Getting Around

The best way to savor Chicago is by walking its streets. Walking isn't always practical, however, particularly when moving between distant neighborhoods and on harsh winter days. In those situations, Chicago's public train and bus systems can get you almost anywhere you want to go.

Free Ride -- During the summer, the city of Chicago operates free trolleys daily between Michigan Avenue and the Museum Campus (site of the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium); the trolleys run only on weekends in the fall and spring. Free trolleys also run year-round between Navy Pier and the Grand/State El station on the Red Line. While the trolleys are supposed to make stops every 30 minutes, waits can be longer during peak tourist season -- and the trolleys aren't air-conditioned. If you get tired of waiting, remember that CTA public buses travel the same routes for only $2 per person.

By Public Transportation

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates an extensive system of trains and buses throughout the city of Chicago. The sturdy system carries about 1.5 million passengers a day. Subways and elevated trains (known as the El) are generally safe and reliable, although it's advisable to avoid long rides through unfamiliar neighborhoods late at night.

Fares for the bus, subway, and El are $2, with an additional 25¢ for a transfer that allows CTA riders to make two transfers on the bus or El within 2 hours of receipt. Children 6 and under ride free, and those between the ages of 7 and 11 pay $1. Seniors can also receive the reduced fare if they have the appropriate reduced-fare permit (call tel. 312/836-7000 for details on how to obtain one, although this is probably not a realistic option for a short-term visitor).

The CTA uses credit card-size fare cards that automatically deduct the exact fare each time you take a ride. The reusable cards can be purchased with a preset value already stored, or riders can obtain cards at vending machines located at all CTA train stations and charge them with whatever amount they choose (a minimum of $2 and up to $100). If within 2 hours of your first ride you transfer to a bus or the El, the turnstiles at the El stations and the fare boxes on buses will automatically deduct from your card just the cost of a transfer (25¢). If you make a second transfer within 2 hours, it's free. The same card can be recharged continuously.

Fare cards can be used on buses, but you can't buy a card on the bus. If you get on the bus without a fare card, you'll have to pay $2 cash (either in coins or in dollar bills); the bus drivers cannot make change, so make sure that you've got the right amount before hopping on board.

CTA Information -- The CTA operates a useful telephone information service (tel. 836-7000 or TTY 836-4949 from any area code in the city and suburbs) that functions daily from 5am to 1am. When you want to know how to get from where you are to where you want to go, call the CTA. Make sure that you specify any conditions you might require -- the fastest route, for example, or the simplest (the route with the fewest transfers or the least amount of walking), and so forth. You can also check out the CTA's website at www.transitchicago.com. Excellent CTA comprehensive maps, which include both El and bus routes, are usually available at subway or El stations, or by calling the CTA. The CTA has also added a toll-free customer service hot line (tel. 888/YOUR-CTA or TTY 888/CTA-TTY1; Mon-Fri 7am-8pm, with voice mail operating after hours) to field questions and feedback. Ticket agents are available at some of the busiest El stations to offer customer assistance.

By the El & the Subway -- The rapid-transit system operates five major lines, which the CTA identifies by color: The Red Line runs north-south; the Green Line runs west-south; the Blue Line runs through Wicker Park/Bucktown west-northwest to O'Hare Airport; the Brown Line runs in a northern zigzag route; and the Orange Line runs southwest, serving Midway airport. The Purple Line, which runs on the same Loop elevated tracks as the Orange and Green lines, serves north-suburban Evanston and runs only during rush hour.

I highly recommend taking at least one El ride while you're here -- you'll get a whole different perspective on the city (not to mention fascinating views inside downtown office buildings and North Side homes as you zip past their windows). While the Red Line is the most efficient for traveling between the Magnificent Mile and points south, your only views along this underground stretch will be of dingy stations. For sightseers, I recommend taking the aboveground Brown Line, which runs around the downtown Loop and then north through residential neighborhoods. You can ride all the way to the end of the line at Kimball (about a 45-min. ride from downtown), or hop off at Belmont to wander the Lakeview neighborhood. Avoid this scenic ride during rush hour (before about 9am and between 3:30 and 6:30pm), when your only view will be of tired commuters.

