The Christmas getaway begins in earnest with a record 2.3 million Brits heading abroad for the festive season and many planning to take an extra few days off work to make the most of the long weekend.
While thousands jet off to foreign climes, some of those staying at home could be in for a White Christmas.
North and East Scotland and Eastern England are the areas most likely to get snow on Christmas Day as cold, northerly winds hit Britain.
The threat of a severe winter has prompted a late rush of sun seekers taking advantage of the two bank holidays after Christmas Day to have a break.
Airport bosses are predicting their busiest day today, with 500,000 passengers expected.
More than 210,000 of those will use Heathrow over the next 24 hours, with another 100,000 heading in and out of Gatwick.
India tops the list of most popular long-haul destinations according to online travel agent Lastminute.com.
Thousands will be heading to Goa, which has established itself as a value spot for those wanting the best chance of winter sun.
"Trips to India have outsold holidays in the United States this Christmas, which we believe is indicative of the country’s booming tourism industry," said John Bevan, Lastminute’s director of holidays and flights.
"It’s no longer just the preserve of backpackers. India is now a mainstream holiday choice for couples, groups and families."
Other long-distance hotspots include Kenya, Dominican Republic, the Maldives, Trinidad and Tobago, Gambia, Grenada and Mauritius.
Mick Temple, managing director of Heathrow said, "With seven of Heathrow and Gatwick’s top Christmas destinations being long-haul this year, it’s clear the extended holiday season and the great choice of routes is having a positive effect on people’s travel plans."
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) have said, "Arab countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco will be competing with traditional Christmas destinations such as the Canary Islands, Florida and the Caribbean."
European ski resorts have had good snowfalls and British thrill-seekers will head to France, Austria and Italy in their thousands.
Airport operator BAA estimates that from today until 28 December, a total of three million people will pass through its seven UK airports, which include Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
Virgin Atlantic passengers who fly overnight on Christmas Eve will not miss the thrill of waking up to presents. Sir Richard Branson’s airline will be putting traditional Christmas goodies at the foot of its seat-beds.
Weather experts have said there will be rain or wintry showers on Friday and on Christmas Eve, with some snow possible on Christmas Day.
More than 100,000 will head to the Continent on Eurostar, with the company laying on six extra trains to cope with demand.
But one the roads, monitoring group Traffic master is predicting queues on key routes. The worst hit could be the M25, the M1 around Luton and into the East Midlands, the M6 between junctions four and 10, the M60 around Manchester and the M4 between Newport and Cardiff.
There is a mixed picture for train passengers, which network rail saying it would use the break to carry out work. Most train companies have announced closures on some lines.
However, the East Coast main line is unaffected and only minor disruptions to the West Coast line are expected.
The biggest problems will be with South West Trains, in the Woking and Guildford area of Surrey.
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