Before buying any tickets or reserving any hotels, make sure you are willing to spend up to 25% more money for the tickets or hotels. Travel fees in Asia-and especially to and from China-increase dramatically around the Spring Festival (春節--Chūnjié). Expect to pay more for tickets beginning four weeks before the start of the Spring Festival (often called Lunar or Chinese New Year). Hotels will begin to fill up a month before the start of the festival, and the fees will increase as the festival gets closer.
Step 1: Figure out where you would like to go and how you want to get there.
Destinations:
- Some popular domestic destinations are: Hong Kong*, Tibet**, Macau*, Inner Mongolia*, Beijing, Shanghai, Harbin, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and anywhere that isn't where you currently live.
- Some popular international destinations are*: Korea (North and South), Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
For some ideas on where to go inside China, check out my "Summer Travel" series of blog posts.
Modes of transit:
- Trains: the newly complete high speed train system is very efficient and will get you to and from all the major cities in China. There are still 'old" trains that run from the major cities to the smaller cities in most of China.
- Buses: There are both short distance and long distance or "sleeper" buses available in China. If you don't mind listening to 50 snoring Chinese, this is the cheapest mode of travel, but it also takes FOREVER.
- Air: If you are going outside of China for the holiday or if you are going to a remote place, air travel is often the fastest and easiest way to go, but it is also usually the most expensive.
Step 2: Travel day.
What to expect:
- Sardine cans: the buses and trains will be "standing room only" so book your ticket early and make sure your ticket says you get a bed or chair if that is what you want.
- Standby to Standby: while airlines don't have "standing room" if you wait too long, you will be relegated to the standby line. Also, you should expect incredibly long cues at all the major airports for both domestic and international flights so be sure to arrive early.
What you need:
- "Documents please": Make sure that you have your passport (with one entry left if you are leaving the country for the holiday), tickets, and hotel/hostel reservation.
- cha-ching!: Remember that prices for everything will jump during the Spring Festival. most shops will be closed and those that remain open will jack the prices up on sought after commodities like toilet paper, fruit, and vegetables. Bring a lot of extra cash or have a credit card or debit card handy.
*(Please note that if you are going to one of the "Special Administrative Regions" (Hong Kong, Macau, Inner Mongolia, etc.) this counts as leaving the country and you will need an open entry on your existing visa to return to China).
**(Please note that depending on the political climate, Tibet may not be good option).
Happy travels!
新年快乐!
PS: Personally, I never travel for any national holiday in China. I would rather save my money and travel during the late summer or early fall (the tourist "off season") when the prices are much lower.
