Chicago area transportation
 

We will be staying in Hoffman Estates in February and wondered about public transportation to downtown Chicago.
Renting a car is possible, but is it the best idea?

Chicago is a great place to walk or there is a great transportation system with busses or the El.

Hoffman Estates is about 30 miles from downtown. If you're planning on spending most of your time in the city, you may want to consider changing hotels because you'll lose a great deal of time commuting.

I wouldn't drive into the city as parking begins around $20 per day and traffic is terrible. You may want a car to get around in the suburbs. You may also want to ask your hotel if they have a shuttle.

From Hoffman Estates, you could drive to Arlington Heights or Mt. Prospect and catch Metra's Union Pacific-Northwest Line. Metra is the commuter rail system that serves the outer suburbs. Outside of rush hours, trains run about every hour. You can get schedule and fare info at www.metrarail.com.

I'm not sure how easy it would be to park at a Metra station as lots fill early with regular commuters.

Another option would be to take I-90 east to River Road (Rosemont) or Cumberland Road, just east of O'Hare. CTA operates park & ride lots at both locations for about $4 for 12 hours. From there, you can catch the CTA Blue Line subway into the city in about 45 minutes.

At either station, you can buy a 1-day pass for $5.75 that allows unlimited rides on all CTA buses and trains. The CTA site is at www.transitchicago.com.

If you have the chance to change hotels, Rosemont would be a good choice. Most hotels have shuttles that will take you to the Blue Line.

The hotels closer to O'Hare have shuttles that will take you to the airport where you can catch the Blue Line, but it can add 20-30 minutes to the trip because of the airport traffic and a longer walk to the train.

Thanks very much for the information.

~I'm not sure how easy it would be to park at a Metra station as lots fill early with regular commuters.~

Not only does it fill early, but the lot where I park also requires a special permit, and last I heard, the waiting list was 5-7 years. :O (Not that that would apply to you, but that amazes me.) :)