NW 'burbs to ORD
 

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!

I would change at Jefferson Park - the trains run about every 10 minutes and so it might actually be faster in the long run.

But here's the RTA's itinerary planner, so you can find out what it says for your time of day:

http://tripsweb.rtachicago.com/

Use private bus service
 

I am a child of the Fox River Valley, and trust me there is no efficient public transit to O'Hare. VanGalder Bus Company runs an affordable bus shuttle to O'Hare from Crystal Lake or Elgin. They pick up at hotels, I belive a Holiday Inn (C Lake) and a Country Inn (Elgin). My parents (seniors) have used the service from Elgin and they were happy.

Link: http://www.coachusa.com/vangalder/
Search for scheduled service between ORD and your preferred 'burb.

Definetly take the train into the Jefferson Park station. Just transfer over to the Blue Line westbound. It ends at O'Hare. The ride will only add about 15 minutes of ride time. Taking two buses could add over an hour of time. And you DON'T want to wait on a cold corner anytime in January. (Today the high was 9).

Thanks for info everyone. Looks like it's the blue line for me.