Chicago trip advice

Hello board members,

My wife and I are scheduled to go to Chicago in May and we have a few days to tour downtown and take in the museums and city sites.

We were thinking of staying in Harvey at the Comfort Inn %26amp; Suites Harvey鈥? Comfort Suites Harvey鈥?or Econo Lodge Harvey and then taking subway into city. The subway stop at Homewood looks like it is an okay area.

Problem is I don%26#39;t know too much about the Chicago area. Good and bad areas.

Can I get advice on taking subway, crime, bad neighbours, good areas, parking at subway and so forth?

Any help would be great.

Chicago trip advice

I%26#39;m not the one to answer all of your questions, but as a midwesterner who is terrified of big cities but who loves Chicago and travels there 4 or 5 times a year, I can say that 97% of the time I%26#39;ve felt perfectly safe using public transporation in Chicago.

The few times I haven%26#39;t was when we got routed to the South side late at night due to construction and when we%26#39;ve run into a few weirdos here and there (also usually late at night). The train system is pretty easy to figure out and while the buses are intimidating at first, the CTA website%26#39;s trip planner even makes that pretty easy.

Ask a lot of questions here and I%26#39;m sure any area you come up with people will gladly give you the pluses and minuses.

Chicago trip advice

As previously noted, you do not want to stay in Harvey. Take a look at the Chicago Overview section on this web site. Also check out www.explorechicago.org and www.metromix.com

A car is not necessary here. Parking is very expensive. Public transit here is abundant. www.transitchicago.com for public transit information. If you must have a car - www.millenniumgarages.com/Source/Home.aspx - has reasonable parking rates.

Keep an eye for hotel deals here - http://hotels.travelzoo.com/chicago-hotels/

Thank you so far. Looked up the reviews on hotels I listed and realized it was not the right area. Will check out the links recommended.

My wife is to attend an event at the University of Chicago on the weekend we are there.

When she is there I plan to visit the Museum of Science right there.

We were thinking of buying the Chicago Pass which it says you can buy at your first museum visit and is something like $59 and gets you into the big places.

Which is better? Sears tower or the Hancock building is it?

IMO, Hancock is better than Sears. It%26#39;s better located from a tourist standpoint. Allow at least a 1/2 day to visit the MSI.

FYI - you should do the math and add up admission prices to figure out if the Chicago Pass is a good value for your visit.

Marriott Chicago O%26#39;Hare. We might end up flying into the city as it may be about the same as driving and having to pay for parking. Flying from Detroit. We can get a cheap flight.

Marriott is steps away from the Cumberland EL station.

How does Chicago%26#39;s fare system work for visitors? Is it pay per use? Looked it up on Chicago transit website but not sure. Have traveled on Baltimore and Washington subways.

Subway from this hotel to downtown and then where we are going (University of Chicago and the Science Museum).

How long would it take on subway to go from Science Museum to O%26#39;Hare?

You want to fly into Midway airport for the U of Chicago. There are private buses that serve the campus and airport and take about a half hour. O%26#39;Hare would be roughly two hours on public transportation.

There are very few places to stay near the U of C. See the University%26#39;s website for places that may have a discount. Most people stay downtown; south of the river works best for public transportation. You can take the Metra Electric line or the CTA bus or Red Line train to campus.

';How does Chicago%26#39;s fare system work for visitors? Is it pay per use? Looked it up on Chicago transit website but not sure. Have traveled on Baltimore and Washington subways.';

The fare system is not distance based, like DC. It%26#39;s a flat fare system. You pay per ride. You get free transfers between connecting train lines. You pay for a transfer between a train and a bus. A CTA visitor pass might be a good value for your visit. Details at www.transitchicago.com. The site also explains how the fare system works.

Unless you%26#39;re spending the entire weekend at the U of C, it doesn%26#39;t really matter which airport you fly into. Stay downtown and commute to U of C for the event she is attending. Book something cancellable now and keep checking Priceline, etc. for lower rates. Hopefully you are not coming during the Restaurant Show, in which case you will have trouble booking anything in the city. The show is May 16-19. The Marriott is indeed steps from the Blue Line, but it%26#39;s about a forty-minute ride into downtown and then you still have to get to the U of C, which is on the south side.

Londonwesty,

Have you tried getting a hotel via hotwire or priceline? I know they鈥檙e not very popular in Canada but you can get a really well located place for a great price using those sites. I will be in Chicago for a week in April/May and booked the downtown Intercontinental for $120US/night plus taxes. With tax that%26#39;s about $175CDN/night (gone are the days of parity) but its still a good price as this hotel is very well located. If that seems too pricey you can always try for a three star hotel on Priceline/Hotwire, which are much cheaper. Staying far away from the city really kills a trip.

Also if you can get to Toronto, last week flights for May from Toronto to Chicago on Porter Airlines were $225CDN/person round trip taxes/fees included. I鈥檓 not sure if the promo is still running but you should check it out.