mikster12

I am heading from SD to NY and would like to spend a few days exploring Chicago. I'm looking for suggestion for moderate pricedhotels not too far into the city off the interstate. Is driving in the city the only way to get around?

SiteC_er

Driving in the city is difficult and hotel parking can be expensive. To save $ stay a bit outside the loop / city but near a train stop. Train will get you most anywhere for cheap. Enjoy!

fishee

Longman and Eagle has an "Inn" above their excellent restaurant and is located right across from a blue line station. It's around 8 minutes from the 90/94. Free parking is difficult in the neighborhood, however, as many of the residential streets are permit parking only (discourages suburbanites from driving into the city and parking and then taking train to work). There is a parking lot across the street but you pay by the hour, I believe. The Logan Square area is a fun place to hang out after you get back from downtown tourist stuff and it's just a couple of stations away from Bucktown (Damen stop) for more bourgie restaurants, drinking, and shopping. If you're not into food and shopping, Bucktown might not interest you but Logan Square is still a relatively mixed area, with working class Latinos alongside double strollers and hipsters on their fixie bikes. Bookstore, cafes, movie theater, boulangerie, and good food all within walking distance.

fishee

If you have a car packed with stuff, I wouldn't recommend parking outside overnight.

dfrostnh

In May we found the best deal at the Best Western River North. It was a few blocks from one bus stop line but it has free parking in a monitored lot. The free breakfasts aren't much but there's a huge MacDonald's across the street and other nearby restaurants. You can buy transit passes at the nearby Walgreens.

Study the bus/el maps. You can do a lot of getting around without a car. One neighborhood near the lake was a good place to ride back to our hotel because the route was near the lake. Sorry, don't remember the name. Whatever you do, do NOT walk too far on your first day. Walking about 2-3 miles on city pavement almost did us in.

If you don't want to spend a lot of time getting in and out of the city, it might be worth it to stay in a place like the Best Western even though it was more expensive than we usually like to pay.

Citylghts

I agree with the post that says you shouldn't leave a packed car parked anywhere for any length of time.

When are you planning to visit, for how long and how many people will you have? Chicago is a major convention destination and hotel rates are very sensitive to demand, so moderate-priced hotels can mean different things different days.

The city has excellent public transit, so a car is more of a hindrance than a necessity. Buses, cabs and trains are plentiful. The CTA operates The "L" and buses within the city and a few adjacent suburbs. Check www.transitchicago.com for maps, a trip planner and how to track trains and buses with a smart phone. A single trip is $2.25 but you can purchase passes that allow unlimited rides for 1, 3 or 7 days. They're available at most Walgreens and CVS pharmacies and Dominick's and Jewel Supermarkets.

For what to see, check www.choosechicago.com. For happenings and restaurants, try www.chicagoreader.com or www.chicagomag.com. You can search for restaurants on both by cuisine, price or location.

If there will be no more than two people, you can probably get a good deal on a downtown through one of the bidding sites like www.hotels.com or www.priceline.com. Check www.betterbidding.com or www.biddingfortravel.com for tips.

Though most hotels charge around $50/day parking, you can find better rates through www.chicagoparkingmap.com or www.spothero.com.