(Radio Iowa) – Christmas Eve is a dozen days away and tens of thousands of Iowans are planning to drive or fly to see family and friends for the holiday. Brian Ortner, at Triple-A-Iowa, says the overall travel numbers are something of a surprise.

Dedicated fans of Cyclone and Hawkeye football will be headed to the southeast for bowl games later this month. Iowa State will play Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl on December 28th in Orlando, while Iowa faces Missouri in the Music City Bowl in Nashville on December 30th. Ortner says many of those Iowans will be flying.

Des Moines International Airport photo

New Year’s Eve is said to be one of the deadliest nights to be on the roads due to the increased risk of encountering a drunk driver. Ortner says Iowans would be wise to cement their arrangements now.

Gasoline prices in Iowa are averaging about two-dollars and 70-cents a gallon, that’s about a dime a gallon cheaper than a year ago. The national average is three-oh-two.