journeys of up to 15 hours each way.

What the 15-hour limit costs: at this budget Cherbourg can only be reached by air — 293 kg CO₂e, in 5h 6m. Allow up to 24 hours and the train does the same journey for 34.4 kg in 17h 54m — 9× less carbon for 12h 48m more travelling.

December from Copenhagen — 15 destinations on the frontier, 5 without flying.
DestinationHowCO₂e returnTempSun/dayRain/dayJourney
Stralsund, GermanyRail4.6 kg4.1 °C1.4 h1.9 mm4h 6m
Cuxhaven, GermanyRail9.4 kg5.2 °C1.8 h3.7 mm6h 24m
Leeuwarden, The NetherlandsRail15.2 kg6.3 °C1.9 h3.8 mm9h 6m
Den Helder, The NetherlandsRail17.4 kg7.3 °C2.6 h3.5 mm10h 6m
Boulogne-sur-Mer, FranceRail26.9 kg8.1 °C2.8 h3.8 mm14h 30m
Cherbourg, FranceAir293 kg9.1 °C2.9 h2.8 mm5h 6m
Saint Helier, JerseyAir308 kg10.0 °C3.8 h3.0 mm5h 6m
Fondi, ItalyAir401 kg11.2 °C7.3 h2.4 mm5h 36m
Cagliari, ItalyAir464 kg12.2 °C8.0 h0.6 mm6h
Ciutadella, SpainAir467 kg13.5 °C7.8 h0.5 mm6h
Milazzo, ItalyAir491 kg14.7 °C7.1 h8.2 mm6h 6m
San Pawl il-Bahar, MaltaAir553 kg16.0 °C7.9 h1.3 mm6h 24m
Eilat, IsraelAir855 kg17.9 °C9.2 h0.0 mm8h
Ras Gharib, EgyptAir868 kg18.6 °C9.7 h0.0 mm8h 6m
Sharm el-Sheikh, EgyptAir891 kg20.4 °C9.7 h0.1 mm8h 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 Boulogne-sur-Mer (26.9 kg, 8.1 °C) to Cherbourg (293 kg, 9.1 °C) buys 1.0 °C more warmth for an extra 266 kg — 266 kg of CO₂e per degree. That single step is the most expensive warmth on the whole curve.

The pick of them

If you'd rather have sunshine than heat

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

Where to stay in Sharm el-Sheikh

Places to stay in Sharm el-Sheikh, 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 Copenhagen

December from elsewhere

Questions

Where is the warmest place to go from Copenhagen in December?

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, at 20.4 °C. Reaching it emits 891 kg CO₂e return, travelling 8h 12m each way by air.

Can I get somewhere warm from Copenhagen in December without flying?

Yes. Boulogne-sur-Mer reaches 8.1 °C and is reachable by rail or ferry in 14h 30m, emitting 26.9 kg CO₂e return — though Sharm el-Sheikh is warmer still, if you fly.

How much carbon does a return trip from Copenhagen to Sharm el-Sheikh produce?

891 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.