5 things you should know about traveling during APEC

Many Beijing citizens are having a vacation windfall next month, as the authorities have approved a six-day holiday for employees in government departments and institutions during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting to ease traffic.

Although companies are not included, some of them said they would provide a holiday to their employees to support the APEC meetings, which will be Nov 10 and 11.

It's natural for those who don't have to work to think of traveling from Nov 7 to 12. The local government is encouraging people to travel during the holiday, and it is working with some travel agencies to promote tours.

Before you jump off to plan your holiday, here are some reminders and good news to keep in mind.

[Photo/Asianewsphoto] 1. If you plan to drive out of the city, remember that Beijing will use an odd-even traffic ban from Nov 3 to 12. That means cars can only be driven on alternating days based on odd or even license plate numbers. Consider public traffic if you tour inside the city or visit the surrounding areas, as Beijing will increase the number of buses by 400, or 2 percent of total public transport capacity.