Day trip to Chicago, L fare help
 

Going to Chicago for a visa appoint on a day trip. Arriving Midway about 8 am, leaving from O'Hare in the evening.

Looks like there is a contactless payment system in place for the L trains.

So leaving Midway Airport I find the Orange line entrance, then wave my bank card over a turnstile pad and it opens, ride to the elevated Loop rail line downtown, then just exit the train through a turnstile, no need to "check out" of the line with another wave of the card?

Then on departure, find the Dearborn St. Blue Line subway entrance, then wave the card again for entry, then wave the card again for the airport surcharge upon arrival at O'Hare?

So $2.25 + $2.25 + $2.75?

Hi, tom_mn.

It does seem you can use your bankcard if it has that WAVE symbol.

http://www.transitchicago.com/airports/

If for some reason your bankcard doesn't work, you can just purchase a ventra ticket to ride the train from Midway airport to the loop/downtown, and the train from the loop to O'Hare.

At Midway, look for the signs to the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority), or the Orange Line train. There will be vending machines where you can buy a 1-day pass for $10, or a Ventra ticket (and you'd need $4.50 on the ticket; 2.25 for the Midway/Orange Line to the city + $2.25 from city to O'Hare on the Blue Line. You don't pay the surcharge TO O'Hare, only FROM O'Hare.)

You wave your bankcard/insert your ventra ticket (and the ticket comes right back out after it deducts your fare) when you ENTER/Pass thru the turnstile to the train platform. You don't use your card again when you exit.

Travel safe!

just in case: last September when we were enjoying the CTA system something delayed the trains when we were trying to get to Midway. When a train finally came, it was full and I think we were trying to ride during rush hour. We ended up worrying we weren't going to make it and used Uber to get to Midway. There were three of us so it wasn't too bad. I'm glad our friend had the Uber number on her phone.

Great. I'm actually helicopter parenting, it's for my son who thinks he knows everything (like, "why do my clothes smell after leaving them wet in the washing machine for 4 days, the washing machine must be broken") Yes, our bank issued stripe/chip/wave ATM cards so he's set. I noticed the Clark/Lake station access is via buildings to the blue line, he should figure that out I hope?

Nice, no surcharge for O'Hare on arrival.

At Midway, the Orange Line is clearly marked. Just follow the signs through the parking garage.

Access to the Blue Line at Clark/Lake is via the Thompson Center. He can enter any door, however the easiest to find is on Lake under the L track. If he heads downstairs, he'll access the Blue Line, up and he'll be at the Brown, Green, Pink and Purple Lines. They are clearly marked. At ORD, the CTA station is under the parking garage and connects directly to the three domestic terminals. To reach T5, follow the signs to the Automated Transit System (ATS).

Just one correction to the above, when using a Ventra card or one-day pass, you just tap the reader on the right of the turnstile, there is no slot to insert anything.

Great, he'll be arriving Southwest (of course) but leaving United so no need for the Terminal 5 tram.