New Year's Day saw a surge in travel across China, with short to medium-distance trips becoming the preferred choice for holidaymakers in major cities.

China saw over 208 million inter-regional passenger trips on the first day of 2026, up 0.2 percent from the day before and 21 percent higher than the same day of last year. Rail travel recorded 18.25 million trips, a sharp 65.1 percent jump year on year.

China's Ministry of Transport forecasts that expressways will handle an average of 37 million vehicles daily during the 2026 New Year holiday period, a nine percent rise compared to 2025.

The trend is influenced by the holiday's length and winter conditions, according to Deng Wen, a senior engineer with the ministry.

Travel will largely consist of self-driving tours within provinces to visit family and friends, Deng said.

Passenger car traffic is projected to reach 30.8 million vehicles per day, up 22 percent from typical weekday levels.

Rail travel also saw high demand, with an estimated 77.8 million passenger trips expected nationwide during the holiday transport period, from December 31 to January 4. January 1 marked the peak, recording 18.25 million rail passenger trips and 1,113 extra train services.

According to sector data as cited by CMG, domestic flight bookings rose 28 percent year on year, while international bookings increased by about 14 percent, underscoring strong demand across the travel industry.