Illini Shuttle Experience

[DeepLiquid]

Love Amtrak as a quality option, buses are awful! Air is an option but PRICEY!

[linicx]

Originally Posted by emathias

Forget Amtrak, assuming the person is flying to Chicago to begin with, I don't see why they wouldn't just transfer on through to Champaign's airport.

Cost vs time. Flight is about 45 minutes verses 3 hours or more by train. The afternoon flight costs about 8 times more than Amtrak. If the track is not completed to Champaign yet, there will be a layover at Normal while the OP waits for a Grayhound bus. If this is the case it might be cheaper to fly into Bloomington and pay a buck for a bus to Normal Amtrak.

Since I don't visit B-N or C-U, I do not know if the track is completed or not. In any case it is painful to get from O'hara to Champaign unless you hire a limo.

[chet everett]

If anyone still cares : (as I suspect OP found a solution to her problem...)

The On Time performance of the Illini Service (which includes stops in both Champaign and Carbondale) is good / excellent.

Station Resources — Great American Stations

The travel time is listed as 2:10, there is no "bus transfer". The cheapest seats are on the 8:15AM for $15 It does not take 3 or more hours...

On jobs figures and how accurate they are: ShortFormBlog

I am not a fan of fake high speed rail but when what does exist is misrepresented I sorta have to shake my head...
'

[emathias]

Originally Posted by chet everett

How about the price?
...

Right now you have a range of options from Dallas to Chicago at around $425, and Dallas to Champaign at around $575.

For $150, if you can afford to fly north to begin with, it's well worth the price difference. Amtrak would be at least $60 round trip, so the cost savings is really only $90. Maybe that's worth it for a student spending their own money, but I recon a professor or even research assistant's time is worth more than $15/hr (based on round trip time) to a university.

[Mililani Gal]

Thanks for the information. This is the first time I have done travel for a visit to UI@UC. This will be the last time we use the bus. BTW, he is a Jr. Faculty Member and travel funds are limited. But with all of the other options you have provided, the next time anyone from my department must visit UI@UC, I will recommend Amtrak or flying directly to Champaign. Cheers!!

[DeepLiquid]

Tell your faculty member to dress for insanely warm temps, it is VERY hot here right now.

[madpaddy]

Champaign from downtown Chicago? Hands down, Amtrak is the way to go. But from Ohare? I'd just bite the bullet and ride the bus (Peoria Charter). IMHO, The Amtrak isn't enough nicer to justify the hassle of dragging your luggage behind you on the L, from the L station to Union station, through Union station, and going through the Amtrak boarding process there which sometimes is almost as much of a hassle as going through security at the airport.

Next time you have to book travel to Champaign, consider flights into Midway instead of Ohare. It's only 2.5 hours by bus to Champaign instead of 4 hours.

[Mililani Gal]

Originally Posted by DeepLiquid

Tell your faculty member to dress for insanely warm temps, it is VERY hot here right now.

I've been reading about the crazy temperatures in your "neck of the woods." Take care and avoid heat exhuastion and dehydration.