According to multiple travel agencies, this year’s National Day Golden Week will coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival, resulting in an 8-day holiday. In addition, in early August, the State Council officially issued a document stipulating that toll roads will be toll-free during national statutory holidays such as Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day. This will significantly increase the number of self-drive travelers during this year’s National Day holiday. Not only will nearby scenic spots become popular self-drive destinations, but a considerable portion of domestic travel will also primarily rely on self-driving, marking a new trend for this year’s National Day trips.
　　Expressway toll stations to be upgraded
　　To improve traffic efficiency
　　Although toll exemption is good news, residents planning to drive during the holiday should also be prepared for potential negative impacts such as congestion and safety issues. Ge Han, a relevant official from the Suzhou Ring Expressway, stated that in response to the new policy of waiving tolls for small passenger vehicles during the “National Day long holiday,” the Suzhou Ring Expressway has already prepared emergency plans. She revealed that toll stations on the Ring Expressway will be upgraded to increase vehicle throughput capacity, and dedicated lanes for small passenger vehicles will be added.
　　Scenic gardens plan to increase parking spaces
　　Reportedly, scenic gardens are also making intensive preparations for the influx of self-drive travelers during the National Day Golden Week. Officials from the garden management department said they have anticipated the aftermath of the self-drive boom. Currently, some attractions have begun adding parking spaces in preparation for this special holiday period. The garden department has also coordinated with traffic police and urban management authorities to make use of idle public resources, such as vacant lots near scenic areas resulting from demolition.
　　Plan wisely to avoid traffic jams
　　A person in charge of a local self-drive travel club reminded citizens that while toll exemption will attract large crowds, self-drive travelers should “seek benefits and avoid harm.” They should avoid blindly heading to crowded places just for the thrill, to prevent endless traffic jams and other hassles. “Choosing your route wisely is the most important thing. To avoid getting stuck in traffic, you can opt for less popular routes and consciously seek out newly opened expressways.” Regarding travel timing, he suggested avoiding peak hours while still taking advantage of free highways. He recommended departing in the early hours of the first toll-free day, but stressed the importance of nighttime driving safety.
　　Free highways encourage longer self-drive trips
　　Mr. Liu, a citizen who bought a new car half a year ago, had been stuck driving at low speeds in congested urban areas and had long wanted to take a self-drive trip to test his car’s performance. Upon learning about the plan to waive tolls for small vehicles during this year’s National Day holiday, he could hardly contain his enthusiasm and gathered a few friends to plan their travel route.
　　For beginners unfamiliar with self-driving, going it alone can be somewhat “challenging,” with concerns over accommodation, dining, safety, and more. Reportedly, many local travel agencies seem uninterested in the “big piece of cake” that is self-drive travel. Fei, a person in charge at Suzhou International Travel Agency, explained the reason: self-drive travel involves too many unstable and uncontrollable factors, with a high degree of spontaneity during the trip, making group tours unlikely. “Self-drive travel requires professional support. If something happens along the way—like car trouble—you’ll need repair personnel and emergency measures.” However, Fei expressed optimism about the self-drive market. “Car clubs are a great format. We will follow up in the future based on market trends.” At the same time, he believes self-drive travel will become more personalized in the future. Since self-drive travel requires certain financial means and puts vehicles through long-distance challenges, it’s not for everyone.
　　However, travel websites are capitalizing heavily on the self-drive trend. Reportedly, Ctrip has introduced travel packages for this year’s National Day self-drive market, bundling hotels with attraction tickets at discounted rates compared to booking separately. In terms of routes, self-drive packages to destinations like Guangzhou, Guizhou, and Xiamen are seeing strong demand. A Ctrip representative noted that many “travelers” who previously limited themselves to road trips within Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai have now started venturing on longer journeys.