I am going to a Christian Conference at U of Ill, Champaign the day after Christmas. I was wondering if tickets on Amtrak were refundable? Can you board a later train? and how far is union station from the airport.

thanks

O'Hare and Union Station are connected via the CTA's Blue Line and the trip takes 46 minutes and costs $1.80. Get off at the Clinton Station; short walk over to Union Station.

Realistically, given the time it takes to negotiate through O'Hare and claim bags etc., you should probably allow at least 2 hours to make the connection.

There are only 2 daily trains to Champaign; both are all reserved. This means you are supposed to have a ticket for a specific date and train.

The cheapest tickets (save 5% by booking at Amtrak.com for purchases through 12/13; even more savings (another 10%) as a AAA member) are typically "nonrefundable" these days, but can be exchanged for full dollar value for some future Amtrak trip if not used for the intended train; no need to cancel the reservation in advance.

I would probably get a ticket for the train that I think I can get; then if I miss it I would take a chance at having it exchanged at Union Station for the other train. There should be enough space except on the busiest of holiday travel days.

thanks so much for the advice



[This message has been edited by magsaysa (edited Dec 06, 2003).]

Also note that restricted tickets sometimes carry a change fee per ticket. The amount of $35 sticks in my head, but I'm not sure. Not all tickets have them however, so be sure to ask the ticket agent for the specific rules of the fare you purchase.


It is recommended that you do cancel your reservation in advance of train departure if you won't be using the ticket. Makes the crew's life easier when they don't have a manifest full of no-shows.

You can also get to Union Station from Midway Airport via the CTA - it's the Orange Line to the Loop. From the Quincy station, it's about three blocks.