Many travelers this year have faced a challenge of another sort—while buying tickets online. New cybersecurity measures in the form of puzzles, designed to thwart scalpers, left many customers baffled. With tickets selling out fast, time wasted on the cryptic puzzles often resulted in lost chances to buy the right—or any—ticket.

Train stations have some of the worst lines. One Weibo user complained about the line for picking up tickets booked online being longer than the regular line, commenting it used to be the other way around and posting a pic from where he was stuck.

Image for article titled Photos: The slightly less crowded—but still hellish—Chinese New Year exodus
Image: Weibo user Geleshi

These videos give a sense of the hordes.

Other glimpses of what travelers around the nation face this year:

Passengers stranded outside the Guangzhou Railway Station on Feb. 2.
Passengers stranded outside the Guangzhou Railway Station on Feb. 2.
Image: EPA/Kalyl Silva China Out
Standing-room only on a train from Shanghai to Shijiazhuang on Jan. 27.
Standing-room only on a train from Shanghai to Shijiazhuang on Jan. 27.
Image: Reuters/Aly Song
Waiting in line for ticket checks and security screening outside of the Beijing Railway Station.
Waiting in line for ticket checks and security screening outside of the Beijing Railway Station.
Image: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
Passengers use their smartphones as they sit in a waiting room at the Beijing Railway Station.
Passengers use their smartphones as they sit in a waiting room at the Beijing Railway Station.
Image: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
Waiting to board a train in Beijing.
Waiting to board a train in Beijing.
Image: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A makeshift bed of baggage on a train from Shanghai to Shijiazhuang.
A makeshift bed of baggage on a train from Shanghai to Shijiazhuang.
Image: Reuters/Aly Song
A train station worker uses a speaker phone to alert Chinese travelers to board their trains in Beijing on Jan. 31.
A train station worker uses a speaker phone to alert Chinese travelers to board their trains in Beijing on Jan. 31.
Image: AP Photo/Andy Wong

📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief

Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.