BEIJING - More than 660 million people are expected to travel during the weeklong National Day holiday starting next Sunday, an increase of 8.8 percent from the same period last year, according to an official prediction.

He Jianzhong, spokesman for the Ministry of Transport, said on Thursday that China's railways, highways and airlines will serve a daily average of 82.5 million travelers during the holiday, which lasts from Oct 1 to 7.

The first and last days of the holiday will be especially busy, with many people leaving and returning. However, He forecast that the peak day is expected to fall on the eve of Oct 1, adding that he expects 86 million people to travel on the day.

He said more than 1.6 million people will travel by ship daily during the holiday.

China will exempt minibuses from road tolls during the holiday, which may contribute to a sharp increase in travelers, especially those who travel via private car, said the spokesman.