Lake Forest to O'Hare Sunday pm - Train Route? (Chicago: mover, transfer to)

[millennialmom]

I need to make my way from Lake Forest to O'Hare for a flight on Sunday evening. It looks like the Metra from the West Lake Forest station intersects with the Blue Line to get to the airport. Is it viable to take the train from Lake Forest to O'Hare? At which stop would you transfer to the Blue Line? Thanks !!

[oakparkdude]

Take the Metra to Mayfair. Exit the platform and walk down the steps to Montrose Ave. Walk east about a block and enter the Blue line Montrose Ave station. Just a few stops from Montrose to Ohare.

Should be pretty easy for an able-bodied adult unless you have a lot of luggage to drag with you.

[millennialmom]

Hi sukwoo - Thanks for responding. I had to ask because the RTA site had me taking the Blue Line south and then transferring and taking it north, to the airport. It didn't feel right. I was looking for an answer more like yours. I'll be traveling light and am very able bodied, so this should work. Thanks again.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by millennialmom

Hi sukwoo - Thanks for responding. I had to ask because the RTA site had me taking the Blue Line south and then transferring and taking it north, to the airport. It didn't feel right. I was looking for an answer more like yours. I'll be traveling light and am very able bodied, so this should work. Thanks again.

Yeah, the RTA site gives weird results sometimes. Try using Google maps. They now have a public transit option when you ask for directions.

from: lake forest, il to: ord - Google Maps

[millennialmom]

Thanks for the tip. I'll definitely use that site. btw, is this a decent neighborhood around Mayfair / Montrose?

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by millennialmom

Thanks for the tip. I'll definitely use that site. btw, is this a decent neighborhood around Mayfair / Montrose?

I'm fairly certain its perfectly fine, but I'll let others more familiar with it give the definitive answer.

[trailerguy]

They were probably talking about taking the UP North line that stops at the Lake Forest station near the lake. Then the only way would be to go to the end of the line in Chicago and walk three blocks down Clinton Street to the Blue Line Stop and ride out to the airport.

[trailerguy]

Also if you take the North Central line south from Vernon Hills (west of Lake Forest), there is an O'Hare Transfer station that apparently has shuttle bus service directly to the airport. I don't know details about the shuttle, it was not on the Metra site. (Metra - Welcome to Metra)

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by trailerguy

Also if you take the North Central line south from Vernon Hills (west of Lake Forest), there is an O'Hare Transfer station that apparently has shuttle bus service directly to the airport. I don't know details about the shuttle, it was not on the Metra site. (Metra - Welcome to Metra)

The shuttle is the same bus that serves the remote parking lot. So service is pretty frequent. Just make sure to be visible to the driver and don't be waiting inside behind a wall. The shuttle will take you to the people mover/train that stops at each terminal.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

The shuttle is the same bus that serves the remote parking lot. So service is pretty frequent. Just make sure to be visible to the driver and don't be waiting inside behind a wall. The shuttle will take you to the people mover/train that stops at each terminal.

A shuttle bus comes by every 5-10 minutes or so. It then drops you off at the people mover terminus. A people mover/train (entirely separate system from CTA) comes by every 5 minutes or so and takes about 5 minutes to travel to the airline terminals.

Unfortunately, the Metra-NCS line (the one which stops at ORD) is not in service on weekends. (And has pretty limited service even on weekdays.)