Trip to Chicago from MI! (Lansing, Lincoln: amusement park, how much, hotels)

[crayola]

Me and my girlfriend are going to take a trip to Chicago the weekend of August 15th, so here are some questions I have.

We want to take a train or bus from Michigan to avoid the traffic. I found the Amtrak from East Lansing to Chicago for a reasonable price, but the trip back was not so cheap, is the Amtrak my best option?

We want to stay downtown, any hotel suggestions? Of course nothing fancy, anything will work as long as it's safe and near shopping locations.

Our plans are to go to a Cubs game, and go shopping. We would also like to go to an amusement park if there are any that are reasonably close?

As far as the cubs game, what's my best bet for transportation?

Any other suggestions for things to do? We will get there on thursday and leave on sunday. Were a 20 year old couple, if that helps any.

Thanks!

[jdiddy]

The vast majority of hotels you'll come across are safe and centrally located. Hotels are generally by the two airports, in the loop, or along the mag mile. Go with one in either the loop or mag mile.

You can also check into Megabus and Greyhound if Amtrak is too expensive.

Check out Deprecated Browser Error for how to get around the city on public transportation. Wrigley field is right off the red line.

The amusement park near Chicago is an hour and a half away from the city, and its not really accessible without a car. There will be plenty to do in three days in the city without visiting a them park. I'd scratch that off the list.

[UICJohn]

Originally Posted by crayola

Me and my girlfriend are going to take a trip to Chicago the weekend of August 15th, so here are some questions I have.

We want to take a train or bus from Michigan to avoid the traffic. I found the Amtrak from East Lansing to Chicago for a reasonable price, but the trip back was not so cheap, is the Amtrak my best option?

We want to stay downtown, any hotel suggestions? Of course nothing fancy, anything will work as long as it's safe and near shopping locations.

Our plans are to go to a Cubs game, and go shopping. We would also like to go to an amusement park if there are any that are reasonably close?

As far as the cubs game, what's my best bet for transportation?

Any other suggestions for things to do? We will get there on thursday and leave on sunday. Were a 20 year old couple, if that helps any.

Thanks!

Even though the trip back via Amtrak might not be that cheap, I would be willing to be it's much cheaper than the price of gas, the stress driving, and how much it would cost to park your car somewhere downtown and downtown, around the Mag Mile area, would be your best bet for a hotel. There are definitely some incredibly pricey ones but if you do some research you'll find some pretty reasonable ones. That entire area is very safe and nothing to worry about up there.

If you are in the Mag Mile area, you are near a ton of shopping. You have shops on Oak Street, you have shops all up and down Michigan Avenue, and then you have places like the Water Tower Mall right across the street from the John Hancock.

Also, if you stay in that area, you are just a few stops on the El away from Wrigley if you take in a game. The red line is available in that area and a 15 minute train ride takes you a half of a block away from Wrigley Field.

[alwaystraveling25]

I am from Metro Detroit, and went to college in Michigan, so I have a few ideas for you...let me know if you think of them is viable!

1) Have you tried Megabus.com? They offer non-stop service from Ann Arbor to Chicago and drop you off right at Union Station in Chicago. The parking lot in Ann Arbor is right off the State Street exit in 94, and it allows free overnight parking for you. I know that's an hour drive from East Lansing, but the Megabus is quicker then the train and is often cheaper.

2) Are either of you AAA members? if you use your AAA discount on Amtrak, you save a % off on your tickets, I think it's 20, but I could be wrong.

3) To save money, maybe try staying at the Days Inn in Lincoln Park or the Best Western Hawthorne Terrace in East Lakeview. Both of them are bound to be cheaper then staying in the Magnificent Mile/Loop Area, and are close to areas you might want to hang out.

4) Sadly, some of your entertainment options (mainly bars) will be limited because of the 21 and over requirement in almost all clubs here. But, the good news is that Illinois has banned smoking in restaurants and bars, so you won't get that nasty smell that you get sometimes when you go out to dinner in Michigan and they have a smoking section. Ugh.

If using the transitcta.com website doesn't work, just "Google Map" directions. If you choose "public transporation" as your option, it will tell you whether it is quicker to take a bus, subway, or combination of the both to get where you want to go in the city of Chicago. I have lived here for 1.5 years and use it all the time to figure out directions to places in the city where I am not sure what is quickest.

Have a great visit!

[mmvii]

I grew up in Michigan so when my parents or friends come to visit, I don't generally suggest they take Amtrak. Sadly, Amtrak is not always the most reliable (i.e. I have been 6+ hrs late to my destination multiple times.) Instead, I generally suggest they take the South Shore train. You can park your car for free in Michigan City and board the train there. The trains run much more often and are cheaper. Check out www.nictd.com for more info on that option.

[chet everett]

I agree that Amtrak is depressingly NOT the best option. For CHEAP the MEGABUS option is hard to beat, and as long as the car is the kind that does not attract attention when unattended the South Shore from Michigan City is a nice way to avoid the worst of the Chicago area traffic.

You can get some really good deals on hotels from Priceline that late in the summer, as that is after most of the tourist season stuff, but Chicago beaches are at their warmest. I think even nice hip places are on Priceline. The "W" Lakeshore would be a great place in August..

[meatpuff]

Originally Posted by mmvii

I grew up in Michigan so when my parents or friends come to visit, I don't generally suggest they take Amtrak. Sadly, Amtrak is not always the most reliable (i.e. I have been 6+ hrs late to my destination multiple times.) Instead, I generally suggest they take the South Shore train. You can park your car for free in Michigan City and board the train there. The trains run much more often and are cheaper. Check out www.nictd.com for more info on that option.

Reliability is definitely a concern with Amtrak, but varies greatly over different trains. The 6+ hour late runs are usually on overnight trains, while the train from East Lansing is just a five-hour run so the potential for it to be catastrophically late is low.

You can use amtrakdelays.com to check the recent on-time performance of any Amtrak service at any station. I made a cursory check of that line (364/365 Blue Water) and it looks like its recent OTP is very good.

I would recommend the train/Megabus. If there is safe multi-day parking available for the South Shore line that would be fine too. And there is always the Greyhound. All let off basically in the Loop, convenient to all public transportation.

Amtrak uses bucket pricing, so the fare goes up as more tickets are sold, as for the airlines. If you want a cheaper fare you can try nearby alternative dates for which less tickets may have been sold. Generally, buy as early as possible for the lowest price. If you are sure you are making the trip I recommend purchasing the train tickets immediately, because the fares will go up without warning as more tickets are sold (that goes for Megabus too).

[lillybella17]

Hey my 2 girl friends and I are going in april the 16th to the 18th and we got cheap tickets round trip on the Mega bus..and we are staying at red roof inn one block away from michigan ave (shopping areas) and the hotel will cost us 30-40 a night...good luck

[Kobber]

I just checked out the downtown Red Roof Inn (because I'll be in Chicago in July and it's cheaper than the place I usually stay). It sounds ideal - BUT they have a check-in age of 21, so it may not work for you. You should check if other Chicago hotels have the same age restriction, or maybe hold off on trip till you reach 21. It does seem a shame to visit Chicago without being able to go to the great blues and other bars/music venues!

[jlawrence01]

Personally, I would prefer MegaBus as it generally arrives into Chicago and it is cheaper.

As for Priceline, make sure that you are 21 as that is part of the terms and conditions.

Your best bet for cheap housing is the downtown hostel:

HI - Chicago Hostel :: Hostel to Reserve in the United States

Take a look at this website as it will give you a lot of information regarding traveling in the city of Chicago.