Warmest places to go from Manchester in December
The warmest place you can reach from Manchester in December within 15 hours is Maspalomas at 19.7 °C, costing 770 kg CO₂e return. The lowest-carbon option is Corby at 12.1 kg — 64× less carbon for 12.9 °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.
By rail or ferry By air
What the 15-hour limit costs: at this budget A Coruña can only be reached by air — 305 kg CO₂e, in 5h 6m. Allow up to 24 hours and the train does the same journey for 53.4 kg in 20h 36m — 6× less carbon for 15h 30m more travelling.
| Destination | How | CO₂e return | Temp | Sun/day | Rain/day | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corby, United Kingdom | Rail | 12.1 kg | 6.8 °C | 2.6 h | 2.6 mm | 4h 6m |
| Gloucester, United Kingdom | Rail | 14.4 kg | 7.6 °C | 2.3 h | 3.3 mm | 4h 30m |
| Bridgwater, United Kingdom | Rail | 21.4 kg | 8.4 °C | 2.8 h | 2.9 mm | 5h 36m |
| Plymouth, United Kingdom | Rail | 29.7 kg | 9.3 °C | 3.0 h | 4.5 mm | 7h 6m |
| A Coruña, Spain | Air | 305 kg | 10.8 °C | 5.8 h | 4.3 mm | 5h 6m |
| Santa Uxia de Ribeira, Spain | Air | 330 kg | 11.7 °C | 6.2 h | 5.3 mm | 5h 18m |
| Ibiza Town, Spain | Air | 414 kg | 14.0 °C | 8.4 h | 0.4 mm | 5h 42m |
| Roquetas de Mar, Spain | Air | 468 kg | 14.3 °C | 8.9 h | 0.4 mm | 6h |
| Melilla, Spain | Air | 509 kg | 15.2 °C | 8.9 h | 0.4 mm | 6h 12m |
| Essaouira, Morocco | Air | 633 kg | 16.4 °C | 9.0 h | 0.2 mm | 6h 54m |
| Taroudant, Morocco | Air | 658 kg | 17.9 °C | 8.9 h | 0.3 mm | 7h |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain | Air | 756 kg | 18.9 °C | 9.3 h | 1.3 mm | 7h 30m |
| Maspalomas, Spain | Air | 770 kg | 19.7 °C | 9.4 h | 0.5 mm | 7h 36m |
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 Plymouth (29.7 kg, 9.3 °C) to A Coruña (305 kg, 10.8 °C) buys 1.5 °C more warmth for an extra 275 kg — 183 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 Manchester 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 Maspalomas
Places to stay in Maspalomas, Spain, 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 Manchester
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 warmest place to go from Manchester in December?
Maspalomas, Spain, at 19.7 °C. Reaching it emits 770 kg CO₂e return, travelling 7h 36m each way by air.
Can I get somewhere warm from Manchester in December without flying?
Yes. Plymouth reaches 9.3 °C and is reachable by rail or ferry in 7h 6m, emitting 29.7 kg CO₂e return — though Maspalomas is warmer still, if you fly.
How much carbon does a return trip from Manchester to Maspalomas produce?
770 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.