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As schools break up and the summer really begins, more than two million Britons will head abroad this weekend.

Spain is the number one destination for those hitting continental hotspots, according to travel organisation Abta.

Bookings to Greece and Turkey have also been going well, while for those travelling further afield Dubai, Mexico and Florida are among the most popular destinations.

Let the summer begin! Families will be flocking to airports this weekend as schools break up, with two million set to head abroad

The recent hot weather has also boosted the numbers taking last-minute trips in the UK, while short-haul favourites include Barcelona, Amsterdam, Rome and Paris.

In south-east England, around 450,000 passengers will be departing from Heathrow this weekend, 295,000 from Gatwick, 140,000 from Stansted and 79,000 from Luton.

More than 100,000 will be leaving from Scottish airports with 50,000 from Glasgow alone, while 162,000 are due to depart from Manchester, 70,000 from Birmingham, 45,000 from Bristol and 37,000 from East Midlands airport.

On our way: Airports are set to be busy this weekend as the great summer getaway begins

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: 'This weekend sees the start of the main holiday exodus. While a favourable exchange rate in many destinations will increase the appeal of overseas holidays, we also expect the warm summer weather we've recently experienced to make the UK popular for late bookers.'

Transport information company Inrix said the first major jams of the school holiday period will be on Friday, with the five Saturdays that follow that the most congested days.

Inrix said hour-long journeys on Friday could take up to 90 minutes.

Research from Kwik-Fit shows that British families will rack up a total of 15.7 billion miles in their own cars during holidays this year.

Motorists using their vehicle for trips will drive an average of 1,082 miles each. The vast majority of these trips will be within the UK, with 13.2 million cars being used for domestic holidays. Also, 2.2 million cars will head to France, 550,000 to Germany, 520,000 to Spain and 390,000 to Italy.

For those holidaying in Britain, the most popular places to visit are the south-west of England (28%), the south coast (21 per cent), Wales (20 per cent) and Scotland (19 per cent). The Lake District (16 per cent), Yorkshire Dales (14 per cent) and Midlands (13 per cent) also scored highly.

Motorists in the West Midlands plan to travel the greatest distance in their own cars, with expected average mileage of 1,322 miles. Welsh drivers plan to stay closer to home with the lowest average distance at 722 miles.