On December 17, train tickets for New Year's Eve (December 31) officially went on sale. Data from TONGCHENGTRAVEL's platform shows that search interest for train and flight tickets around New Year's has surged by 303% compared to the same period last year. Destinations such as Kunming, Dali, Guangzhou, Xiamen, and Nanning are among the most sought-after for train travel during the holiday.

Based on sold tickets and advance bookings, TONGCHENGTRAVEL's data reveals the top 10 popular destinations for the New Year holiday: Shanghai, Harbin, Beijing, Shenyang, Dali, Kunming, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Guiyang, and Changsha.

A previous report by TONGCHENGTRAVEL, the "2026 New Year Holiday Travel Trends Report," indicates that travel demand for the holiday spans both short and long-distance trips. Short-distance travel is concentrated within key city clusters like Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Chengdu-Chongqing.

Driven by winter-themed and warm-weather travel, long-distance train routes are trending toward destinations in Northeast China, Yunnan, Guangdong, and Fujian. On TONGCHENGTRAVEL's platform, the Beijing-Harbin high-speed rail is particularly popular, with high demand for tickets to Harbin, Shenyang, and Changchun. Meanwhile, travelers seeking warmer climates are heading south, with Kunming, Dali, Guangzhou, Xiamen, and Nanning seeing strong ticket sales. Many passengers are opting to depart three days early to extend their holiday.

Compared to train tickets, which have a 15-day advance booking window, flight bookings for New Year's have already peaked. TONGCHENGTRAVEL's data shows that flight bookings have more than doubled year-over-year, with average ticket prices rising significantly. Popular routes include Guangzhou-Harbin, Shanghai-Kunming, and Beijing-Sanya, reflecting a clear trend of travelers moving between northern and southern regions.

Those planning an extended "8-day holiday" by taking three extra days off are turning to international travel. Given the longer booking lead time for overseas trips, most outbound flight reservations are nearly complete. Short-haul international destinations within a "5-hour flight radius" are the most popular, with strong demand for tickets.