Getting To Chicago

Air-Travel

There are numerous airports that serve the Chicago area, the two largest being O'Hare and Midway. On most travel sites, you can search fares at both airports by using the 'CHI' airport code.

O'Hare (ORD)

O'Hare is the largest airport serving Chicago. It is located on the NorthWest side of the city and is connected directly to the Chicago public transportation system. If you are flying into O'Hare, you can take a cab to get to the conference site, but expect to pay upwards fo 50 USD. The most cost effective means of getting from O'Hare to IIT is via the L. Board the South-bound Blue line at O'Hare (any train) and ride to the Clark and Lake station. At the Clark and Lake station, transfer to the South-bound Green line and ride to the Bronzeville/IIT station. The North exit from the station is right beside the IIT dorms.

• O'Hare to IIT via CTA
• O'Hare to IIT via automobile

Midway (MDW)

Midway is a smaller airport located in Chicago. If you are flying into Midway, you can take a cab to get to the conference site, but expect to pay upwards of $30 for the ride. The most cost effective means of getting from Midway to IIT is via the L. Board the North-bound Orange line and ride to the Roosevelt station. At the Roosevelt station, transfer to the South-bound Green line and ride to the Bronzeville/IIT station. The North exit from the station is right beside the IIT dorms.

• Midway to IIT via CTA
• Midway to IIT via automobile

Other Airports

Sometimes you can find better fairs to airports just outside of the Chicago area. Some good choices are:

• Gary (GYY) - located in Northern Indiana, a rental car will be required. (directions)
• Milwaukee (MKE) - located in Southern Wisconsin, an Amtrak ride or rental car will be required. (directions)
• Greater Rockford Airport (RFD) - located in North-Central Illinois, a rental car will be required. (directions)

Trains

Chicago is serviced by Amtrak to Union Station (CHI). If you take the train into the city you can easily take the CTA to get to IIT.

Busses

Chicago is serviced by numerous bus services including Megabus to Union Station. If you take the bus to Union Station you can easily take the CTA to get to IIT.

Greyhound also services Chicago with four stops. The most useful for YAPC travellers are the Chicago statation and the 'Chicago Amtrak' station. You probably do not want to go to the 'Chicago 95th and Dan Ryan' or the 'Chicago Cumberland Ave' stations. If your final destination is the 'Chicago Amtrak' station, you are actually at Union Station and can easily take the CTA to get to IIT. If you go to the 'Chicago' station, you are at the main Greyhound station and also have a fairly easy CTA route to IIT.

Automobile

If you are driving to the conference, then you are on your own for directions. Parking for the conference is at the intersection of Wabash and 33rd in Chicago.

Getting Around Chicago

Public Transportation

Chicago's primary public transportation system is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority. The CTA offers transporation by train/L and by bus. On the websites you can find per-ride fair information, as well as, information about visitor passes. We strongly encourage conference attendees to get a visitor pass before coming to Chicago so that you can have it with you as soon as you get off of the plane, train, or bus. If you don't have a pass, be sure to have at least two US dollar bills on-hand to pay for train fair.

Please pre-order your vistor pass so that you have it when you arrive.

CTA works in partnership with other local transit providers including Metra, a heavier rail system for reaching the suburbs, and Pace Bus, the suburban bus system. All of these organizations are tied together through the umbrella of the Regional Transit Authority. What does this mean for you? It means that you can go to the RTA trip planner and plot out your route to just about any location in the greater Chicago area. If you are starting from IIT, you'll want to enter your origin as '33rd and Wabash' or as 'Illinois Institute of Technology' in the City of 'Chicago'.

Taxi

Chicago has a very extensive taxi service. Just flag down any cab with the lights on top of the car on. If the lights are off, the cab is not available for service. If you have trouble catching a cab or are planning ahead and want to schedule a cab, just call 312-TAXICAB and request service.

Be warned that not all taxi's are credit card friendly, so you probably want to have some cash on hand.

Also, it is customary to tip a cab driver 10% in Chicago.

Automobile

Driving in Chicago isn't very difficult and of course, if you are in a car, you can get just about anywhere that you need to go in the city. The trick is to know that the roads are full of potholes that you must keep a constant watch for, there are mostly one-way streets downtown, and if you are going to have to park, be prepared to pay... parking downtown can run upwards of $25-$40 during the evenings.