Passengers catch a train at Nanjing Railway Station on Tuesday.[Photo by Lang Congliu/For China Daily]

Shen Peilan, who lives in Shanghai, will be taking part in the migration. She has booked a high-speed train ticket from Beijing to Shanghai for Jan 26.

"I usually fly between Shanghai and Beijing, but I'm worried about the weather conditions this winter, and flights are hard to predict and likely to be canceled or delayed," the 30-year-old said. "That is why I booked a bullet train ticket this time.

"It was not as hard to book a train ticket as many said it would be, but I guess that is because Beijing to Shanghai is not a popular Spring Festival travel rush route."

Pang Jun, 30, from Hunan province, is not as lucky. He said: "I have to make three trips this Spring Festival: from Beijing to Jiangsu, to visit my girlfriend's parents; from Jiangsu to Hunan, to visit my parents; and from Hunan to Beijing. I will be more exhausted than when I'm working."

It is the first time Pang will visit his girlfriend's home during Spring Festival. "It will be a double challenge in the future."

He and his girlfriend plan to take trains and airplanes.

"By air is expensive, but fast. Train is our top choice, but all tickets from Beijing to Jiangsu province are sold out," he said, adding that they are holding on to the hope they can snap up some return tickets.