As holiday travel reaches a peak, the gasoline is cheap

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Millions of Americans have taken to the roads and skies for holiday travel – and they’ll find the cheapest gasoline in years.

On Christmas Eve, it stood at $3.04 per gallon, according to AAA. But GasBuddy expects a national average of $3.01 a gallon by Wednesday.

That’s a modest dip from $3.10 last year.

Drivers in Georgia and South Carolina are getting a better deal than those elsewhere across the U.S.

The average price in Georgia on Tuesday is 2.91 per gallon, and the price in Augusta is $2.86.

In South Carolina, the average price Tuesday is $2.76, while the price in Aiken and Edgefield counties is $2.79.

Roads are expected to stay busy in the two-state region for the next few days.

About 3.7 million Georgians are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home to celebrate Christmas. That’s about 100,000 more than last year. If we don’t set an overall Christmas travel record, we’re going to get close.

As usual for holidays, the Georgia Department of Transportation has temporarily halted lane closures on interstates, major state routes and roadways near key shopping areas, malls and retail districts through 10 p.m. Jan. 5.

Nationwide, AAA expects 3 million more travelers than last year. An estimated 119.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more. This narrowly surpasses the previous record set in 2019 by 64,000 travelers.

MORE RESOURCES

Georgia: Things for holiday travelers to know

1. TSA security wait times at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
2. TSA: What you can pack in your carry-on and checked baggage
3. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport flight delays/cancellations via FlightAware
4. Gas Buddy – Cheap gas prices in Georgia

“What we are expecting, though, is an overall total record of 119 million travelers and specifically the airline passengers air travel. That’s also a new record of 7.85 million. More people are flying. 2024 has been a record-breaking year for air travel in general. TSA numbers also back that up,” said Alex Diaz, AAA spokesperson.

Here are the best and worst times to travel by car over the Christmas 2024 holiday, according to AAA:

AAA wants drivers to be safe and smart this Christmas and New Year’s. The Auto Club Group will launch its free “Tow to Go” service, which is aimed at preventing impaired driving.

The program offers AAA members and non-members a free tow within a 10-mile radius. AAA requests that the program be used as a last resort, yet it is accessible to those who need it. The service will be available from 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24 to 6 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 2. Call 855-2-TOW-2-GO or 855-286-9246 to request a ride.

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