I decided to drive with my husband to Hunan province to see my son, who studies in the provincial capital Changsha. My husband and I will first visit Fenghuang county, pick up my son in Changsha and then travel to Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie. All of us are excited about the trip as we have never taken this route before.

I estimate that we could save about 1,000 yuan ($159) in toll fees that are lifted during the holidays. It is not a huge amount of money, but it is almost half the gas bill.

This means the travel expenses for each person, by car, will be cheaper than taking an airplane. It might cost slightly more than taking a train, but will be much faster. My husband and I are usually busy with our work, so we don't want to waste time during our limited vacation.