Advice please, first train trip to Chicago? (Lincoln, Worth: how much, hotels)

[KBL2015]

I am considering ditching the car and taking my two older kids for a few days to Chicago via train from downstate IL. I have only been to the city a few times, have never used public transportation there, but the whole cost of parking just floors me. I want to take them to museums (Field, Science & Industry), Navy Pier, Michigan Ave, Millennium Park, maybe Lincoln Park Zoo. I plan on getting a CityPass and playing the rest by ear. So, considering I don't know my way around very well and one kid that is a little skittish about going to the big city (too much TV news, afraid something bad will happen?) and that I don't necessarily want to pay $60 a night to park at the hotel, then pay again to park when we get somewhere, if I come in at Union Stn., am I correct that it looks like local trains do not connect there? Are local trains safe, easy to navigate for out of towners and do I have to buy a pass in advance? Can I easily get around these attractions by train ? Are cabs just too outrageously expensive (I'm expecting a yes lol) to bother with? I haven't picked a hotel yet, but will try to find something relatively close to train station. Oh, we'll probably come in on a Sunday and leave midweek, if that affects getting around.

[chet everett]

If by "local train" you really mean the CTA El system, yes, that is correct, no direct connection. That said, Union Station very much "bustles" with commuter train activity every morning and evening. It can fun just to grab a breakfast sandwich (Corner Bakery costs about the the same as McDonalds across from each other, there is also a CinnaBon stand) or bag of popcorn (Nuts on Clark stand is right across from Corner Bakery) and just watch the hordes move in and out like cattle any weekday (said as part of the herd!).

I would NOT recommend, however, getting a hotel near Union Station. Too many are converted office buildings and they have ZERO charm, intended to give 'business travelers' that consistency from "Up In The Air", ugh!) Instead, given the spots you are wishing to visit and the fact this is supposed to be FUN for the kids I would strongly recommend staying at a "classic" Big City hotel, perhaps the Palmer House which is SUPER CONVENIENT to Millennium Park as well as ideally located for access to the CTA or perhaps the Chicago Hilton & Towers which is about a block further east and just a few blocks closer to the Field Museum. Either one is not "Top Flight Luxury" priced but neither is it "bargain priced" -- the premium is almost certainly going to be "in range" for the length of stay you intend, especially with no need for car (or cabs or Uber) and Amtrak is generally cheap for 'intrazone' travel) and the kind of trip you are planning, as these are the kind of places that lend themselves to "cool memories". Classy older style buildings that are a bit quirky, still have uniformed doormen & bellhops, giant in-building dining options, convenient access to both kid friendly chains as well as interesting and not really all the pricey local spots to eat. TOTALLY WORTH IT!

CTA travel is not nearly as convoluted as trying to navigate the subways of European capitals or even NYC, and the availability of good directions on both native maps built by Apple or Google as well as specialized apps for smartphones make this rather pleasant. Load the VENTRA app to actually pay for CTA travel. The Palmer House is especially nice at it has the Wabash El out the east side and the State Street subway out the west side, between those you can get to LOTS of spots. To get to Navy Pier you are better off either doing some extended walking from the northeast reaches of Millenium Park (where the new Maggie Daley The Official Website of Maggie Daley Park Chicago - Maggie Daley Park sub-park is ideal for kids...) that involves the neat to kinds but maddening to adults multi-level roadways of Illinois Center, or just heading due east from North Michigan Ave. -- if the walk back seems too daunting there are CTA buses and trolleys that most kids will find if not "cool" at least tolerable. Similarly to get to Museum of Science and Industry there are CTA Express buses that do ZOOM down the Lake Shore Drive and will almost certainly ward off any the dreaded "are we there yets" as the kids whiz past Soldier Field and the rather pleasant looking South Lake front...

Honestly, we did this sort of thing years ago, before Millennium Park was as established as a "destination" and I do think my kids still bring it up as one of the things that they miss about living in the region... (gosh it must be getting close to allergy season)

[KBL2015]

Chet, thank you so much for taking the time to post--this is very helpful!

[eureka1]

Thank you for taking your kids on a train trip. They will thank you for it.

[jason.]

Sounds like a great trip, KBL. You and your kids will love it.

Chet has good advice. But with a little advance planning you can take buses around the Loop and downtown attractions. Use the Google Maps app to find bus routes and stops, and ask the drivers before you pay the fare - they’ll point you in the right direction. Definitely buy the unlimited ride passes. Single ride fares are brutal.

You can hit most of what you’re looking for on buses and walking, or with Uber. Cabs are expensive.

Your outliers are Lincoln Park Zoo (and the free Lincoln Park Conservatory, just north of the zoo, if you’re into plants and flowers) and the Museum of Science and Industry.

Lincoln Park is a 20 minute bus ride north on the #22 or the #156 buses. Science and Industry is 30 minutes on the ME train from Millennium Station to 56th Street. ME train is a separate fare from the CTA. I'm not sure how much it is. Buy tickets in the station instead of on the train and you'll save money.

All of the buses and trains and neighborhoods you’re looking at will be safe as long as you use common sense, and you can ask anyone for directions if you get lost. You'll also see a lot of cops in the Loop. They're all good folks who will help you out.

For hotels, Palmer House is a great recommendation but it is one of the more expensive hotels in the Loop. Check out the Allegro (a Kimpton property in the theatre district, also my wedding hotel last year - excellent service and a great Art Deco style), La Quinta Downtown (financial district, I’ve done meetings here, bare bones but good location), or the Hyatt Centric Loop (dead center of the Loop, easy to get to and from).

[chet everett]

Hyatt Centric is about as sterile a hotel as one can imagine, the La Quinta (or even much nicer JW Marriott nearby) sadly are in the part of the Loop that goes positively DEAD when all the bankers / traders / lawyers leave -- the Palmer House is a much better choice and is generally not much more costly than the Allegro (which because it is in a converted office bldg, albeit one form Chicago's Golden Age, really has crummy spaces compared to the grandeur of Palmer House or even Chicago Hilton & Towers...

Not bad to offer more options, just for what the OP seems to want to do I would not be looking to stay in a generic boxy room nor risk boring the kids on buses that truly do poke around and stop far too frequently compared to the EL...

[PeachSalsa]

Oooh, I LOVE the Palmer House Hotel. I always stay there whenever I visit Chicago.

I also recommend Uber over cabs. Yes, the cab drivers will yell at the Uber drivers as they pick you up outside the hotel, but you will save so much money!

[emathias]

Originally Posted by PeachSalsa

Oooh, I LOVE the Palmer House Hotel. I always stay there whenever I visit Chicago.

I also recommend Uber over cabs. Yes, the cab drivers will yell at the Uber drivers as they pick you up outside the hotel, but you will save so much money!

Most Uber cars are nicer than cabs, too. Some are small, though, so be aware of that. The real benefit to Uber is being able to easily hire them from almost anywhere in the city and know how long you'll be waiting for them. Most of the touristy parts of Chicago have enough cabs you can hail them on the street, but if you get even a little off the beaten path it can be nice to just dial in your location and know a car will be there in 5 or 10 minutes and watch their progress on the map. I had to go bail a person out of Cook County Jail last week and I took an Uber there and another Uber back and trying to hail a cab in the area the jail is in is not exactly easy.

[KBL2015]

Thanks everyone! I'm really excited to make the trip...several firsts for us!