ABTA (the Association of British Travel Agents) estimates that over 1.7 million Brits will escape unreliable weather at home by going abroad over the bank holiday weekend.

Friday and Saturday will be the busiest with approximately one million flying from the South East alone with over 400,000 leaving from Heathrow, 250,000 from Gatwick, 150,000 from Stansted and 64,000 from Luton.

Meanwhile nearly 400,000 will leave through regional airports including 140,000 from Manchester, 12,000 from Southampton and 31,000 from Nottingham East Midlands.

Although this weekend is not a bank holiday in Scotland nearly 65,000 Scots will head off to the sun by leaving the country.

In addition, 70,000 will use Eurostar for trips to Paris, and Belgium with customers due to travel out of the South East. A further 320,000 people will be heading for France and Spain either by ferry or Eurotunnel.

Mediterranean resorts in Mallorca, the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, Portugal and the Greek islands remain the summer holiday favourites, while Italy, Cyprus and Turkey follow closely behind.

-ends-

25 August 2005

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