Study your CTA map carefully (there's one printed on the inside back cover of this guide) before boarding any train. While most trains run every 5 to 20 minutes, decreasing in frequency in the off-peak and overnight hours, some stations close after work hours (as early as 8:30pm) and remain closed on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. The Orange Line train does not operate from about 11:30pm to 5am, the Brown Line operates only north of Belmont after about 9:30pm, the Blue Line's Cermak branch has ceased operating overnight and on weekends, and the Purple Line does not run overnight.

After the Great Fire of 1871, Chicago made a remarkable recovery; within 20 years, the downtown district was swarming with people, streetcars, and horses (but no stoplights). To help relieve congestion, the city took to the sky, building a system of elevated trains 15 feet above all the madness. The first El trains were steam-powered, but by the end of the century, all the lines -- run by separate companies -- used electricity. In 1895, the three El companies collaborated to build a set of tracks into and around the central business district that all the lines would then share. By 1897, the "Loop" was up and running.

Chicago's El wasn't the nation's first. That honor belongs to New York City, which started running its elevated trains in 1867, 25 years before Chicago. But the New York El has almost disappeared, moving underground and turning into a subway early last century. With 289 miles of track, Chicago has the biggest El and the second-largest public transportation system in the country.

Sky Train: Chicago's El -- Watch any Hollywood film or TV series set in Chicago, and chances are they'll feature at least one scene set against our screeching elevated train system, more commonly known as the "El" (witness The Fugitive, ER, and others). The trains symbolize Chicago's gritty, "city-that-works" attitude, but they actually began as cutting-edge technology.

After the Great Fire of 1871, Chicago made a remarkable recovery; within 20 years, the downtown district was swarming with people, streetcars, and horses (but no stoplights). To help relieve congestion, the city took to the sky, building a system of elevated trains 15 feet above all the madness. The first El trains were steam-powered, but by the end of the century, all the lines -- run by separate companies -- used electricity. In 1895, the three El companies collaborated to build a set of tracks into and around the central business district that all the lines would then share. By 1897, the "Loop" was up and running.

Chicago's El wasn't the nation's first. That honor belongs to New York City, which started running its elevated trains in 1867, 25 years before Chicago. But the New York El has almost disappeared, moving underground and turning into a subway early last century. With 289 miles of track, Chicago has the biggest El and the second-largest public transportation system in the country.

By Bus -- Add to Chicago's gridlike layout a comprehensive system of public buses, and virtually every place in the city is within close walking distance of a bus stop. Other than on foot or bicycle, the best way to get around Chicago's warren of neighborhoods -- the best way to actually see what's around you -- is by riding a public bus, especially if you're staying near the lakefront, where the trains don't run. Look for the blue-and-white signs to locate bus stops, which are spaced about 2 blocks apart. Each bus route is identified by a number and the name of the main street it runs along; the bus that follows Grand Avenue, for example, is the no. 65 Grand.

A few buses that are particularly handy for many visitors are the no. 146 Marine/Michigan, an express bus from Belmont Avenue on the North Side that cruises down North Lake Shore Drive (and through Lincoln Park during nonpeak times) to North Michigan Avenue, State Street, and the Grant Park museum campus; the no. 151 Sheridan, which passes through Lincoln Park en route to inner Lake Shore Drive and then travels along Michigan Avenue as far south as Adams Street, where it turns west into the Loop (and stops at Union Station); and the no. 156 LaSalle, which goes through Lincoln Park and then into the Loop's financial district on LaSalle Street.

PACE buses (tel. 836-7000 from any Chicago area code or 847/364-7223; Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; www.pacebus.com) cover the suburban zones that surround Chicago. They run every 20 to 30 minutes during rush hour, operating until midevening Monday through Friday and early evening on weekends. Suburban bus routes are marked with nos. 208 and above, and vehicles may be flagged down at intersections where stops aren't marked.

