By plane
There are no direct flights from Russia to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Austrian Airlines, KL-M, Air France, and others fly there from Moscow with a transfer in Vienna, Amsterdam, and Paris. The total travel time is at least 12 hours. From St. Petersburg, it will be faster – in 10.5 hours it will be delivered by Finnair with a transfer to Helsinki.
From airport to city
From the airport to downtown Chicago can be reached by bus, subway or taxi. The bus stop at the airport is easy to find by the signs “BUS Station”. Tickets are sold at the cash machine or from the driver. The O’Hare metro station is next to the bus stop. Trains run around the clock, the interval is 5-30 minutes, the journey time to the center is 45 minutes.
The cost of a taxi ride from the airport to downtown Chicago: 55-80 USD. The prices on the page are for October 2021.
From New York to Chicago
According to toppharmacyschools, the nearest airport to Chicago (1260 km), which receives direct Aeroflot flights (3 flights a day, flight time 10 hours 20 minutes), is located in New York. The fastest way to fly is by low-cost United Airlines and Spirit Airlines (2-3 flights per hour, 2.5 hours).
If you have time, you should go to Chicago on a comfortable Greyhound bus ( off. site in English) – departs from the Port Authority bus station (8th Avenue, 625), 5 flights daily, 20 hours on the way. Free Wi-Fi and beautiful scenery outside the window will help pass the time on the road. You can also get there without transfers by rail – on the Amtrak train – departure from the Pennsylvania railway station, 1 time per day, 19 hours. The cost of a train ticket is comparable to the cost of an airplane and is 1.5-2 times higher than a bus ticket.
Districts of Chicago
There are 77 neighborhoods in Chicago, often completely different from each other. The geography of the metropolis was determined by the river, which divides it into 3 parts – West Side, South Side and North Side. In the center lies the business district Loop (in translation, “Loop”) with skyscrapers and numerous attractions. The largest banks, stock exchanges and administrative institutions are located here. From the north it adjoins the Near North Side with the fashionable “Magnificent Mile” and expensive hotels.
Popular places to stay are Streeterville with Navy Pier and Near South Side, home to interesting museums and the city’s largest parks. The former industrial area of River North has been refurbished into a trendy place with good restaurants, art galleries and popular clubs. Prestigious Kenwood with luxurious mansions was chosen by the richest people in Chicago, while Greenwich Village and Lakeview are a bohemian hangout.
Chicago’s most crime-ridden, predominantly African-American neighborhoods include Inglewood, Fuller Park, Calumet Heights, East Garfield Park, and Chatham.
A Chinese community settled in the Armor Square area. Bridgeport and Little Village are densely populated by Mexicans. Since the end of the 19th century, immigrants from the Apennines have been living in Little Italy, which had the most positive effect on the menu of local restaurants.
Transport
Chicago has three agencies in charge of public transportation:
- CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) – Transportation Administration of the city with 152 bus routes and 7 subway lines ( sitein English). Routes cover all of Chicago and 40 nearby suburbs. The blue and orange train lines link the city center with the city’s airports.
- Metra is a commuter rail system serving Chicago and the 6 surrounding counties of Illinois and northwestern Indiana. Metra trains cover about 200 railway stations located on 11 lines.
- Pace is a commuter bus service serving primarily the 6 counties surrounding Chicago in Illinois, as well as several routes within the city itself.
To travel by bus and metro, one-time tickets (different) or travel cards valid for 1/3/7 days (valid for both modes of transport) are required. They are sold at ticket offices and special terminals at stations or stops. Payment by cash or card. You can also buy a single bus ticket from the driver.
Taxis in Chicago stand at special parking lots, you can also catch them on the street or call them by phone. A trip around the city will cost 17-30 USD, it is better to discuss the cost of trips to the suburbs in advance. Payment by cash or card, the usual tip is 10%.
Bicycles for rent
Convenient for getting around the city, the Divvy Bikes Chicago rental system includes more than 580 bike stations in Chicago and its immediate suburbs of Oak Park and Evanston. To unlock the bike in the rack, you need a special key card. It is sold at the cash registers at every bike station, valid for 24 hours or 365 days. The bike can be taken and returned to any of the stations. The first 30 minutes of each trip is free, then – 5 USD for 30 minutes.
Rent a Car
A rental car is needed for those who plan to travel a lot around the neighborhood, and for those who are not enthusiastic about taxi fares or the dilapidated Chicago subway. There are offices of international Avis, Sixt, Hertz, Dollar, Alamo and others at the airport and in the city itself.
True, getting rid of some problems, it is easy to get new ones. The fact is that most parking lots in the center of Chicago are paid. In addition, not all hotels have them.
You can navigate by the color of the border. Red prohibits stopping, white – allows passengers to drop off, green – it is allowed to stand, but not for long – the allowable time is written on the pavement. Seats for the disabled are marked in blue. The sign “For customers only” in the parking lot near the store warns that you need to take a special parking ticket at the checkout.
Chicago is one of the top ten US cities with the busiest roads. You should not plan morning and evening car trips around the city, especially on weekdays – at this time, traffic jams reach their maximum. In case of incorrect parking, a fine is issued, and the car can be taken to the impound lot. The good news is that many parking lots are free on weekends, there are also those where you can stand for 2 hours for free at any time.