Transportation

Obviously, the main way that people get around Chicago is by driving. For the most part, the city is car friendly. The roads are organized on a grid, so, generally speaking, they are easy to learn. Still, if at all possible, you will want to avoid driving in the heart of downtown, as well as, tooling around during rush hours. (Of course, this is unavoidable for many people.) Parking can be brutal and traffic can be frustrating, to say the least. Taxis are always an excellent option, although they can be expensive, especially when traffic is heavy.

For those parts of town where you can’t take your car, public transportation will get you there easily, if not in style. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) services city buses and trains that go out into the suburbs and beyond. If you are taking the bus, make sure that you have exact change. One-way rides are currently $1.75, and a transfer ticket is $2.00. The CTA offers special passes that deduct directly from your checking account if you don’t want to unnecessarily worry about always having the right amount of money. The ticket machines for the train are a little more forgiving; if you don’t have exact change, you can reuse your pass the next time that you take public transportation.

For the same price as a bus ride, the CTA also runs the well-oiled, 24 hour | seven days a week, machine that is known as the Chicago “El.” The “El,” which earned its name on account of the letter shape in which its downtown tracks were constructed, offers numerous lines; brown, red, blue, green, orange and purple, colored coded dependent upon the particular area of service. From point A to point B, the ‘El’ can virtually take you wherever you want or need to go within the city of Chicago.

While not exactly practical for actually going places within the city, a great way to get oriented is to take a memorable boat tour. Many companies offer boat tours that originate downtown off of Michigan Avenue. There are also more entertainment-oriented trips available during the evening hours, particularly appropriate if cocktails and dancing are your thing.

Of course, when you want to get out of the city, you will probably need some information about the airports. There are two primary airports that service Chicago: O’Hare and Midway. Both are international airports. Located on the Northwest side of the city, O’Hare is the larger of the two. In fact, not only massive but also highly trafficked, it has been deemed the busiest airport in the United States. For this reason, officials manage to run the place very smooth in order to maintain efficiency and reduce unwarranted congestion. Midway, though on account of its proximity to downtown has gained popularity as a business traveler’s airport, still remains the less busy of the two.