Ticket to Ride -- Visitors may consider buying a Visitor Pass, which works like a fare card and allows individual users unlimited rides on the El and CTA buses over a 24-hour period. The cards cost $5 and are sold at airports, hotels, museums, Hot Tix outlets, transportation hubs, and Chicago Office of Tourism visitor information centers (you can also buy them in advance online at www.transitchicago.com or by calling tel. 888/YOUR-CTA). You can also buy 2-, 3-, and 5-day passes. While the passes save you the trouble of feeding the fare machines yourself, they're economical only if you plan to make at least three distinct trips at least 2 or more hours apart (remember that you get two additional transfers within 2 hrs. for an additional 25¢ on a regular fare).

By Commuter Train

The Metra commuter railroad (tel. 312/322-6777 or TTY 312/322-6774; Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; at other times call the Transit Information Center at tel. 312/836-7000 or TTY 312/836-4949; www.metrarail.com) serves the six-county suburban area around Chicago with 12 train lines. Several terminals are located downtown, including Union Station at Adams and Canal streets, LaSalle Street Station at LaSalle and Van Buren streets, North Western Station at Madison and Canal streets, and Randolph Street Station at Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue.

To view the leafy streets of Chicago's northern suburbs, take the Union Pacific North Line, which departs from the North Western Station, and get off at one of the following scenic towns: Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, and Lake Forest.

The Metra Electric (once known as the Illinois Central-Gulf Railroad, or the IC), running close to Lake Michigan on a track that occupies some of the most valuable real estate in Chicago, will take you to Hyde Park. You can catch the Metra Electric in the Loop at the Randolph Street Station and at the Van Buren Street Station at Van Buren Street and Michigan Avenue (both these stations are underground, so they're not immediately obvious to visitors).

Commuter trains have graduated fare schedules based on the distance you ride. On weekends and holidays and during the summer, Metra offers a family discount that allows up to three children under age 12 to ride free when accompanying a paid adult. The commuter railroad also offers a $5 weekend pass for unlimited rides on Saturday and Sunday.

By Taxi

Taxis are a convenient way to get around the Loop and to get to the dining, shopping, and entertainment options found beyond downtown, such as on the Near North Side, in Old Town and Lincoln Park, and in Bucktown/Wicker Park.

Taxis are easy to hail in the Loop, on the Magnificent Mile and the Gold Coast, in River North, and in Lincoln Park, but if you go far beyond these key areas, you might need to call. Cab companies include Flash Cab (tel. 773/561-4444), Yellow Cab (tel. 312/TAXI-CAB), and Checker Cab (tel. 312/CHECKER).

The meter in Chicago cabs currently starts at $2.25 for the first mile and costs $1.80 for each additional mile, with a $1 surcharge for the first additional rider and 50¢ for each person after that.

By Car

One of the great things about visiting Chicago is that you don't need to rent a car to get around: Public transportation and taxis are plentiful, and most of the main tourist attractions are within walking distance of downtown hotels. If you do drive here, Chicago is laid out so logically that it's relatively easy for visitors to get around the city by car. Although rush-hour traffic jams are just as frustrating as they are in other large cities, traffic runs fairly smoothly at most times of the day. Chicagoans have learned to be prepared for unexpected delays; it seems that at least one major highway and several downtown streets are under repair throughout the spring and summer months (some say we have two seasons: winter and construction).

Great diagonal corridors -- such as Lincoln Avenue, Clark Street, and Milwaukee Avenue -- slice through the grid pattern at key points in the city and shorten many a trip that would otherwise be tedious on the checkerboard surface of the Chicago streets. On scenic Lake Shore Drive (also known as Outer Dr.), you can travel the length of the city (and beyond), never far from the great lake that is Chicago's most awesome natural feature. If you're driving here, make sure you take one spin along what we call LSD; the stretch between the Museum Campus and North Avenue is especially stunning.

Driving Rules -- Unless otherwise posted, a right turn on red is allowed after stopping and signaling. As in any big city with its share of frustrating rush-hour traffic, be prepared for aggressive drivers and the occasional taxi to cut in front of you or make sudden, unexpected turns without signaling. Chicago drivers almost universally speed up at the sight of a yellow light; you'll most likely hear some honking if you don't make that mad dash before the light turns red.

