How to Get to Chicago

Short answer: from O'Hare, take the Blue Line into the Loop. From Midway, take the Orange Line. Both run straight into downtown, and you pay by tapping a contactless card.

O'Hare (ORD)

One of the busiest airports in the world, northwest of the city, and where most international flights land. The CTA Blue Line leaves from a station below the domestic terminals, around the clock, and reaches the Loop in about 45 minutes. It isn't glamorous, and it gets crowded at rush hour, but it is almost always faster than a taxi in traffic. Most international arrivals come into Terminal 5, so allow time for the airport's people mover, or the shuttle bus that replaces it at night, to reach the Blue Line station.

Midway (MDW)

Smaller, closer and mostly domestic, southwest of the Loop. The Orange Line reaches the Loop in under half an hour. The CTA has announced round-the-clock service for 2026, so check the current timetable before a late arrival, and take a taxi or rideshare if trains have stopped.

By train

Union Station, west of the Loop, is Amtrak's hub for the Midwest, with a Beaux-Arts Great Hall that film fans will recognise. Regional trains run to Milwaukee and Detroit, and the long-distance routes (the California Zephyr to the Bay Area, the Empire Builder to Seattle and Portland, the City of New Orleans south) leave from here. They are journeys rather than transport, and take a day or more.

Getting around

• The L. Eight colour-coded lines. The Brown Line around the elevated Loop tracks is a cheap sightseeing ride between the buildings. Tap a contactless card or phone at the turnstile.
• Buses. Useful along the lakefront and up and down Michigan Avenue, where the L doesn't go.
• Divvy. The city's bike-share, with docks all over the centre and along the lake. The Lakefront Trail is flat and car-free.
• Water taxis. In the warmer months two companies run them: Chicago Water Taxi links Chinatown, the West Loop train stations and Michigan Avenue, and Shoreline serves Navy Pier.

Driving

Not needed in the city, and hotel parking is expensive. It only makes sense for trips well beyond the suburbs. For Oak Park, take the Green Line. Our where to stay guide suggests which L lines to stay near, and our travel guide explains passes.