Getting around (driving) in Chicago (Brookfield, Lincoln: hotel, adult, traffic)

[BlsdMama]

We drive a large van (15 passenger) and we're coming to Chicago for a four day trip. We'll be staying out of town . We'll be going to Brookfield Zoo, Shedd's, The Museum of Science, Chinatown, and probably The Navy Pier.

We need a good way to get around. Obviously while at the Zoo, we'll park at the zoo. But I'm thinking there has to be a good way to get around the city with two adults and six small children without paying an arm and a leg for parking everywhere we go. I'm open to suggestions - anyone?

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by BlsdMama

We drive a large van (15 passenger) and we're coming to Chicago for a four day trip. We'll be staying out of town . We'll be going to Brookfield Zoo, Shedd's, The Museum of Science, Chinatown, and probably The Navy Pier.

We need a good way to get around. Obviously while at the Zoo, we'll park at the zoo. But I'm thinking there has to be a good way to get around the city with two adults and six small children without paying an arm and a leg for parking everywhere we go. I'm open to suggestions - anyone?

6 little kids!!!??? Trust me just park your van at the stops it will be MUCH less stressful than having to worry about a kid wandering off somewhere or getting into some sort of trouble.

[PAKennedy]

Originally Posted by BlsdMama

We drive a large van (15 passenger) and we're coming to Chicago for a four day trip. We'll be staying out of town . We'll be going to Brookfield Zoo, Shedd's, The Museum of Science, Chinatown, and probably The Navy Pier.

We need a good way to get around. Obviously while at the Zoo, we'll park at the zoo. But I'm thinking there has to be a good way to get around the city with two adults and six small children without paying an arm and a leg for parking everywhere we go. I'm open to suggestions - anyone?

I'd recommend ditching the van (at the hotel or where ever you can) and buying 5 day CTA passes for the group (Union Station @ Jackson & Canal is a very cool place to see and there is a CTA vending machine downstairs). I want to say they'll be around $15. They'll take you about anywhere you'll need to go, you won't have to worry about driving as that can be pretty bad for people not acclimated to the street layout, it's rather inexpensive as compared to parking, you'll notice more walking and riding the busses than you would if you were worried about driving (not crashing, reading street signs), and there are some interesting characters in the subways and on the busses that you can't leave Chicago without seeing.

[Chicago60614]

I'm all about public transit here.....but honestly between the places you states and 6 little kids, you might just wanna suck it up and park.

[desibear]

It is fun to take the water taxi from navy pier to shedd's...i know it doesn't answer your question but, hey, you are coming to visit and enjoy chicago

[jessiegirl_98]

I would totally park. You can go for the vistors pass, but unless you have several adults, you don't want to keep constant track of 6 little kids...

[BlsdMama]

To be fair only four are truly small, the other two are 8 and 11. There will be two adults.

We were thinking:

Monday - Shedd's -park there, take water trolley to Navy Pier & Kids' Museum - then trolley back

Tuesday - Zoo all day -park there

Wednesday - Museum of Science & Industry all day - park there

So, we still have two big questions...

1. Where to park on Sunday when we go to Lincoln Park and Chinatown? Are they close to one another?

2. Where to park when we eat at night?
The chosen places are:
1. Getting takeout from Joy Yee's and eating in Ping Tom park - Sunday
2. Gino's East - one of the days
3. No other places decided yet. (Open to suggestions.)

[via chicago]

Lincoln Park and Chinatown are on opposite sides of the city. You can find street parking in both neighborhoods if you're patient and allow yourself plenty of time (i.e. 1/2 hour). Just be careful for permit parking only streets. Otherwise, you can search for a garage.

[Manigault]

Lincoln Park and Chinatown are also very accessible by rapid transit. I think they are more correctly on opposite sides of downtown than on opposite sides of the city. They're pretty close in.

[BlsdMama]

Okay, this is a very naive question, but there is corn on every side of our town and I've never even SEEN a subway, lol...

So when people say there is a "train" or "rapid transit" or "CTA" are they all talking about the same thing?

(Feeling a bit embarassed here.)
For example, our hotel has a free shuttle to the "train" it tells me. What the heck does that mean? The subway? And I swear I'm very competent.... dh and I won't get lost and we CAN read a map. We're just used to driving EVERYWHERE. However, he despises Cedar Rapids and the 5 traffic lights he has to go through at 5:00, so it might be ugly to have him drive in Chicago.