Parking -- Parking regulations are vigorously enforced throughout the city. Read signs carefully: The streets around Michigan Avenue have parking restrictions during rush hour -- and I know from bitter firsthand experience that your car will be towed immediately. Many neighborhoods have adopted resident-only parking that prohibits others from parking on their streets, usually after 6pm each day (even all day in a few areas, such as Old Town). The neighborhood around Wrigley Field is off-limits during Cubs night games, so look for yellow sidewalk signs alerting drivers about the dozen-and-a-half times the Cubs play under lights. You can park in permit zones if you're visiting a friend who can provide you with a pass to stick on your windshield. Beware of tow zones, and, if visiting in winter, make note of curbside warnings regarding snow plowing.

A safe bet is valet parking, which most restaurants provide for $7 to $10. Downtown you might also opt for a public garage, but you'll have to pay premium prices. Several garages connected with malls or other major attractions offer discounted parking with a validated ticket.

If you'll be spending an entire day downtown, the best parking deal in the Loop is the city-run Millennium Park garage (tel. 312/742-7644), which charges $17 for up to 8 hours (enter on Columbus Dr., 1 block east of Michigan Ave., between Monroe and Randolph sts.). A little farther south are two municipal lots underneath Grant Park, with one entrance at Michigan Avenue and Van Buren Street and the other at Michigan Avenue and Madison Street (tel. 312/616-0600). Parking costs $14 for the first hour and $22 for 2 to 8 hours. Other downtown lots (where prices are comparable or even higher) include Midcontinental Plaza Garage, 55 E. Monroe St. (tel. 312/986-6821), and Navy Pier Parking, 600 E. Grand Ave. (tel. 312/595-7437). There's also a large lot next to the McCormick Place Convention Center, 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr. (tel. 312/791-7000).

Car Rental -- Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131), Avis (tel. 800/831-2847), National (tel. 800/227-7368), and Budget (tel. 800/527-0700) all have offices at O'Hare and Midway airports. Each company also has at least one office downtown: Hertz at 401 N. State St., Avis at 214 N. Clark St., National at 203 N. LaSalle St., and Budget at 65 E. Lake St.

By Boat

During the summer, boat traffic booms along the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Chicago River. The water taxi service offered by Shoreline Sightseeing (tel. 312/222-9328; www.shorelinesightseeing.com) ferries passengers on the lake between Navy Pier and the Shedd Aquarium, and on the Chicago River between Navy Pier and the Sears Tower (Adams St. and the river). The rides take about 15 to 20 minutes. The boats run daily Memorial Day to Labor Day every half-hour from 10am to 6pm, and single rides cost $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $3 for children.

The "RiverBus," operated by Wendella Commuter Boats (tel. 312/337-1446; www.wendellaboats.com), floats daily April through October between a dock at Madison Street (near Union Station and the Sears Tower) and River East Plaza, near the lake (the boats also make stops at LaSalle St. and Michigan Ave.). The ride, which costs $2 each way (or $3 round-trip) and takes about 10 minutes, is popular with both visitors and commuters.

By Bicycle

The city of Chicago has earned kudos for its efforts to improve conditions for bicycling (designated bike lanes have been installed on stretches of Wells St., Roosevelt Rd., Elston Ave., and Halsted St.), but it can still be a tough prospect trying to compete with cars and their drivers, who aren't always so willing to share the road. Make sure that you wear a helmet at all times, and stick to the lakefront path or area parks if you're nervous about veering into traffic.

The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (tel. 312/427-3325; www.chibikefed.org), a nonprofit advocacy group, is a good resource for bicyclists. The group publishes several bicycling maps with tips on recommended on-street routes and parkland routes, as well as a guide to safe cycling in the city.

Bike Chicago rents all sorts of bikes, including tandems and four-seater "quadcycles," as well as in-line skates, from three locations: North Avenue Beach, Millennium Park, and Navy Pier (tel. 888/BIKE-WAY; www.bikechicago.com). Bike rentals start at $8.75 an hour or $30 a day. Helmets, pads, and locks are provided free of charge. The shops are open daily from 9am to 7pm, weather permitting.