Chicago's
O'Hare
International Airport (tel
773/686-2200, ), the national
HQ for United, American and
several other airlines, is
seventeen miles northwest of
downtown Chicago. It is
connected to the center by
24-hour CTA (Blue Line)
trains
from the station under
Terminal 4, which take around
forty minutes and cost $1.50.
Midway
Airport , smaller than
O'Hare but used by an
increasing number of domestic
airlines, is eleven miles
southwest of downtown; take
one of CTA's Midway (Orange
Line) trains, which take
thirty minutes, or the #99M
Midway Express bus (weekday
rush hours only).
Taxis
into town from O'Hare cost
around $25-30 (there's also a
shared ride program with a
flat rate of $15), and take
thirty minutes to an hour.
From Midway the fare is about
$25 (shared rides are $10) and
the journey time twenty to
forty minutes. Another option
is Continental Air Transport's
express bus and van
service between the airports
and downtown hotels ($20 from
O'Hare, $15 from Midway; tel
312/454-7799, ). The highways
are often clogged, so allow at
least an hour for the trip
from either airport.
Chicago is the hub of the
nationwide Amtrak rail system,
and almost every cross-country
route passes through Union
Station (tel 312/558-1075)
at Canal and Adam streets,
west of the Loop. Greyhound
and a number of regional bus
companies pull into the large
24-hour bus station at
630 W Harrison St, three
blocks southwest.
Arriving in Chicago by
road , racing towards the
gleaming glass towers of the
Loop, can be memorable. Bear
in mind, though, that traffic
on the expressways to and from
downtown can be
bumper-to-bumper during rush
hours. Parking can also
be a problem. Meters are
expensive (25¢ for 15min) and
usually have a two-hour limit.
Check street signs for
additional restrictions, which
are rigidly enforced -
violations may result in your
car being towed and impounded.
Perhaps the best place to
leave a car in the downtown
area is in the garage under
Grant Park at Columbus Drive
and Monroe Drive ($13 for
24hr; tel 312/742-7644), close
to the east side of the Art
Institute.
