edit Chicago Travel Guide

• The Loop and The Magnificent Mile - take these routes to experience the finest and most interesting sites of the city
• The Adler Planetarium, with all sorts of cool hands-on space exhibits and astronomy show
• Lincoln Park - 1,200-acre park with a zoo, a conservatory, beaches, and much more

Milenium Park features "the bean" , a full stage/concert area, and a "face pond"

Progress and modernization rule in Chicago. The old Chicago with its smoke-spewing factories and quarreling politicians - not to mention machine gun-wielding gangsters - is mostly gone, having given way to a new Chicago known for architecture, world-class museums, and tourism in general.

Chicago is a city of vibrant neighborhoods. While the city has many great cultural institutions and tourist attractions, most Chicagoans live and play outside of the central business district. To truly understand Chicago, travelers must venture away from the Loop and Michigan Avenue and out into these neighborhoods.

By plane

Chicago is served by two large airports. There are plenty of taxis from both to downtown Chicago, but they are quite expensive, especially during rush hours. Expect upwards of $40 for O'Hare and $30 for Midway. CTA trains provide direct service to both larger airports for $2 from anywhere in the city. They are a strongly recommended alternative.

Many large hotels have shuttle vans to one or both larger airports, particularly the O'Hare-area hotels. Inquire before you leave.

O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is 17 miles northwest of downtown and serves many international and domestic carriers. United Airlines has the largest presence here, followed by American. The CTA Blue Line train runs 24 hours a day between downtown and O'Hare in about 45 minutes, which can be faster than a taxi during rush hour periods and a lot less expensive. The airport has a chapel, a library, a post office, and a medical center among its many services.

Most connecting flights for smaller cities in the Midwest run through O'Hare. It's one of the biggest airports in the world, and it has always been notorious for delays. Unfortunately, it's too far northwest for most travelers who get stuck overnight to head into the city. As a result, there are plenty of hotels in the O'Hare area.

Midway International Airport (MDW) is 10 miles southwest of downtown. Recently modernized, and serviced by domestic and discount airlines. Southwest Airlines is the biggest carrier here. The CTA Orange Line train runs between downtown and Midway in around 30 minutes. As Midway is more compact, less crowded, closer to downtown, and usually cheaper, it is recommended for domestic travelers who have the option. Midway has a nondescript meditation room/chapel accessible from the terminal area.

Others

• Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY) is 25 miles southeast of downtown in nearby Gary, Indiana. Currently undergoing an extension of its main runway to nearly 9000ft, this airport is currently served by a single airline, operating as a scheduled charter. Train service is via the NICTD South Shore Line from its nearby Clark Road station.

• Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is served by 7 Amtrak trains per day (6 on Sunday), and the Hiawatha Service was Amtrak's most on-time train route in 2006. The trip from Chicago Union Station to Mitchell Airport Station is about one hour and 15 minutes. (Comparatively, the Blue Line to O'Hare can take 40 minutes from the Loop.) There are numerous discount flights to and from Milwaukee as well.

• Chicago's Meigs Field (Formerly KCGX), perhaps best known as the "home" airport for some versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator, was closed in 2003.

By train

Chicago's Union Station (Canal St. and Jackson Blvd.) is the hub of Amtrak's Midwestern routes, making it one of the most convenient U.S. cities to visit by train. Metra suburban trains run from Union Station and nearby Northwestern Station (Canal St. and Madison St.), and the CTA elevated tracks are within walking distance.

By car

I-55 will take you directly from St. Louis into downtown Chicago. I-90/94 comes in from Indiana to the east. If you are travelling from the southeast, save yourself the frustration from the worst traffic congestion in the Midwest and take I-74 West from Indianapolis (not I-65 that takes you up to I-80 and I-90/94), heading west into central Illinois. As you pass through Urbana-Champaign I-74 intersects with I-57, and from there Chicago is a mere two-hour drive northward. I-90 comes in from Madison, WI to the west. I-94 comes in from Milwaukee, WI to the north. I-80 will get you to the city from Iowa which neighbors Illinois to the west.

If arriving downtown from Indiana, from the south on I-57 to the Dan Ryan Expressway, or from the north, Lake Shore Drive provides a scenic introduction in both directions, day or night. The shore and skyline are not to be missed. If arriving on the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) from the southwest, or on the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) from the west, the skyline may also be visible from certain clear spots, but without the shore view.

By bus

The main Greyhound terminal, which has interstate bus service, is at 630 West Harrison Street. There is also one at 95th/Dan Ryan red line station. Detroit is approximately six hours from Chicago.

Megabus, a bus service very popular in the United Kingdom, recently established a branch in Chicago. The company is known for providing fares as low as $1 as long as the customer books well in advance. These buses stop in Chicago near Union Station on the east side of South Canal Street, between Jackson Boulevard and Adams Street. At present, buses run express from Chicago to eight other major Midwestern cities.

By boat

By Car

Avoid driving in downtown Chicago if at all possible. Traffic is awful, pedestrians are in a daze, and garages in the Loop can cost as much as $30 per day. Even outside of the city center, street parking is expensive and/or not readily available, particularly on the North Side. Parking restrictions are swiftly and mercilessly enforced in the form of tickets and towing.

The perpetual construction is bad enough, but drivers on the city expressways can be very aggressive. For those used to driving on expressways in the Northeast, this may be a welcome reminder of home. For everyone else, though, it can be frightening and intimidating.

