O'Hare/Rosemont, IL

[DJT]

My DH and my DS will be flying into O'Hare in February. They are going to a motorcycle show in Rosemont at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. According to the website, it's supposed to be about five minutes from O'Hare. If anyone is familiar with it, is a cab the best/only way for them to get from the airport to the convention center? Thanks so much for any help.

Donna

 

[QT Pooh]

Yes, the convention center is not very far from the airport once you get out of it. Depending on the traffic, it could take as little as 5 minutes. It may be cheaper to rent a car for that day instead of taking a cab to and from the airport.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

They are going to a motorcycle show in Rosemont at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. According to the website, it's supposed to be about five minutes from O'Hare.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Blue Line rail transit serves O'Hare International Airport. The first station after O'Hare is Rosemont.

For a map of Rosemont, see http://www.resexpo.com/pdf/map_rosemont.pdf — "18" is the CTA station; "20" is the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. A freeway interchange and a large Hyatt Regency hotel are between the CTA station and the Convention Center.

I understand that people walk between the CTA station and Rosemont's hotels and convention center. (But I've never done so myself.)

 

[DemoBri1]

I would think that you could walk between the CTA station and the convention center, but being February the weather could be dicey. If you rent a car, you'll more than likely have to pay to park, so the cab may be the best way, or they may have a shuttle from the airport to one of the Convention Center hotels that you might be able to hop. The hotels are:

- Doubletree O'Hare/Rosemont
- Embassy Suites Hotel-O'Hare/Rosemont
- Sofitel Chicago/O'Hare
- Hyatt Regency O'Hare

Good Luck

 

[DJT]

Thank you so much for the great information. I got on the CTA website and it shows the first stop from O'Hare as Rosemont. I just wonder how far it is from the stop to the convention center for walking. Taking that would probably be the cheapest way to get there. Thanks again! I knew someone here would be able to give me the info I needed.

Donna

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Thank you so much for the great information. I got on the CTA website and it shows the first stop from O'Hare as Rosemont. I just wonder how far it is from the stop to the convention center for walking. Taking that would probably be the cheapest way to get there. Thanks again! I knew someone here would be able to give me the info I needed.

Ideally, someone who has actually walked from the CTA station in Rosemont to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center will reply. My guess is that the walk would be 15-20 minutes each way.

DemoBri1 made a good point about Chicago weather in the winter. It can be bitterly cold (although lately it's been around 45 deg F during the day).

If you decide to take a cab, the cab driver will probably hate you. The drivers wait for a long time in hopes of getting a good fare for a long drive to downtown Chicago. But it's a very short drive to Rosemont. The driver has to take you. Also, ask a taxi starter about the right kind of taxi. O'Hare is served by city cabs and suburban cabs. Rosemont is technically a suburb, but it's wedged between the airport (which is in Chicago) and the city of Chicago.

As far a taking a courtesy shuttle to a Rosemont hotel is concerned, I don't know how successful you would be if you don't have a reservation at the hotel. It would be the cheapest way to go (free, except for a tip). There are several hotels connected to the convention center by a skywalk system. However, I doubt the hotels offer free airport transportation to people who only want to go to the convention center.

 

[nuke]

It's easily walkable from the CTA but you have to take into consideration what you will be carrying with you. Will you have luggage, a carry-on, wheels? With wheels it's not so bad, carrying something would be a different story.

 

[DJT]

Nuke, it will be just my DH and my DS. It's just a day trip to the motorcycle show at the convention center. I'm trying to make it as easy for them as possible. My DH is not good with directions. My DS is better with directions. I just want to try to get everything organized for them so they won't have any problems. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Donna

 

[delilah]

I have frequently gone to meetings at Rosemont convention center. There is actually a free shuttle from Ohare to the convention center. There are also free shuttles to many of the hotels at Rosemont. Generally, I have taken the one for the hotel where I am staying. It was very convenient and prompt.

 

[wtpntigger2]

If they end up taking a cab, make sure it is not a city of Chicago cab as they charge a surcharge to go to the suburbs (which are outside the perimeter of the airport).

 

[Cindy's Mom]

The walk from the Blue Line stop to the Convention Center is 5 minutes TOPS! The convention center is only 3 miles from O'Hare - it would be insane to rent a car as most of O'Hare's rental companies are off site and in another direction of the convention center so you would actually drive further than would a cab.

Unless you make arrangments with a suburban cab company, you will get who ever is next in the cab line. The surcharge is nominal. J

ust take a cab there and back - don't worry about the cabbie - its the luck of the draw and he knows it - my feeling is if he/she is sitting in line all day hoping and praying for that BIG fare, instead of hustling fares downtown, then it serves them right!

 

[DJT]

Thanks, everyone, for the excellent responses. You have all been very helpful. I'm thinking they should just take a cab to the convention center to make it easier on themselves. They could give the driver a good tip. Are their cabs waiting outside the convention center that they could take back to O'Hare at the end of the day, or would they need to call one?

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Thanks, everyone, for the excellent responses. You have all been very helpful. I'm thinking they should just take a cab to the convention center to make it easier on themselves. They could give the driver a good tip. Are their cabs waiting outside the convention center that they could take back to O'Hare at the end of the day, or would they need to call one?

Yes there are cabs waiting outside the convention center. If they have time for lunch and its a weekday, they MUST go across the street to Gibson's Steakhouse. You can eat in the bar, not too expensive and its awesome!!!