Getting There

By Plane

O'Hare International Airport -- Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (tel. 773/686-2200; www.flychicago.com; online airport code ORD) has long battled Atlanta's Hartsfield for the title of the world's busiest airport. O'Hare is about 15 miles northwest of the Loop. Depending on traffic, the drive to or from downtown can take anywhere from 30 minutes to more than an hour.

O'Hare has information booths in all five terminals; most are on the baggage level. The multilingual employees, who wear red jackets, can assist travelers with everything from arranging ground transportation to getting information about local hotels. The booths also offer a plethora of useful tourism brochures. The booths, labeled "Airport Information," are open daily from 9am to 8pm.

Domestic carriers that fly regularly to O'Hare include American (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), America West (tel. 800/235-9292; www.americawest.com), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com), United (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com) and discount offshoot Ted (tel. 800/CALL-TED; www.flyted.com), and US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com). You'll have the most flight options with American or United, both of which have hubs in Chicago. Several regional airlines provide commuter service.

Midway International Airport -- On the opposite end of the city, the southwest side, is Chicago's other major airport, Midway International Airport (tel. 773/838-0600; www.flychicago.com; online airport code MDW). Although it's smaller than O'Hare and handles fewer airlines, Midway is closer to the Loop and attracts more discount airlines, so you may be able to get a cheaper fare flying into here. (Always check fares to both airports if you want to find the best deal.) A cab ride from Midway to the Loop usually takes about 20 minutes. You can find the latest information on both airports at the city's Department of Aviation website: www.flychicago.com.

Airlines that fly to Chicago's Midway International Airport are AirTran (tel. 800/247-8726; www.airtran.com), ATA (tel. 800/435-9282; www.ata.com), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com), Frontier (tel. 800/432-1359; www.frontierairlines.com), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com), and Southwest (tel. 800/435-9792; www.southwest.com). ATA and Southwest operate the most frequent flights in and out of Midway.

Getting Into Town From O'Hare & Midway -- Taxis are plentiful at both O'Hare and Midway, but getting to town is easily accessed by public transportation as well. A cab ride into the city will cost about $30 to $35 from O'Hare (20 miles from downtown), and $25 to $30 from Midway (10 miles from downtown). One warning: Rush hour traffic can be horrendous, especially around O'Hare. If you have to get downtown in a hurry, the El can actually be faster than driving.

If you're not carting enormous amounts of luggage and want to save money, I highly recommend taking public transportation, which is convenient from both airports. For $2, you can take the El (vernacular for the elevated train) straight into downtown.

O'Hare is on the Blue Line; a trip to downtown takes about 40 minutes. Trains leave every 6 to 10 minutes during the day, and every half-hour in the evening and overnight.

Getting downtown from Midway is even faster; the ride on the Orange Line takes 20 to 30 minutes. (The Orange Line stops operating each night at about 11:30pm and resumes service by 5am.) Trains leave the station every 6 to 15 minutes. The train station is a significant walk from the terminal -- without the benefit of O'Hare's moving sidewalks -- so be prepared if you have heavy bags.

Both airports also have outposts for every major car rental company.

Continental Airport Express (tel. 888/2-THEVAN; www.airportexpress.com) serves most first-class hotels in Chicago with its blue-and-white vans; ticket counters are at both airports near baggage claim (outside Customs at the international terminal at O'Hare). For transportation to the airport, reserve a spot through one of the hotels (check with the bell captain). The cost is $25 one-way ($45 round-trip) to or from O'Hare, and $20 one-way ($36 round-trip) to or from Midway. Group rates for two or more people traveling together are less expensive than sharing a cab. The shuttles operate from 4am to 11:30pm.

For limo service from O'Hare or Midway, call Carey Limousine of Chicago (tel. 773/763-0009; www.ecarey.com) or Chicago Limousine Services (tel. 312/726-1035). Depending on the number of passengers and whether you opt for a sedan or a stretch limo, the service will cost about $100 to $150 from Midway and $150 to $200 from O'Hare, excluding gratuity and tax.

By Car

Interstate highways from all major points on the compass serve Chicago. I-80 and I-90 approach from the east, crossing the northern sector of Illinois, with I-90 splitting off and emptying into Chicago on the Skyway and the Dan Ryan Expressway. From here, I-90 runs through Wisconsin, following a northern route to Seattle. I-55 snakes up the Mississippi Valley from the vicinity of New Orleans and enters Chicago from the west along the Stevenson Expressway; in the opposite direction, it provides an outlet to the Southwest. I-57 originates in southern Illinois and forms part of the interstate linkage to Florida and the South, connecting within Chicago on the west leg of the Dan Ryan. I-94 links Detroit with Chicago, arriving on the Calumet Expressway and leaving the city on the Kennedy Expressway en route to the Northwest.

Here are approximate driving distances in miles to Chicago: from Milwaukee, 92; from St. Louis, 297; from Detroit, 286; from Denver, 1,011; from Atlanta, 716; from Washington, D.C., 715; from New York City, 821; and from Los Angeles, 2,034.

By Train

Traveling great distances by train is certainly not the quickest way to go, nor always the most convenient, but many travelers still prefer it to flying or driving.

For tickets, consult your travel agent or call Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com). Ask the reservations agent to send you Amtrak's useful travel planner, with information on train accommodations and package tours.

When you arrive in Chicago, the train will pull into Union Station, 210 S. Canal St., between Adams and Jackson streets (tel. 312/655-2385). Bus nos. 1, 60, 125, 151, and 156 all stop at the station, which is just west across the river from the Loop. The nearest El stop is at Clinton Street and Congress Parkway (on the Blue Line), which is a fair walk away, especially when you're carrying luggage.