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| *Travel Tips>>>Chicago Travel Tips |
I have a six hour layover in Chicago. What should I do? |
Travel Info I have a six hour layover in Chicago, which should give me about four hours to go and see what I can of the city. I know I want to go see Wrigley, but what I else should I try and see or eat before I leave? Travel Tips You can't really see too much in four hours. I know it sounds like a lot, but it takes time to get to a lot of places. For instance, it may take you about 45 minutes to get from O'Hare to downtown, but then you have to take a train from downtown to Wrigley and that may be another 30-45 minutes depending how the train is running. Then you have to get back downtown and then back to O'Hare. If i were you I'd just go downtown to State street, do a little window shopping at Macy's etc., walk over to Millenium Park or the Chicago Cultural center (both on Michigan ave), maybe have lunch somewhere (I recommend Miller's Pub on Wabash) and then head back to O'Hare. You want to allow for possible train delays, especially on the Blue Line (the train that goes to and from O'Hare... that line has had the most breakdowns lately). --- OK, now that i see your times of arrival and depature, I REALLY recommend just going downtown. Sure seeing Wrigley is nice but that would be ALL you could do. You get in at about 1:30 and it might take you at least a half hour to disembark, make your way through the crowded airport, find the train terminal, buy your bus pass and get on the train, which would make it almost 2 p.m. before you get going from O'Hare. Even if you were to take a shortcut and get off the Blue Line at Addision and catch a bus to the ballpark, you'll probaby run in to the Lane Tech students getting on and off the bus as they start getting out of school (which is right on Addison) for the day, which would slow down the bus travel time considerably. An hour to get from O'hare to Wrigley is being generous, which means it would be about 2:30 or almost 3:00 when you get to Wrigley. Then, since your flight leaves at 7ish and you have to have to check in at least two hours before it leaves (5 p.m.), you might get to spend 45 minutes looking at Wrigley (which would make it almost 4 p.m.), since you'll be traveling back to the second or third busiest airport in the nation during rush hour and it . not a pretty picture. Like I said, stick with just taking the train to the Loop and back. Visit macy's, see the shops, walk over to Millenium Park, visit the Chicago Cultural Center across from the park, stop into the Souvenier shop in the center, buy a cool Chicago Fire Department t-shirt and head back to the airport. Trying to see "Chicago" in a few hours is futile. Wrigley Field is cool, but it's not worth missing a flight. Just make a promise to yourself to come back when you have time. Others go to the airport bar...nuf said! Definitely eat some pizza...there's a lot of good museums there too if you're into that kind of thing... I would go standby for an earlier flight. Sure, you've got time, but then you have to re-enter the airport, and go through customs again. You just knocked down your free time by 1.5 hours. I would use my time this way. Hop the L and take it down to Jackson. Walk over the the Sears Tower. This probably takes an Hour, including the train ride. Then get a cab over to Millennium Park. Take a photo of the Bean and then start walking North on Michigan Ave. You will cross the river and be in the shopping, tourist district. Maybe grab some lunch / dinner at the Billy Goat (underground near the Wrigley Building) and just wander along the street. Catch a cab up to Wrigley Field (20 minutes, this is a little out of the way, but since it is on your list...). Take a photo from Clark/Addison and get back into the cab and you're on your way to the airport. I usually allow 2 - 2.5 hours from the time I get a cab until my flight is scheduled to leave, so you can budget your time accordingly. If you are coming this week it will be snowy and cold. There is talk of a blizzard for tomorrow. I would do what you could do to get out of town fast before you end up sleeping at Camp O'hare. Camp O'hare is where they set up cots for tons of people to sleep on. I wouldn't even consider leaving the airport with just 6 hours. You will have to fight traffic and security just to get back in and traffic while you are out and about. You would be lucky to have a minute to even glimpse Wrigley. You can find authentic Chicago foods right in the airport. Right down to the cheeseburgers that were made famous on Saturday Night Live by John Belushi. They have the cheesecake, the hot dogs and the pizzeria UNO all right at the airports......Save yourself the headache, just stay put and nosh right there. |
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