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Travel - International
AIR: International airports: Chicago (ORD) (O’Hare International) (website: www.ohare.com), 35km (21 miles) northwest of the city, is one of the world’s busiest airports. Lower-level pedestrian passageways inside the airport terminals lead directly to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) station; the free Airport Transit System (ATS) also links the terminals and station. The CTA Blue Line train provides 24-hour service between central Chicago and O’Hare. Most major car hire firms have offices at the airport. Taxis and limousines are also widely available, as are shuttle buses and buses serving regional destinations.
Connections from O’Hare to Midway Airport (see below) are provided by CTA’s Orange Line 0500-0000 (travel time – 2 hours); or the Omega Airport Shuttle bus, which operates an airport transfer service every hour 0700-2250 (travel time – 30 minutes).
Domestic airports: Midway Airport (MDW) (website: www.ohare.com/midway/home.cfm), on Chicago’s southwest side, handles some regional and local flights. The Midway Airport Terminal is currently undergoing massive redevelopment, with a new terminal opened in 2001 and final completion due in 2004. Transport to the city is available on the CTA’s Orange Line (travel time – 20-30 minutes), and by taxi and shuttle bus; other buses serve regional destinations. All of the major car hire firms are represented.
Approximate flight times: From Chicago to Anchorage is 7 hours 30 minutes, to Honolulu is 10 hours 20 minutes, to London is 7 hours 35 minutes, to Los Angeles is 4 hours 45 minutes, to Miami is 3 hours 20 minutes, to Montréal is 2 hours 15 minutes, to New York is 2 hours 5 minutes, to Toronto is 1 hour 40 minutes, to Vancouver is 6 hours 10 minutes, and to Washington, DC is 2 hours.
RAIL: Downtown Chicago’s Union Station is the focal point of the Amtrak (tel: (800) 872 7245 (toll free); website: www.amtrak.com) rail passenger network: three of the four transcontinental lines converge here and it is also the northern terminus of north–south lines to San Antonio and New Orleans. A sixth line runs northeast to Toronto, with connections to Montréal. Services to neighbouring cities are limited.
Approximate rail travel times: From Chicago on the ‘Three Rivers’/‘Pennsylvanian’ to Pittsburgh is 9 hours 40 minutes, to Philadelphia is 18 hours, and to New York is 21 hours; on the ‘Lake Shore Limited’ to Toledo is 4 hours 20 minutes, to Cleveland is 7 hours, to Buffalo is 10 hours and to New York is 19 hours; on the ‘Cardinal’ to Indianapolis is 5 hours, to Cincinnati is 8 hours 35 minutes, and to Washington, DC is 23 hours; on the ‘Capitol’ to Pittsburgh is 9 hours 45 minutes, and to Washington, DC is 17 hours 45 minutes; on the ‘City of New Orleans’ to Memphis is 10 hours 30 minutes, and to New Orleans is 19 hours 40 minutes; on the ‘International’ to Kalamazoo is 2 hours 20 minutes, to Port Huron is 6 hours 20 minutes, and to Toronto is 12 hours 20 minutes; on the ‘Ann Rutledge’ to St Louis is 7 hours, and to Kansas City is 12 hours; on the ‘Empire Builder’ to Minneapolis/St Paul is 8 hours 15 minutes, to Spokane is 37 hours 30 minutes, to Seattle is 46 hours, and to Portland is 46 hours. Approximate times for Chicago–Los Angeles and Chicago–Oakland (San Francisco) services may be found in the California section.
ROAD: Long-distance bus companies operating in the State include Greyhound (tel: (800) 229 9424; website: www.greyhound.com), with services across the USA, and Trailways (tel: (800) 343 9999; website: www.trailways.com), with services to neighbouring States.
Approximate driving times: From Chicago to Milwaukee is 2 hours, to Madison is 3 hours, to Indianapolis is 4 hours, to Detroit is 5 hours, to St Louis is 6 hours, to Des Moines is 7 hours, to Cleveland is 7 hours, to Nashville is 9 hours, to Kansas City is 10 hours, to New York is 16 hours, to Dallas is 19 hours, to Miami is 27 hours, to Seattle is 44 hours and to Los Angeles is 44 hours. All times are based on non-stop driving at or below the applicable speed limits.
Approximate bus travel times: From Chicago to Milwaukee is 2 hours, to Indianapolis is 3 hours 30 minutes, to Detroit is 6-8 hours, to St Louis is 5-7 hours, to Cleveland is 7-8 hours, to Omaha is 10 hours, to Memphis is 10-11 hours, and to New York City is 17 hours.
URBAN: Bus: A wide network of bus routes run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) (tel: (312) 836 7000; website: www.transitchicago.com) covers the city on the major north–south and east–west streets. Train: The CTA runs both subway trains and elevated trains from ‘The Loop’ in downtown Chicago to the suburbs; commuter rail services are run by METRA. Car hire: Cars and motor campers are available.
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