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Making travel plans for Eagles-Saints game? Here’s what you need to know.

If you’re looking to watch another “double doink” miracle in the Big Easy Sunday, game tickets are still available, and so is transportation.

Eagles fans cheer as players leave the field after a first-round playoff game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. The Eagles won 16-15.
Eagles fans cheer as players leave the field after a first-round playoff game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. The Eagles won 16-15.Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

As St. Nick and the Eagles head to New Orleans this Sunday, some Birds fans are making plans to flock south for the big game.

Eagles fans are expected to make up about 18 percent of the playoff crowd (that’s one Eagles fan for every five Saints supporters) at the Superdome, according to ticket vendor Vivid Seats. Of the four divisional playoff games this weekend, that’s the smallest crowd rooting for the visiting team, according to Vivid Seats.

But if you’re hoping to watch another “double doink” miracle in the Big Easy on Sunday, game tickets are still available and so is transportation. Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning a last-minute trip:

On the road

It’s not a straight shot and involves about 2½ days of double-decker travel, but Megabus is offering a route to New Orleans and back, with layovers in Washington and Atlanta, for $203.50 round-trip. The bus leaves Philadelphia on Friday morning and returns Tuesday evening.

If you’re looking to drive to New Orleans, the 1,200-mile trip from Lincoln Financial Stadium to Mercedes-Benz Superdome will take you around 18½ hours, according to Google Maps. With gas prices nationwide averaging $2.23, the round-trip drive would cost about $206 in fuel in a sedan that averages 29 miles to the gallon, AAA estimates.

In the air

For Birds fans willing to spend the money and save time by flying to the game, the cheapest round-trip tickets cost around $570, sans baggage, according to Google Flights.

Once you get there

As for lodging, hotel-room prices within a mile of the stadium begin around $140 per night, according to Travelocity. And, if you have extra time and want to grab a po’boy while in the area, try heading farther south for authentic Cajun cooking.

If you’re staying put

For those watching the game on TV, kickoff is scheduled for 4:40 p.m. EST on FOX.

The last time they were in New Orleans, the Eagles suffered the worst loss ever by a defending Super Bowl champion, with a 48-7 rout by the Saints.

But the postseason Birds are a different team, says head coach Doug Pederson.

“… [T]his team believes,” Pederson told reporters Monday. “This team believes in everything that we’re doing, and you saw it [in beating 12-4 Chicago on Sunday], and we’re different. It’s a different mind-set. It’s a different football team.”

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