Originally Posted by BillMorrow
What's the best way to get from the NW suburbs to ORD using public transportation?
My current plan is to take Metra from Crystal Lake to Des Plaines. From there, catch a CTA bus which connects to ORD's ATS.
Is there a better way? Making two bus connections in possibly bad January weather doesn't appeal to me. I see that Metra connects to CTA's ORD train at Jefferson Park. Would going that far in add a lot of time to the trip? Also the Metra train from Elgin goes to River Grove, but I don't know if you can connect to ORD from there.
I can use either the Elgin or Crystal Lake Metra stations. Thanks for your help.
I'm not familiar with the particular bus route that you are considering taking, but generally it is better to take the train versus the bus, especially in the suburbs. You can wind up waiting a long time for a bus, which is unpleasant in January. The CTA blue line runs more frequently than your typical bus, and the Jefferson Park stop is just a few minutes from O'Hare. Unless the weather gets very cold and the tracks freeze, Metra is very reliable and usually travels according to schedule.
Hope that helps!