apologies in advance if my question looks petty, but previous replies have made quite clear that traveling in periods just before CNY is quite difficult, if only for the extreme stress exerted to China transportation systems by hundreds of millions of people returning to their hometowns and families once per year. If your trip is essential one, and not a family emergency, a sensible planning should have adjusted it to avoid traveling, or at best having a rock-solid reservation, for the week before the CNY date (the 23rd. of January this year). Having said that if the travel distance is within 2-3 hours, getting by car is your best bet at the moment. I would not worry about the money in the sense that the driver, if available for such a trip, will tell you the fare and it will already be a more substantial amount than normally asked, it's up to you to agree his demand.