The winter vacation is coming, but what should be a pleasant trip home for students can be a challenging journey - they need to buy plane, coach or train tickets during chunyun period, the 40-day travel rush around Spring Festival.

In order to make the journey easier, 21st Century has compiled the following tips and advice on how to book tickets.

Train tickets

According to China Railway, more than 257.8 million passengers are expected to travel by rail during this year’s chunyun. Most of them are college students on their winter vacation and migrant workers returning home for the Chinese New Year celebrations. But students have a huge advantage in this competition to get home because they can book train tickets long before workers do.

Plane tickets

Apart from the train, students can also go home by air. There are some cheap flight tickets available for them. China Southern Airlines, for example, offers a special discount for full-time students. As long as they register online and provide a valid student card, they can buy flight tickets that are up to 55 percent cheaper than the original price. Since discount flight tickets can be as cheap as train tickets, the airline company recommends students book at least 20 days before the travel date.

Tips on booking

1. Book tickets for a trip that’s longer than the one you are actually on.

2. Divide your trip into two parts. For example, if tickets between Hohhot and Yinchuan are sold out, book tickets from Hohhot to Wuyuan and then from Wuyuan to Yinchuan.

3. Book a connection ticket if non-stop tickets are not available. To get a student discount, tell the staff that they are joint trip tickets.

4. Seize the last opportunity. There may be some leftover or returned tickets available a few days before the departure date. Check online at 12 pm (noon), 1 pm, and from 6-8 pm.