Originally Posted by
Schurr
The Orange Line, as previous posters have noted, is poorly designed in that it is quite a hike from the terminal and requires going down and up several sets of stairs.
I'll admit I don't take it regularly, but I thought you'd go to the ticketing/baggage claim area (which is still closer then a far H/K gate in the ORD AA terminal or a high B or C gate in the UA terminal), then through the garage and down to the platform. I don't know where there's several sets of stairs, thought it was maybe one from the ped bridge level to the right level in the parking garage (or is that same level? it's been a couple months), then one down to the station. Your description sounds more like what it was in the old terminal where it was a really long walk and lots of stairs.
Originally Posted by
Schurr
A taxi is $30-35 dollars from MDW and maybe a little bit more from O'Hare, depending on traffic. The CTA would be $4 for two people, and you would still need a taxi to the Drake from downtown, which woul be about $7.
Again, not recommending the CTA for OP, but for posterity. One can easily switch from the Orange to the Red at Roosevelt, go to the Chicago stop, and be within walking distance of the Drake, the Pen, etc. Grand stop would cover the southern part of the Mile (Marriott, etc). No need to take a cab.