Which Holidays Have Toll-Free Highways?

[OMarcus]

Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day have toll-free highways. Related Information: 1. Relevant Regulations: According to the "Implementation Plan for Exempting Small Passenger Vehicles from Toll Fees on Major Holidays," the toll-free periods on expressways in 2021 are during the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day, totaling four national statutory holidays. During these holidays, expressways are toll-free for passenger vehicles with seven seats or fewer (including seven seats). 2. Scope: The toll-free periods on expressways are during the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day. This includes national statutory holidays and the consecutive holidays determined by the State Council's official documents for the year.

[Theo]

During the four statutory holidays of Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day each year, small passenger vehicles with 7 seats or fewer enjoy toll-free access on highways. I pay special attention to this policy because our family often goes on self-drive tours, and the 7-day toll-free period during National Day can save us hundreds in toll fees. However, it's important to note that the toll-free period is based on the time the vehicle exits the highway. If you don’t exit before 24:00 on the last day, the overtime portion will be charged in full. Additionally, although the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival are also statutory holidays, highways are not toll-free during these times, which can easily cause confusion. It’s advisable to check the specific toll-free dates for the year before traveling to avoid missing the free period.

[GiaLynn]

The toll-free policy on highways is mainly implemented during four major holidays: the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day. Every time these holidays come around, I plan my itinerary carefully to ensure round trips within the toll-free period. The policy applies to private vehicles with 7 seats or fewer, including new energy vehicles, but trucks and vehicles with 8 seats or more still need to pay. It's important to note that the toll-free period starts at 00:00 on the first day of the holiday and ends at 24:00 on the last day. It's advisable to avoid the peak traffic during the last few hours. Although the New Year's Day holiday also has days off, highways are never toll-free during this time, so don't be misled.

[RosalieRose]

I noticed that the toll-free policy on highways is only applicable during four statutory holidays: Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Labor Day, and National Day. As a long-distance driver like me, I'm well aware that the free periods strictly follow the State Council's holiday schedule. For example, National Day usually offers 7 free days, Spring Festival 7 days, while Tomb-Sweeping Day and Labor Day each have about 3 days. Only passenger vehicles with 7 seats or fewer qualify for the exemption. I remember last year during the National Day return trip, seeing many cars dangerously speeding to exit before the 24:00 deadline – I strongly advise planning your time wisely.

[LaEverly]

As someone who frequently drives during holidays, I've summarized the rule: only the four major holidays—Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day—offer toll-free expressways. The free period covers the entire holiday, but it's limited to passenger vehicles with 7 seats or fewer. However, it's important to note that the free period starts based on the entry time when you take the toll card, but ends based on the exit time. Once during Labor Day, I almost missed the deadline on my return trip and ended up in a long queue at the expressway exit in the last half hour. I recommend downloading a highway app to check the countdown to the free period in real time—it's much more reliable than relying solely on memory.