Hello Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a hotel that is close to downtown Chicago, but far enough away so I don't have to pay extra for parking. I would also like the hotel to be within walking distance to a "El" station and at a reasonable price. I don't mind having to ride the "El" for 20+ minutes if I'm going to be saving $$ on the hotel/parking. Any advice would be great, thanks.

More info: Probably visiting Chicago in early March, staying for about 3 nights.

You might try the website www.hotels.com and see if any of the hotels list free parking. Also try some of the hotels north of the river near Ontario St several there used to have free parking.

Have a fun time in Chicago.

Howard Johnson, 720 N. LaSalle, and Best Western River North (Ohio Street and LaSalle) both have free parking and are within a half-mile of the El, and about a mile to downtown.

Try the Midway Hotel Center, near Midway Airport. There's a wide variety of properties to choose from, with plenty of free parking. You can't walk to the El station, but there is a free shuttle. There's also a bus line that stops out in front. Most place that are in the greater downtown area going to charge for parking in any city.

Try

www.midwayhotelcenter.com

When I went to DC a couple of years ago I stayed out near the beltway in Virginia and used the metrobus or hotel shuttle to get to the nearby metrorail station. It worked out great, I didn't need to rent a car at all.

Or you could bid on Priceline, get a Mag Mile, River North or Loop hotel for $45-$50 per night and park your car (assuming you are driving into Chicago, not renting a car which I would not recommend)at the Millennium Park garage for $15-20 per night.