Cars wait in line to pass the Dujiakan Tollgate in Beijing on Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

A sea of people

Although it was expected the toll-free policy will encourage domestic tourism, there were concerns that it would lead to traffic congestion and overcrowding at popular scenic areas.

"I gave up my holiday plan because I thought there would be too much traffic and too many people at tourist sites," said Chen Jin, a 39-year-old police officer in Chongqing, who has been taking road trips for many years.

To tackle the expected increase in the number of drivers and cars, Guilin, a tourism city in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is providing more parking spaces.

"We expect a 30 percent increase in cars, so we have negotiated with traffic authorities to allow drivers to park on the roadside in certain areas if there are too many cars," said Zhang Yuantao, general manager of the Guilin Tourism Development Corporation, which manages many of the city's tourist sites.

To better serve self-driving tourists, mostly from neighboring Guangdong and Hunan provinces, the company is providing tourism information stands at major road gateways to the city, he added.

For tourist Zhang Ping, from Chongqing, another concern is the increased cost of accommodation if demand overwhelms supply.

"I know at some scenic spots, family inns are refusing to accept reservations because they are waiting for the highest offer. Higher accommodation costs might offset the money saved on tolls."

"Just in case, we take tents in the car," she said.

Contact the writer at tanzongyang@chinadaily.com.cn

He Wei in Shanghai contributed to this story.