It's not all bad, though. If your trip includes the suburbs, you'll find wider roads and more parking. Free on-street parking is also easy to find in the Hyde Park neighborhood, so long as you are not near the University of Chicago or the Museum of Science and Industry, and throughout the South Side.

By Bicycle

Chicago has a bike path along the shores of Lake Michigan, making north-south travel very convenient if you're far enough east, as long as the weather is favorable by the lake. Most major city streets have bike lanes, and the biking culture is established enough that cars tend to accommodate and (grudgingly) yield to bicycles. Bike trips can also be combined with rides on the CTA.

By Mass Transit

The best way to see Chicago is by public transit. It is cheap (basically), efficient (at times), and safe (for the most part). The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) (http://www.rtachicago.com/) the various public transit agencies in the Chicago area.

By Foot

Summers are hot & humid with July & August being the peak, thunderstorms bringing heavy winds can also occur suddenly. Winters can be cold and especially bad on windy days, but you will not be spending much time outside when its too cold, so dress in layers. Weather tends to get very extreme; Chicago is commonly regarded as a city which can experience 'four seasons in a day'.

Dial 911 to get emergency help and 311 for all non-emergency situations.

Police

Fire Department

Hospitals

Crime

Despite a decline in the crime rate from the 1970's and '80's, Chicago is still a big city with big city problems. There are run-down areas within a few blocks of well-traveled places such as near the United Center and US Cellular Field. Exercise caution in some areas of the South and West Sides at night, especially the areas around the Dan Ryan Expressway near the Skyway Interchange/69th st, and areas near the Eisenhower Expressway west of Western Avenue. Take caution in the Loop at night — after working hours, the Loop gets quiet and dark in a hurry west of State Street, but you'll be fine near hotels, and close to Michigan Avenue and the lake. When disembarking a crowded CTA train, especially in the downtown-area subways, be wary of purse snatchers

Smoking

The most famous shopping street in Chicago is a stretch of Michigan Avenue known as The Magnificent Mile, in the Near North area. It includes many designer boutiques, and several multi-story malls anchored by large department stores including 900 N Michigan (Bloomingdales), Water Tower Place (Macy's), North Bridge (Nordstrom) and Chicago Place (Saks Fifth Avenue). Additional brands are available from off-strip shops to the south and west of Michigan. For access to the Magnificent Mile, take the Red Line subway to Chicago or Grand.

State Street used to be a great street for department stores in the Loop, but it's now a shadow of its former self, with Carson Pirie Scott's landmark Louis Sullivan-designed building closed, and invading forces from New York holding the former Marshall Field's building hostage under the name Macy's. Sears is still on State, though. Discounts can be found at Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx and Filene's Basement.

For a classic Chicago souvenir, pick up a box of Frango Mints, much-loved mint chocolates that were originally offered by Marshall Field's and are still available at Macy's stores. The original recipe appears to still be in use, which pleases the loyal crowds fond of the flavor — and too bad for anyone looking to avoid trans-fats.

Trendy boutique shopping can be found at the shops around Halsted and Armitage in Lincoln Park on the North Side, and the shops near the intersection of Damen, North, and Milwaukee in Wicker Park on the West Side. Wicker Park is also the place to go for record fiends of the sort seen in High Fidelity, which was filmed there, but there are also key vinyl drops in other parts of the city as well.

For art or designer home goods, River North is the place to go. Centered between the Merchandise Mart and the Chicago Avenue Brown Line "L" stop in the Near North, River North's gallery district boasts the largest arts and design district in North America outside of Manhattan. The entire area is walkable and makes for fun window-shopping.

Goods from around the world are available at the import stores in Chicago's many ethnic neighborhoods; check See for descriptions and district articles for directions.

If you are the type that loves to browse through independent bookstores, Hyde Park has a stunning assortment of dusty used bookstores selling beat-up-paperbacks to rare 17th century originals, and the world's largest academic bookstore.

Illinois

• There are forest preserves in the far north, northwest, and southwest sides, and into nearby suburbs. They are excellent for biking, jogging, and picnicing.

• Evanston s on the north border of Chicago, approximately one hour from downtown on the El, or half an hour via car (during light traffic), and contains shops, restaurants, bars and Northwestern University.

• Brookfield is home to the Chicagoland area's other world-class zoo, the Brookfield Zoo.

• Historic Galena, three hours west-northwest of Chicago via I-90 and US-20, is great for hiking, sightseeing, and antiquing.

• Six Flags Great America, in Gurnee (40 miles north on I-94). The biggest and wildest roller coasters in the Midwest.

• Peoria, in some ways a miniature Chicago, is a little over three hours away.

Indiana

• The Indiana Dunes are a moderate drive away. If you've enjoyed the beaches in Chicago, you owe the Indiana Dunes a stop — that's where all the sand came from.

Wisconsin

• Lake Geneva is a summer getaway across the Wisconsin border. Nearby are the Kettle Moraine state parks, with good mountain biking.

• Spring Green is an easy weekend trip from Chicago, about three and a half hours from town on I-90. It's the home of two unique architectural wonders: Frank Lloyd Wright's magnificent estate Taliesin, and Alex Jordan's mysterious museum The House on the Rock.

• The Wisconsin Dells are another (wet) summer fun destination, just three hours north of the city by car (I-90/94), also accessible by Amtrak train.