The best resource for students in Chicago is STA Travel (www.statravel.com), one of the biggest student-travel agencies in the world, which can set you up with an ID card and get you discounts on plane tickets and rail travel. There is an STA office in Lincoln Park at 2570 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614 (tel. 773/880-8051).
Chicago also has several hostels offering students and other travelers inexpensive, no-frills lodging. The best is Hosteling International Chicago, 24 E. Congress Pkwy., in the Loop (tel. 312/360-0300; fax 312/360-0313; www.hichicago.org). Opened in 2000, it features many amenities and can help set up activities throughout the city. Other hostels open year-round include Arlington House International Hostel, 616 W. Arlington Place, Chicago, IL 60614 (tel. 800/HOSTEL-5 or 773/929-5380; fax 773/665-5485; www.arlingtonhouse.com), in Lincoln Park, and Chicago International Hostel, 6318 N. Winthrop Ave., Chicago, IL 60660 (tel. 773/262-1011; fax 773/262-3632; www.hostelinchicago.com), on the North Side.
