How to avoid peak self-driving tours during long holidays.

It's National Day again, and peak travel is challenging. Let's talk about my itinerary first, then my experience. First stop, about 600 kilometers away from Handan: Beixiangtang Mountain, Nanxiangtang Mountain, and the North Dynasty Archaeological Museum are all niche attractions. Originally planned to stay in Guangfu Ancient City, but randomly changed, avoiding the crowds, and switched to accommodation in Shexian (Nuwa Palace). It's a very quiet small city. Second stop, Nuwa Palace, Taihang Mountain Tongyu, Dazhai, Xiyanyang (Hongqi Street), temporarily canceled Huangya Cave Scenic Area (crowded) on the road, stayed in Xiyanyang at night and played Hongqi Street. Third stop: Niangziguan, due to road repairs, Guanguan Great Wall was canceled, changed to Tianchang Ancient Town, canceled Zhengding Ancient City, changed to Zhaozhou Bridge (not getting off due to crowds), changed to Gaotang accommodation, evening walk around Gaotang Lake. Fourth stop: Zibo Commercial City to buy porcelain, lunch at Cornfield BBQ, afternoon tea at home. On the road, I saw a lot of news about traffic jams and crowded attractions online. I found it very interesting. We had a smooth journey and enjoyed our trip. So, today's focus is on how to avoid peak travel. Mastering these tips will be very helpful. 1. Purpose: During long holidays, don't go to major cities or large attractions. This is a big no-no, as they are full of people. Try to choose niche attractions, places that are inconvenient to reach by train or plane, which highlights the advantages of self-driving. The more famous the attraction, the more you should avoid it. Just make a general plan and adjust it as needed. Holiday travel is about relaxing your mind, not sightseeing. 2. Equipment: An important piece of equipment is a folding table and chairs, a large-capacity thermos, and a convenient tea-making set. You can rest and have tea or meals at any time. You can also take a nap in a scenic spot. 3. Traffic arrangements: During long holidays, highways are free, so everyone takes the highway. This makes it easy for cars to get stuck, while many good national roads are empty. Apart from the speed limit (for safety), both the scenery and road conditions are excellent. The Taihang Mountain National Road we took felt like a highway, with no cars, so you can drive freely. Therefore, for short distances within 80 kilometers or connections between scenic spots, it is not necessary to take a detour on the highway. In fact, the national road is the shortest route. 4. Staggered travel: When you're away from home, be diligent. When others are resting according to their normal routine, it's your time to hit the road. For example, I never sleep in. I usually set off at 7 am, whether on national roads or highways, there are basically no cars on the road, so you can drive freely. I'm also the first wave at the scenic spot. When I'm done playing, the crowds start to pour in. This is around 11 am, just the right time for a break. After an hour of tea and food, it's time to set off again. It's lunchtime, so the roads are still very empty. Around 4 pm, check into a hotel, take a shower, take a nap or lie down for an hour. You can also take a walk in the evening. 5. Adjust at any time: Pay attention to the online release of scenic spot traffic and daily traffic flow. This will let you know where you can go and where you should avoid. The attractions we temporarily canceled were all overcrowded. Go where there are fewer people. Just have a general direction, don't stick to your original plan mechanically. This is also an advantage of self-driving. For example, my trip to Dazhai and Xiyanyang's Hongqi Street was great. The kids were very impressed. They haven't experienced this period of history, so they only understand what a fighting spirit is when they come here. 6. Scenic spots: Usually, the most important scenic spot of the day is arranged in the morning. Try to enter as soon as it opens. There are very few people at this time, so you can enjoy it to the fullest. Take the reverse order of visiting, from the best to the ordinary. Leave more time for the best. This way, you'll find that when you're done playing and strolling out, the crowds are just starting to come in. 7. Meals: During daytime travel, eating is the most time-consuming (unless it's a light meal), especially when there are a lot of people. It seems that Chinese people only go out to eat and drink. In fact, you can never find good and cheap food at scenic spots. Even if your kids eat less, they won't starve. Leave dinner for the evening, and go to the best restaurant in the city. 8. Travel companions: Be sure to choose travel companions who share your interests or hobbies. Having a good relationship and shared interests are two different things. Try to travel with your own family, you will feel very comfortable and refreshed. 9. During long holidays, don't join group tours. Group tours are based on cost and are all large attractions. This is spending money to suffer and being herded like sheep. Also, try to avoid traveling by train or plane. The legend is beautiful, but the reality is cruel. This is a battle, and half of your time will be spent here. Self-driving is the best option. 10. Make good use of free highways: We set off a day before National Day's free period, driving slowly. We stopped at a rest stop and set up a stall to eat dinner, taking our time. Then, around 9 pm, we found a good service area, preferably one with hot water, washed up, and slept in the car overnight. We set off early in the morning, exited the toll gate for free, and were the first to arrive at the scenic spot. We set up a small table and had breakfast and tea, being the first to enter the scenic spot. In the afternoon, we checked into a hotel early, took a shower, and had a nap. In the evening, we strolled around the small town and found the best restaurant to replenish our energy. We were full of energy!