knoebelsPT

It's also worth keeping in mind that you can pay with a credit card at a Ventra vending machine if you don't have exact change in cash.

Contactless debit/credit cards (those with a wave logo) can also be used to pay directly at the turnstile for adult fares. Just tap the card on the ventra reader. If you have one, and don't mind paying full price for your kids, this is another option. NOTE: you can't transfer from the train to the bus on one fare with these cards. But it sounds like you won't have to do that on your trip.

Have a great trip!

ftnc

Messyeater - this is very helpful, thanks. Some questions....

1) on your date deadlines - are these 100% accurate? I ask bc we're flying in on the 29th right up against the deadline.

2) Are the transit card machines still working & present @ Midway? That will be our beginning station.

3) I calculated max # of trips I would expect us to take on bus & L, and it's about $24-25. Should I just pay another $5 and have the convenience of a 1-day card for each of the 3 of us, so as to not have to fuss w cash?

4) If yes to #3 question above, do I get a 1day card via Transit Card or Ventra card?

Also - we *will* have luggage on the L from Midway into Roosevelt, then up the Red line a few stops. It will be about 3:30-4:30pm in the afternoon depending on flight/baggage timing.

Is carrying luggage on the L going to fly with surrounding passengers? We are going to do our best to stay out of the way, but it is what it is - I'll have two kids and multiple bags. We can store some in our lap but not all.

MessyEater

1) Those are the official dates. The Transit Card Vending machines will stop selling new cards on May 1 and stop recharging old cards on June 1. At this time there is no reason to believe that they will not stick to those dates.

We went through this once last fall, but the system was such a disaster that they extended the deadline. However, as the deadline to purchase Transit Cards approached, they did let the machines fall into a state of disrepair and they let them run out of Transit Cards. They are being less cavalier about the transition this time, so we will see how they do.

2) I haven't been to Midway recently, so I hope someone else will answer. At O'Hare they have two Transit Card machines left and at least one of them is out of order each time I pass through lately.

Just to clarify, the Ventra Card machines are up and running right now. The reason I told you to get a Transit Card was so you could pay $2.25 rather than $3.00. The Ventra machines accept cash and US credit cards. The Transit Card machines accept only cash. NO change is given by either machine.

3) Visitors like the day passes because of the convenience of not having to figure out how much they need to spend in advance and because they don't have to take a college course in how to pay your fare which the other alternatives require. Unfortunately, they usually end up overpaying since the other options would be cheaper.

I assume you are saying that the total would be $25 for all three of you combined, not $25 per person? When figuring the total, remember that when you pay via Transit Card or Ventra Card, the train fare is $2.25, but the bus fare is only $2. And also for an additional 25 cents you get to ride two more buses or trains within a 2-hour period from when you boarded the first bus or train. So you can take a round trip ride on the bus for just $2.25 if you board the return bus within 2 hours of when you boarded the original bus. Does this information change your calculations?

In your original post, you said your riding was going to be over a two-day period. A one-day pass is good for 24 hours from when you first use it.
So if you first use it at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, you have until 4:00 pm Wednesday to finish using it. Will you be able to get all your riding finished in this 24 hour period?

Let me suggest an alternative: Buy a Ventra Card. A single Ventra Card can be shared by up to 7 people. The advantage of this is that for the same price (or less) you won't have a 24 hour deadline and you can use the card again if you visit Chicago within the next 5 years. (There is a $5 monthly inactivity fee after 18 months of non-use. But the fee does not reduce the balance below zero.) This video illustrates how to buy a Ventra Card at the Midway Station. There are two ways to proceed with this:

a) Buy a Ventra Card for $25 plus the $5 card fee. This is the same cost as three one-day passes.

b) Buy a Ventra Card for $20 plus the $5 card fee. When you get to your hotel, register your Ventra Card and $5 will be credited to your Ventra Card account which you can use immediately. This video shows how to register your card over the internet. You can also register by phone by calling 1-877-NOW-VENT.

To share a Ventra Card at a train station, each passenger taps the card on the reader before passing through. To share on a bus, first tell the bus driver that the three of you want to share a single Ventra Card. The bus driver will push a button on his console and then you tap three times.

I'm afraid I can't make the decision for you. These are the facts. You need to decide whether a one-day pass works for you and if you want to pay extra for simplicity and whether you want a Ventra Card to take home with you and use again the next time you visit Chicago.

4) Transit Card Machines do not dispense day passes. If you want a 1-day pass, you'll need to get it at the Ventra Card machine. This video shows how to buy a 1-day pass (it's called a 1-day "ticket") at the Ventra machine. You may pay by cash or US credit card.

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This video has some shots showing the interior of the train cars and people with luggage. Unfortunately, it mixes scenes of O'Hare and Midway service without making it clear which is which. But the train cars are the same.

Basically, each car of the train has a cabin for the operator. The cabin is at the front of the lead car, the back of the second car, the front of the third car, the back of the fourth car, etc. Immediately in back the cabin is a space with no seat that is for wheelchairs. You will hardly ever see anyone in a wheelchair on the train. This is the space that bicyclists use to take their bikes on the train and it's also a great space for bulky luggage. If you can't get to that space, each door has sideways-facing seats on both sides of it. These are great for traveling with luggage because you have extra room without getting into the aisle. But be sure you stick close to your luggage!

