How Do I Travel In Chicago If I Don't Have a Car?

Q. I'm planning a trip to Chicago but taking the train. I don't think I can afford a hotel/motel in the Downtown area to where I can just walk to the destinations. So I'm looking to get a hotel/motel 20-30 minutes away from downtown. Question is, how easy is it to get a taxi or bus? Do I have to call ahead? Or is it like New York where I can just go outside and there will be dozens of Taxi's/Buses in the street?

A. There are lots of CTA elevated/subway and bus lines that you can take throughout the city and some of the suburbs. A complete CTA map, fare information, etc. can be found at www.transitchicago.com

There are also two suburban services: Pace (for suburban buses) and Metra (for suburban trains). Try pacebus.com or metrarail.com for information.

Getting a taxi downtown is like in New York: just hail one on the street. If you are in a less dense area and you see no cabs going down the street, just phone for a cab: your hotel will provide you with a list of taxi companies.

There are many low to mid-priced hotels that are near the airports, and you can look them up on the Internet. Hotels just east of O'Hare usually offer a free shuttle to the Rosemont or Cumberland Ave CTA Blue Line stations, and the neighborhood just east of O'Hare is safe. Midway Airport is served by the Orange Line. It takes 20-30 minutes to get downtown on the Blue Line, and 20-25 minutes on the Orange Line.

All of the areas of interest to tourists can be reached by the CTA - usually the "L."

What is blue-line and how long from O'hare to downtown chicago?

Q. We are looking for places to stay in chicago for 2 nights and I found a holiday inn near O'hare. Has anyone stayed at the one on 5615 N. Cumberland Avenue, CHICAGO IL US 60631?

I wanted to know what the blue line is (is it train or subway or bus) and how long would it take to get from o'hare to downtown? Also, does the blue line run 24-7?

A. I have not stayed at that particular hotel, but it is in a safe, low-crime neighborhood. Given that it is a Holiday Inn, it should be a satisfactory mid-range hotel.

The CTA Blue Line is a rapid transit line linking the airport to downtown, and eventually, the west side of Chicago. At Cumberland, the station and tracks are in a median inside the Kennedy Expressway. The entry is on ground level, and there are stairs, elevators, and escalators to the platform. The line eventually goes into a subway, then it goes on an elevated platform, and again descends into a subway a few miles northwest of downtown. It runs 24X7.

My experience is that it takes about 35 minutes to ride from Cumberland to the Clark & Lake station downtown.

Where can I park for three nights in Chicago?

Q. I am flying into O'Hare to spend three nights in Chicago with a friend. My friend is driving in from Monticello. She will be picking me up at the airport. We are staying at the Palmer House Hotel near the loop. We are not looking to pay 50+/night to park. We will not be using the car at all during the three days. Where is an economical place to park with transit access? We wouldn't mind parking anywhere between O'Hare and the hotel, hop on a train, see the car in 3 days. Any advice?

A. If you are planning on using public transit extensively during your visit, then it might make sense to park in the Cumberland garage and take the Blue Line downtown. Parking there would be $12/day. In fact, from O'Hare you could take the Blue Line to Cumberland yourself and wait for your friend there and then take the train together downtown and save the cost of parking short-term at O'Hare. There are vending machines at both O'Hare and Cumberland that sell 3-day visitor passes for $14 which might come in handy for your visit.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers