chicago hotel less than a mile from metro

[funkychunkymonkey]

and under $75 a night. Any ideas? Im traving with a older lady who cant walk far so were trying to be near the metro

 

[RitaE]

Do you mean the Metra? Are you coming into Millenium Station or the Ogilvie Transportation Center?

Either way, I can't think of any hotel in Chicago that is going to be under $75 that is close in to downtown unless you get a jackpot on Priceline.

 

[Minnesota!]

good luck. cheapest we found was $89/night at O'Hare Hilton with some promotions. Blue Line stop adjacent, but I assume you will either need to be pretty far out, or staying a real dive to get much cheaper.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

The Metra or the the L? You aren't going to find something within a mile of the Metra stations in the city that is $75. If you are looking to be a mile or less from the L, you will probably be far from downtown or in a total dive. I think you need to rethink your budget.

 

[POOHsie]

Realistically, your friend should consider either renting or purchasing a wheelchair if her condition involves limited walking. I use an ECV full time, and with it I am able to go all over. On small trips I just bring a lightweight wheelchair that I can load/unload from my van by myself. A wheelchair can be folded when not in use, and can be loaded on an airplane. I agree with others that your hotel budget for your desired location is too low.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I told her that but yea. I found a few outside the city which is totally ok! we are driving down, parking the car and taking the metra everywere. It would end up being 2 wheelchairs, a crabby old lady and one angry man by the end of the trip! lol

 

[pearlieq]

Just to clarify, you'll have a car with you? If that's the case, you could definitely find something decent in your budget range in the suburbs and then drive in, park in a centrally located lot, and use the L to get around.

Just to avoid confusion, the Metra is the commuter train system running in and out of the city to the suburbs. It doesn't go around the city, just to the main train stations.

To get around the city, you can use the 'L' (CTA Trains) system: http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/maps/ctatrainmap.png

You might find the Hop On/Hop Off bus tour useful to get around to the major sights while keeping walking to a minimum:

http://www.coachusa.com/chicagotrolley/chicagos-best-tour/tour-map.asp

There is a large parking garage right at Millenium Park, where the bus tour route starts/ends.

 

[RitaE]

Yeah, you can drive in and park --- expect to pay $25 to $30 a day in parking fees though so that might make your cheaper hotel not so cheap. Also, watch Chicago hotels carefully because not all of them are upfront about their parking fees until you get there and are pulling in. If you need free parking, ask if they provide it when you make the reservation.

If you are going to do Metra, check into buying passes beforehand. Last time I bought a 10 fare ticket I think there was a discount for buying online? I think there are Senior Citizen rates too. For the 'L -- CTA transit, there was a Groupon out the other day for discounted 3 day passes so you might want to watch for that.

 

[NotUrsula]

We really cannot advise you properly until you tell us whether you are speaking of the Metra Commuter Trains System or CTA Trains (aka, the "El"). Please let us know which system you mean to use. Note that the tickets for one do not work on the other. (However, CTA passes do work on both CTA trains and CTA buses.)

General note re: the CTA "El" trains: with only a couple of exceptions, the older stations mostly do not have elevators or escalators. (Unlike DC's Metro, CTA predates escalators, and even now they mostly don't use them for maintainance cost reasons.) If this lady cannot walk far, how will she handle climbing three flights of stairs to access the elevated train platforms?

CTA real-time info on elevator outages: http://www.transitchicago.com/travel_information/accessibility_status.aspx
(There is a CTA app for phones that also has this info.)

 

[RitaE]

Here is the Groupon for 3 Day CTA Passes but yes note These Are NOT Metra Passes. If you are far enough out into the suburbs, you could very well be taking Metra into the City and then using CTA to get around depending on where you are going. We need to know where you are staying and where you plan to travel give advice.

CTA Groupon:
http://www.groupon.com/deals/chicag...edium=afl&utm_campaign=6202255&utm_source=rvs


Metra Fares:
http://metrarail.com/metra/en/home/tickets.html?cq_ck=1251746486500#WheretoPurchaseTickets

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

well flip! i only heard of the metra! does the metra meet somewere in chicago? I mean like if we were out in the burbs does the metra connect to the cta? ok we want to see:
Shedd aquarium
feild meseum
alder planetarium
science and industry
lincon park
sweedish meseum
rainforest cafe
willis tower
navy peir
Great lakes naval
buckinham fountain
hard rock
Ikea
rosehill cemetary

 

[NotUrsula]

Those are pretty widely spread places; offhand, I think the the only ones on that list that are close to Metra train stops are the Willis Tower (because it is near Union Station), Science and Industry (57th St. station on either the South Shore line or the Metra Electric Line), and Great Lakes, which is WAY north of the city proper on the Union Pacific North Line.)

Metra trains are essentially express trains once they cross into the City of Chicago; they ALL head straight for downtown because they are meant to be used by suburban commuters to get to and from work quickly. Most of them take you to Union Station or Ogilvy Transit Center. The CTA trains and buses are the city locals that run throughout Chicago proper, to/from the airports, and to the near-in suburbs.

You would probably be best off using your personal car to go to Science & Industry, Great Lakes, and Ikea, as they are all outliers where it doesn't cost too much to park. However, that is one BIG circle around the metro area, and will mean a lot of time on the road in traffic. Near-in parking will cost at least $25/day at the cheaper lots, and much more at many of them. There are lots not too far from O'Hare on the CTA Blue Line that are large and rather inexpensive, but they fill up VERY early on weekdays.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

The Metra and CTA trains do not meet at any stations. You will have to ride one, leave that station, and walk/cab to the other station. I think it's about 3/4 mile from Ogilvie and Union Stations to the nearest CTA train. And you have to know which color CTA goes to where you want it to and find that station.

You need to get maps of Chicago and the Metra routes and CTA routes. And be aware that some of what you want to see is in the suburbs so you either need a car or will have to take a can from the train stations. I don't know how many days you will be here, but that is a LOT to see and you will have a lot of travel time because they are very spread out. Be prepared to spend a lot on parking or cabs.

 

[akcire]

well flip! i only heard of the metra! does the metra meet somewere in chicago? I mean like if we were out in the burbs does the metra connect to the cta? ok we want to see:
Shedd aquarium
feild meseum
alder planetarium
science and industry
lincon park
sweedish meseum
rainforest cafe
willis tower
navy peir
Great lakes naval
buckinham fountain
hard rock
Ikea
rosehill cemetary

Ok.

That's quite the list with stuff being located all o er Chicagoland. How long are you going to be in town?

The field and msi are easily full day museums. The Adler and the shedd are half - 3/4 day visits.
Also these are fairly expensive.

The Swedish American museum is a couple hour visit, but the neighborhood easily can add a few hours. The Swedish bakery is not to be missed.

You mentioned ikea. There is one in woodfield mall in Schaumberg . There is also a rainforest cafe located in the mall.

Lincoln park zoo is a 3/4 day visit for sure.

Not sure if you can visit without base documentation but Great Lakes is in Waukegan almost to Wisconsin. Probably 45-60 minutes from Chicago.

Willis tower is very easy to get to from metra but is still a 6-8 block walk.

I live here and am familiar with these places and it would take me a minimum of 10 days to complete this list.

Glad to answer any questions. Hope you can parallel park well Andersonville where Swedish American museum is located has tight parking.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

by what I could see alot stuff is on the cta line and then you can hop a bus to get there. We figure we should be ok, cause we had a even longer list for Washigtion DC and 4 days and made all our stops. I missed Wrigley feild on my list, but thats just for a picture.


Not sure if you can visit without base documentation but Great Lakes is in Waukegan almost to Wisconsin. Probably 45-60 minutes from Chicago.
Actully you can, I called and checked. they have a very cool meseum. Were planning on hitting this on our last day on the way home (we live in WI)

 

[WanderLuster]

There's sometimes a $70/night rate at the Tremont. It's a Starwood property in Gold Coast - 2 blocks from Water Tower Place on Michigan Ave / about 3 blocks from Chicago red line station. Rooms are small, but serviceable.

Other good options are Priceline - check out biddingfortravel.com for more info. I've gotten a number of good deals in Chicagoland, including:
Hyatt on Wacker Drive for $65
Hyatt Regency O'Hare for $55-$65 range
Hilton Chicago ORD for $60

But, I don't have a car and I believe that parking is very expensive for all of these hotels. It is going to be expensive to park in the downtown (loop, river north, gold coast areas) and near O'Hare.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Are any of your travel party going to be in wheel chairs while you ride the CTA and hop busses?

 

[NotUrsula]

by what I could see alot stuff is on the cta line and then you can hop a bus to get there. We figure we should be ok, cause we had a even longer list for Washigtion DC and 4 days and made all our stops. I missed Wrigley feild on my list, but thats just for a picture.


Not sure if you can visit without base documentation but Great Lakes is in Waukegan almost to Wisconsin. Probably 45-60 minutes from Chicago.
Actully you can, I called and checked. they have a very cool meseum. Were planning on hitting this on our last day on the way home (we live in WI)

Unless your DC list included places like Monticello and the Maryland Shore, the distances are mostly not comparable. Yes, it is possible to see a whole lot of things that are close together in Chicago in a short time, but with the exception of the three stops at the Museum Campus, you are looking at things that are very far apart. Also, keep in mind that the major museums in Chicago are not free, so unlike at the Smithsonians, you have to allow time to go through the ticket lines. I have many times seen the weekend ticket lines at Field and the Shedd stretching out for over a city block; it can easily take two hours just to get through the ticket line on a busy day. (We buy memberships because we visit frequently enough to make them pay -- and skipping those ticket lines is a HUGE advantage.)

One thing I would advise you do in regard to the museums: check the hours and plan your itinerary so that you can do museums in the city earlier in the day, and then go to places like RFC or Ikea in the suburbs in the evening using your car. Field, Shedd and Adler don't open early, but MSI does. (Since we live south of Chicago we always do MSI on the our last day and go home from there: as they open earlier than the others we can finish there and still get home at a reasonable hour.)

Also, while you are up at Lincoln Park, you might want to consider visiting the Chicago Historical Society Museum; it is next-door.

One other thing: before you choose your dates, check to make sure that there are no major conventions happening during your visit. The hotel rates go MUCH higher on those occasions because Chicago is short on hotel capacity. http://www.choosechicago.com/meetin...DATE=03/26/2013&REGIONID=0&ENDDATE=04/26/2013
Dates where the city is hosting events that bring in more than 15K attendees are normally going to cost you quite a lot.

PS: Daily Parking rates with in-out privileges for the above-mentioned hotels are: Tremont $54, Hyatt Wacker $50, Hyatt O'Hare $22, Hilton O'Hare $48 to use the valet located AT the hotel, otherwise use offsite self parking at $33.

 

[RitaE]

Okay -- the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and the Planetarium are all in the same general area but as has been mentioned, that is quite a bit to cram into one day unless you are just going to look at the buildings or something. Also, you began this thread by mentioning that one person in your party has difficulty walking, so depending on her health I'm not sure walking between all of them and through those museums is feasible without a wheelchair.

Wrigley Field and Lincoln Park (zoo) are ... well not exactly close but close-ish. Well, at least they are all on the North side.

If you go to Navy Pier there are Chicago Architecture boat tours from which you can SEE Buckingham Fountain and as a bonus you won't be walking (or pushing a wheelchair).

You could get out to Woodfield and then do Ikea and the Rainforest Cafe. If you want to spend time shopping though that is probably close to a full day right there. I'm not a huge vacation shopper so my opinion isn't worth much but I'd suggest you stick with the Magnificent Mile/Michigan Ave area for shopping. You won't get an IKEA but there are plenty of high end/different stores .... you're closer to the skyscrapers and you don't have to hike out to Schaumburg. Many people combine a day of visiting Michigan Ave with a jot over to Navy Pier. Woodfield Mall is really just a Simon mall. They have a couple of different stores that you don't find all over the place but in the end, it is still just a mall.

Also note that if you are planning to pay entrance fees to all these places you might want to check out the Chicago City Pass. That allows you to choose from a menu of places and visit 5 of them for one flat fee.

http://www.citypass.com/chicago

The Museum of Science and Industry is further South and not really close to anything else on your list I don't think. And again ... it is a full day to explore it. Most of the school tours will only concentrate on a certain number of exhibits because the kids can't see it all on one field trip.

If you are driving back up to Wisconsin you could always stop at the Gurnee Mills Outlet mall (also a Simon Mall) and eat at the Rainforest Cafe there.

I've never been to the Swedish Museum so I don't know much about it.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

Oh yea! were doing city pass! sounds like when we go it will be one older lady (60s), one in a wheelchair, and one gimping along behind and one big strong guy.