Which holidays offer free highway tolls?
3 Answers
Highway toll-free holidays include the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day. The free period starts at 00:00 on the first day of the holiday and ends at 24:00 on the last day of the holiday. If you enter the highway during non-free hours but exit during free hours, you will not be charged toll fees; if you enter during free hours but exit during non-free hours, you will not be eligible for the toll-free benefit. Legal basis: "Notice of the State Council on Approving the Implementation Plan of the Ministry of Transport and Other Departments on Exempting Toll Fees for Small Passenger Vehicles During Major Holidays"—The toll-free period covers four national statutory holidays: Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day, as well as the above-mentioned statutory holidays determined by documents issued by the General Office of the State Council in that year. Day after day. The free period starts at 00:00 on the first day of the holiday and ends at 24:00 on the last day of the holiday (based on the time when the vehicle passes through the toll lane of the ordinary highway toll station and the time when the vehicle exits the toll lane of the highway). The free vehicles include passenger vehicles with seven seats or fewer (including seven seats) on toll roads, as well as motorcycles allowed to travel on ordinary toll roads.
I've specifically researched this issue. This year, there are actually only four holidays with free expressway tolls: the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day. The Spring Festival usually has the longest free period, about 7 days, but the traffic volume is enormous, so it's advisable to travel during off-peak times. The Qingming Festival has a shorter free period, making it suitable for short trips back home for ancestral worship. Although Labor Day is also toll-free, many people choose to go on self-drive trips around the area, which can easily lead to traffic jams on the expressways. The National Day holiday is the longest, making it a great time for long-distance self-drive trips, but remember to check the free toll start and end times in advance (the time is based on when you exit the expressway). Small passenger vehicles with fewer than 7 seats can enjoy the free toll, but vehicles like pickup trucks are not eligible.
As someone who frequently drives long distances, the highway toll exemption really saves a considerable amount of money! When taking my kids back to our hometown, I pay the most attention to the Spring Festival and National Day holidays, as these two holidays offer the longest toll-free periods on highways. The Qingming Festival has a shorter toll-free duration, but it's still essential for the grave-sweeping peak. During the Labor Day toll-free period, many people take short trips around the area, leading to long queues at rest area toilets. Key reminder: The toll-free period starts at 00:00 on the first day of the holiday and ends at 24:00 on the last day. Those crossing provinces with ETC don't need to worry about billing issues at all. Timing your entry and exit from the highway is crucial. Even if you arrive at your destination in the early hours, it's worth waiting at the toll station until the toll-free period begins before exiting.
