Cost of a cab from ORD to Downtown?
 

What is the typical cost of a cab from ORD to downtown Chicago? I will be staying at a place called The Drake.

Regards
I

Try the "L"
 

About $40

I suggest you take the "L" ( subway) - if I remember its about $2

Thanks for that information. The cost of a taxi isn't all that bad at the current £-$ exchange rate (but, as always, things can change between now and October :))

Depending how much baggage you have (and the time of day), if you take the "El" (Blue Line) from O'hare you'll want to take a cab from wherever you get off. Figure a few dollars for that.

Not only is the El about 95% less than a cab, it might even be faster.

I'm not an expert, but I think you'll want to get off at the Division or Chicago stop. Details here:

http://www.transitchicago.com

Cab can be much slower than EL if it's rush hour that you are arriving. Cost won't be much different than the standard $40, maybe $5 more unless you are stopped dead on the freeway due to some major accidents, etc.

You should get off at Clark&Lake stop if taking the EL Blue line from ORD, and then hop on a Cab to drake, which should add about $5 (tip included) to the $1.75 EL cost.

If you are really cost conscious (doesn't sound like that you are), you can get off at Washington (the stop right after Clark&Lake stop) and transfer (free) to Red Line north, and get off at Chicago (just two stops after the transfer), and then walk to Drake (5 minutes walk unless u have a boatload of luggage), all for $1.75.

More detailed EL map for the downtown (a.k.a. Loop) area:
http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/maps/F2004D.html

Yep. If you're at any kind of traffic time, the Kennedy (the highway from ORD to downtown) gets packed up pretty easily. I'll echo fenger's suggestion of getting off at Clark/Lake. Come up to street level and you'll be on Lake street and a cab to the Drake is pretty quick.

Nitpicky reference, it's the 'L', not El.

Just to nit-pick :p but the first transfer is $.25, the second transfer (if you take one) is free. Still a good deal. ^

Assuming I do get the L (and I'm going to be using extensively anyway because I don't drive), can I not just buy a five day pass for the L at ORD?

Regards
I

Towncar
 

Get a towncar, you'll be much more comfortable and the price is only a few quid more than a cab.

I've used A1 in the past:

http://www.a1-limousine.com/

rqd

Yes you can buy multi-day fare cards at the O'Hare station.

Most L to L transfers, including the one mentioned (blue->red at Washington) are free. It's L to bus or bus to L that costs a quarter.

Couple of comments.

A-1 Limo is great (there are others). You NEED to make a reservation with most of them (not all but most) prior to your arrival. Then you call them and they give you a license plate# and you go to the curb and wait. The reason .. ORD does not have the limo-hustlers as bad as say LGA. The other issue is that there are city and suburb limo companies. The suburban ones bring locals in and out of ORD.. in order for them to go into the city ... there must be a reservation (acts like a charter). The city limos I think are more money .. and have issues going to the suburbs. Check ahead anyway!

The OTHER option if you are going to a larger hotel . is Continental Bus .. they service a bunch of hotels on regular runs. These are the larger (older) buses .. not like SuperShuttle on the west coast of the US.

Everyone touts the L as wonderful. Be aware it DOES NOT have any true luggage facilities (in that its just like the Piccadilly Line to LHR). As you get closer to the city the people crowd on and your luggage gets in the way.

A lot depends on where you are going... downtown is VERY simple on the L but most hotels then will be a short cab from a main station (not too unlike the LGW Express to Victoria then a cab to your hotel) but there are not real MAIN stations.. you have to kinda pick to one closest.

If you are going near-north (3300 North which is Lincoln Park and Wrigley field areas) the L is a pain .. as you go ALL the way downtown then have to catch another train going north (sort of like the Heathrow Express to Paddington then the Tube to Waterloo and then the Docklands Lite Rail) .. a transfer not a direct shot.

The other option (I don't know where you are going and what you are doing or where you may be staying) would be to get a hotel NEAR the airport with shuttle service to the hotel from the aiport... then come back daily taking the L downtown at that point. Some hotels will drop you at the L also.

I'd suggest not doing the blue to red L transfer. It's easy enough, but I wouldn't want one of your first impressions of the city to be one of those dark, dank transfer tunnels :)

The Jackson tunnel (connecting Red & Blue lines for free @ Jackson) has been re-done and is awfully nice for a subterranean sidewalk. Washington tunnel will be re-done any year now.

Once again, thanks for all the great information posted here. At the moment, I'm torn between the L (because this is what I always do when travelling in Europe) and the Limo. I think it will all depend on how sober I am.

Regards
I