Ohare to the inner loop. my first visit. fastest cheapest route, help! (Chicago: taxi, cost)

[SouthCali4LifeSD]

Hi all,

Sorry for my million questions and thanks in advance for any help you can provide. It will be my first trip to Chicago. Is there a train with a frequent timetable that goes from Ohare airport to downtown? Any advice on better alternatives? Also, I have to be back at Ohare on a Saturday morning for a 6:40 am flight. Based on your experience of OHare, if I'm staying in downtown, how early should I leave downtown to safely make my flight? Thanks all!

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by SouthCali4LifeSD

Is there a train with a frequent timetable that goes from Ohare airport to downtown?

Yes

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by SouthCali4LifeSD

Hi all,

Sorry for my million questions and thanks in advance for any help you can provide. It will be my first trip to Chicago. Is there a train with a frequent timetable that goes from Ohare airport to downtown? Any advice on better alternatives? Also, I have to be back at Ohare on a Saturday morning for a 6:40 am flight. Based on your experience of OHare, if I'm staying in downtown, how early should I leave downtown to safely make my flight? Thanks all!

1) Yes, there is a train that goes from O'Hare to the Loop. The Blue Line. Follow the signs down to Baggage Claim and then you'll see some signs that say "Trains to the City"..follow those signs to the train terminal. Get on the train that everyone else is on or someone tells you to get on. There's no way to mess up going in the wrong direction - it only goes in one direction.

Then just ride that all the way down to the Loop..you'll have to know what stop to get off at of course.

2) I would suggest taking a cab if your flight is at 6:40am. If you can check in online beforehand then yeah. A cab ride from the Loop to O'Hare will probably take around 20-25 minutes maybe. I have had flights at that time before (even before) where it's actually still half busy at 5:30am. It will probably cost you like $40 total. If you don't want to do that, then the train ride from the Loop is like 45-55 minutes (plus you might have to wait when you get to the station). I guess since it's a Saturday and the bars here close at 4am and 5am...you might be riding with some late night partiers maybe.

I guess it depends on where you're staying but 6:40am flight...I would get there around 5:30am or 5:40am. That means you should be on the train itself at like 4:35am-4:45am maybe?

3) Please, please, please make sure you get OUT of the Loop when you're there. Why? The Loop is the Central Business District. There is some tourist stuff there but it is in way the most vibrant, exciting part of the city. If you want to see the vibrant areas of the city, get out of the area. Visit areas like River North, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, etc if you have time...in the least get to River North/Streeterville/Magnificent Mile/Gold Coast. They are right across the river and bridges

[jahk]

Make sure you get on the right train.

The blue line is a U shaped route, with one leg at O'Hare, the other leg in a western suburb (Forest Park?) and the middle of the U in the loop. Trains run both ways through the stations. If you get on the wrong train you'll end up going to the wrong place.

Just to make it more confusing, both legs of the route have stops on Western Ave. But one is a few miles north of the other.

[Lorielicious]

Have you never heard of Google? It's an amazing website that has a cool mapping feature that not only gives you maps of more or less any address you enter, it provides accurate directions, including routes using public transportation, AND it comes with times! Very, very easy to use. I suggest you check it out.

[Slipperman]

Originally Posted by Lorielicious

Have you never heard of Google? It's an amazing website that has a cool mapping feature that not only gives you maps of more or less any address you enter, it provides accurate directions, including routes using public transportation, AND it comes with times! Very, very easy to use. I suggest you check it out.

actually Google Transit would probably be better. it helped me out..

Transit ? Google Maps

i used OHare and Downtown Chicago for source and destination

[huckc]

Originally Posted by Slipperman

actually Google Transit would probably be better. it helped me out..

Transit ? Google Maps

i used OHare and Downtown Chicago for source and destination

Interesting, never seen this before. Although regular google maps has much more functionality and is more user friendly imo. Is this an intern project or something, I don't see the point. Regular google maps is already excellent for public transit directions.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by huckc

Interesting, never seen this before. Although regular google maps has much more functionality and is more user friendly imo. Is this an intern project or something, I don't see the point. Regular google maps is already excellent for public transit directions.

This is the same thing as the Directions on Google Maps. Look up anything..It reroutes you to Google maps and all it does is chose the public transit option for you. It's no different than using Maps and choosing the transit option yourself.

[Vlajos]

Blue Line

[C. Maurio]

The Blue Line subway is the fastest and cheapest way from the airport. If you have to be on a plane at 6:40 AM you might consider a taxi because you need to be at the airport by about 5AM which means that you would have to catch the Blue Line at about 4AM. It is safe but the trains are less frequent (15 mins as opposed to 5 minutes wait) and the Kennedy usually does not jam up until after 6AM.