Visiting for new year - requesting help (Chicago, Lincoln: rental car, rental)

[fishman61]

The wife and i are taking the train to the union station a couple of days before the new year. we live in a town of 55000 people - Requesting help with a few questions....

1) We plan to rent a car and explore the city for the first couple of days before 31st dec - so we plan to rent an inexpensive hotel somewhere near the airport. Is this area safe ? I understand that we can take public transportation (?? need suggestions here..) from the union station to the airport area to rent a car and then checkin to a hotel.

2) Since we would like to attend the new year celebrations (??is it free??) - we are hoping to get to see the public fireworks and any other free music/other activities/celebration. We understand that this happens near the navy pier area in chicago - question is can we take the public transport from the o'hare airport area (do not want to take the rental car on the new years eve) to the pier area at night on the 31'st and take the same train/bus back to o'hare AFTER the celebrations at midnight. Is the pier a safe area especially on the 31st dec and will the train ride to/back safe ?

3) we welcome any other safety tips.

thank you.

[chirack]

Originally Posted by fishman61

The wife and i are taking the train to the union station a couple of days before the new year. we live in a town of 55000 people - Requesting help with a few questions....

1) We plan to rent a car and explore the city for the first couple of days before 31st dec - so we plan to rent an inexpensive hotel somewhere near the airport. Is this area safe ? I understand that we can take public transportation (?? need suggestions here..) from the union station to the airport area to rent a car and then checkin to a hotel.

3) we welcome any other safety tips.

thank you.

1. For most downtown touristy things you do not need a car to rent and the car can be a big problem at the hotel and downtown. The hotels near O'hare charge for parking and there is no free parking downtown. The best place to stay in Chicago is downtown. Take the money you would put on the car and put it to an hotel. If you want to stay further out then public transit is available from both O'Hare and Midway. It will be at least a 30-45 mins commute to downtown from the airport hotels via the el. I should add that from O'hare to downtown it could be an hour plus drive if you hit rush hour during the week otherwise it is just over 30. From Midway less, but O'hare and some of it's hotels are closer to the el line that serves it than midway.

[gregr072]

I agree with Chirack. You will enjoy your trip much more if you skip renting a car and stay downtown. Stay at a nicer hotel and spend your time enjoying Chicago, rather than sitting in a car and trying to find a place to park, or paying big bucks for parking spots at the various attractions. Good Luck!

[chet everett]

The area near either O'Hare (which is surrounded by suburbs) or Midway (which is in older part of Chicago that has some industry and such) is not a good introduction to the most desirable aspects of Chicago. If you are coming via train I would avoid it.

You can see a whole lot of the more desirable portions of Chicago by sticking to the walkable areas of the greater downtown and relying on public transit to Lincoln Park and Lakeview. Of course we might have some miserable weather so should dress appropriately (from head to toe...) and probably keep cash for taxi cab backup plan.

Unfortunately hotel rates tend to be quite high for New Year's Eve and if you must visit then you will pay a lot for it. In fact the City sorta makes it hard to hang out "for free" and the various "ballroom with booze" NYE events run about $100/person. The fireworks are technically free, but you might freeze to death trying to take 'em in from outdoors...

[soulful]

I strongly advise against the idea of staying by the airport. You can typically find very nice hotels downtown at similar rates unless there happens to be a big convention in town on your dates (which is unlikely around holidays). I would suggest you go to hotwire.com and find the lowest rate for a Loop or N Michigan Ave/River North area hotel for your dates.
Then, go to priceline.com and use their "name your own price" function to put in a bid for the same areas that slightly undercuts the above (and in the star category of your choice).
If you want a car for a day to drive to some outlying area, there are a number of rental offices downtown.

I hope you have a good trip and let us know if you have other questions

[Avengerfire]

In anticipation of coming questions on New Years activities-I am bumping this thread.