You won't have a problem boarding at Midway since it is the end of the line.
You might have a problem on the Red Line. Do your best to squeeze in someplace. The train should empty out at Jackson where you can run and grab a good seat and then the train will start refilling again at Jackson and north of there.

toomanybooks

Also bear in mind that taxis are not that expensive around the touristy areas of Chicago. So several CTA fares might be not that much less than a taxi ride.

Not from MDW, though.

bensim

If I am in Chicago for around 5 days, what type of transit ticket should I buy? Thanks.

linglingfool

How often and where do you plan on traveling? Hard to say without knowing.

bensim

Will probably be making at least 4 trips a day not far from downtown. Thanks.

linglingfool

How often between trips? Technically, a trip on the CTA is considered any travel within 2 hours, even if it's there and back, so you may have fewer than 4 "trips" as defined by the CTA.

Even at 3 a day for 5 days, though, you're looking at a minimum of $30, so a $28 7-day pass probably makes the most sense for you.

MessyEater

Note that in order to purchase a 7-day pass you must have a Ventra card. If you don't already have one, it costs $5. There are two versions of the 7-day pass: a $28 CTA pass and a $33 CTA/Pace pass. The $28 pass will suffice unless you want to ride a route numbered 208 or higher -- these routes are mostly in the suburbs although a few do extend into the city. Here are some maps to help you determine what bus and train routes you may be riding.

Note that a 7-day pass is good on buses and CTA 'L' trains. It is not valid on Metra (mostly suburban) and South Shore (Indiana) trains.


Technical details and quibbles:
------------------------------
If you have a US-issued personal credit card with the Paywave symbol, you can add a 7-day pass onto that and use that in place of a Ventra Card. This can only be done at a Ventra vending machine at a CTA train station. Each person in your party must have their own separate card in order to use a pass.

You can get the $5 Ventra purchase fee credited back to your Ventra account by registering it. To register it, you must provide a real or fake US address and phone number. But I am assuming that you probably won't want the hassle of first purchasing the card, then going someplace to register it, then going back to purchase the 7-day pass.

crimsona

Do you need to enter a zip code with pay wave transactions?

Wondering if Chase Canada pay wave could theoretically work

I guess I'll find out but bring cash just in case

MessyEater

A credit card can work in one of three different ways in the new fare payment system.

1) As a direct credit card payment at a train station turnstile or a bus fare box. In this case, the fare is charged directly to the credit card account like any other purchase you might make with your credit card. The disadvantage is that you may pay extra fares or higher fares in some cases and you can't take advantage of unlimited-ride passes.

2) As a sort of an ID for a Ventra Transit Account at a train station turnstile or a bus fare box. If you have funded a Ventra Transit Account beforehand and linked it with this credit card, when you use the credit card at a turnstile or farebox, the amount of your fare will be deducted from your Ventra account. You can also have an unlimited ride pass in your Ventra account and when you use the credit card linked to the Ventra account, you will receive the benefits of the pass. This Ventra account is maintained by the CTA's vendor and not your bank. When you use your credit card in this mode, your bank does not get involved and no money is charged to your credit card.

3) As a payment device at a Ventra vending machine. When you want to buy a Ventra card, Ventra ticket, unlimited ride pass, or add money to your Ventra account, you can use your credit card or cash at the Ventra vending machine.


When you use your credit card in mode 1) or mode 2), you must use the PayWave feature of the credit card. No PIN or ZIP Code will be asked for.

When you use your credit card in mode 3) (at a Ventra Vending machine) you must use the magnetic strip on the card, you cannot use the PayWave feature of the card. The machine will ask for your ZIP Code.

If you want to get technical, it's even a bit more complicated at a Ventra vending machine. If you want to use your credit card in mode 2) (as an ID card for a Ventra account), you must first use the PayWave feature of the card, then you must use the magnetic strip of a card (either the same card or another card) or cash to pay for the amount you want to add to the Ventra account.

I may be wrong, but I do not think that the PayWave technology used in the United States is the same as that used in the rest of the world.

toomanybooks

Reading the post just above this one, I have to say that this new system is insane.

linglingfool

It's really not as complicated as it sounds. MessyEater does a good job of breaking down all the available options, but in the end, if you were comfortable using the old magstripe fare cards or a Chicago Card, Ventra provides options that are nearly identical for the lay user.

The only real quirks come if you want to use your own credit card in place of purchasing a Ventra card, or in using a foreign credit card. If you just want to walk up and buy a ticket using cash, it's still very easy.

toomanybooks

Seems to me that making things complicated for foreign visitors is not a good idea.

Encouraging tourism in Chicago; who needs it?

Sweet Willie

By July 1 2014, PACE Bus (company that operates suburban bus routes) will stop issuing transfers for those paying with cash. Seeing as I typically transfer when using PACE, this is a bummer.