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3-day CTA passes?

3-day CTA passes?

Old Jul 16, 2009, 10:52 am
  #1  
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3-day CTA passes?

Can I purchase a 3-day unlimited CTA pass at ANY automated machine at any station??

Thanks!
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Old Jul 16, 2009, 12:47 pm
  #2  
glg
 
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No. You can only buy passes at specific stations. Unfortunately, their website doesn't appear to tell you which ones. I know for certain you can at the airports. Do you know a specific area you're going to be when you'll want to buy one?
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Old Jul 17, 2009, 10:47 am
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I just found this page:

http://www.transitchicago.com/assets...es_outlets.pdf

which lists all the retail operations that sell passes. Jewel/Dominicks/CVS and a ton of currency exchanges, among other places.

I know you can by one at ORD, and the CTA has a big office at the State/Lake stop. The 3 days don't start until your first use, so you can buy them ahead of time.
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Old Jul 17, 2009, 3:58 pm
  #4  
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Originally Posted by milepig
I just found this page:

http://www.transitchicago.com/assets...es_outlets.pdf

which lists all the retail operations that sell passes. Jewel/Dominicks/CVS and a ton of currency exchanges, among other places.
This list is showing places that sell transit cards, not necessarily passes (it says not all places sell all fare media). I couldn't find anything on the website that definitively listed where one could by a 3 day/

Originally Posted by milepig
I know you can by one at ORD, and the CTA has a big office at the State/Lake stop. The 3 days don't start until your first use, so you can buy them ahead of time.
Yeah, if this isn't for a need within a couple days, just order them on the website and have them delivered before you leave.
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Old Jul 18, 2009, 6:31 pm
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Details...

Parking at Midway. Taking Orange Line to Roosevelt. Red Line at Roosevelt to Clark/Division..

Is Roosevelt big enough that it might be one of the stations??

Thanks!
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Old Jul 18, 2009, 10:35 pm
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If Midway is your starting point, just buy one from the vending machine at the Orange Line station there.
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Old Jul 18, 2009, 10:52 pm
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Some of the downtown stations definitly have it, although I am not sure which exactly. Roosevelt should be a good bet however.

A place that I know has the passes is the CVS on the corner of State and Adams. To get there youd get off the orange line from MDW at Adams/Wabash and go one block west.

I agree with DavidDTW however, that MDW should have a vending machine. The passes are usually sold in smaller, orange vending machines instead of the big blue ones.
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Old Jul 19, 2009, 6:57 am
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Thanks!!!!!

Just figured out the CVS at 1201 N State sells these! DD and her friends will be walking right by there to get to their hotel.

Ahhh, convenient.

Thanks to everyone.
J.
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Old Jul 19, 2009, 9:52 am
  #9  
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Originally Posted by stan1162
Just figured out the CVS at 1201 N State sells these! DD and her friends will be walking right by there to get to their hotel
I'd still recommend just buying one at the airport. The 3 days don't start ticking until first use, so if you're trying to not start the 3 days at the airport and just want to pay a regular fare for that run, you can do that. You'd be kicking yourself if you got to that CVS and find out that they ran out.
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Old Jul 20, 2009, 6:42 am
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Even better.

Just figured out we would order them. For some reason I thought Lollapalloza was July 31st, but its Aug 7-9, so we have the time!

Much better. I like having as much done in advance as possible.

Thanks to all of you!

Now, if any of you had ideas of great, funky, hip unusual clothing stores that were cheap, my DD's world would be complete. Loves Custo Barcelona, but Waaayyy too expensive, as is Anthropologie.
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Old Jul 28, 2009, 1:52 pm
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No 1-day passes at ORD

Although the OP is not asking, ORD does NOT sell 1-day passes. I was told by a CTA official that the machines cannot handle the $5.75 charge (why this is a problem if you pay with a credit card is beyond me). I did,however, as is mentioned elsewhere, find them at Dominick's and Jewel.
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Old Jul 29, 2009, 8:47 am
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A late answer for this particular thread maybe, but I always buy my passes from CTA through their website before I go and have them mailed to my home address. Free shipping and one less thing I have to do when I get there.

I just did this for my trip earlier this month. The passes usually come in about a week if I remember correctly. (I wish NYC still did this...)

BillJ
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Old Jul 30, 2009, 12:25 am
  #13  
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Good idea to buy in advance.

I got stuck at ORD recently and had to buy a three day pass rather than the one day I really wanted.

Worked out okay. I gave the pass to an arriving Brit when I flew out. He was happy.
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Old Jul 30, 2009, 11:08 am
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Update from OP.

Thanks for all of your information. I did end up ordering them in advance, and it did only take about a week.

Thanks again!
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Old Aug 1, 2009, 9:35 pm
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Originally Posted by milepig
I know you can by one at ORD, and the CTA has a big office at the State/Lake stop. The 3 days don't start until your first use, so you can buy them ahead of time.
Btw, CTA headquarter is at Clinton green line stop rather than state/lake, they never have a office there. Before they move to Clinton, it is at merchandise mart.
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