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Getting There

Due to its central location within the continental United States, getting to Chicago is easy from anywhere in the country. By plane, Los Angeles is four hours away and New York City is only two hours away. Most major domestic carriers offer several daily flights into and out of O'Hare International Airport (www.flychicago.com), which has the dubious distinction of being one of the busiest airports in the world. O'Hare is the largest hub for United Airlines (www.united.com), which is headquartered in Chicago, but you'll also find American Airlines (www.aa.com) using O'Hare as a hub. Several domestic carriers also service the much smaller Midway International Airport (www.flychicago.com), located about 16 miles southwest of the Loop.

You can of course also arrive in the Windy City by train: Amtrak's (www.amtrak.com) national hub is Chicago's Union Station (210 S Canal St.; www.chicagounionstation.com), making Chicago the number-one city in the country for passenger-train service. Thirteen train lines converge on the station, including the Lake Shore Limited (service from Boston or New York), the California Zephyr (service from San Francisco), and the Cardinal (service from Washington, D.C.).

Arriving by car is also popular; the main east/west highway is Interstate 90, which merges with Interstate 94 just south of the city and leads directly into town. Interstate 88 and Interstate 80 also come in from the west; the main connection from the southwest is Interstate 55.

GETTING INTO AND AROUND CHICAGO
O'Hare International Airport is located about 17 miles northwest of the Loop. The El (www.transitchicago.com), the city's extensive elevated train service, is the fastest and cheapest way to get into the city. From O'Hare, take the Blue Line (every 8mins Mon-Fri 5am-8pm; every 10mins Sat & Sun 5am-11pm; $1.75); the ride takes about 45 minutes. From Midway, take the Orange Line (every 5-7mins; $1.50); it takes about 30 minutes. Taxis, which are easy to find outside at O'Hare, take between 30 and 60 minutes to reach downtown, depending on traffic ($30-$40). The three main taxi lines to remember are American United (773/327-6161) Flash Cab Company (773/878-8500), and Jiffy Cab Company (773/487-9000). If you want to go cheaper than a cab, the best shuttle service is Continental Airport Express (every 10-15mins; $25; www.airportexpress.com), which departs from O'Hare.

Getting around Chicago is easy thanks to its extensive public transit system; the El (short for "elevated train") is the best way to zip around the city ($1.75; www.transitchicago.com). The best places to catch cabs are the Loop, the Magnificent Mile, and in Lincoln Park, otherwise you should call; our preferred companies include Coral Cab (773/488-0122), Checker Cab (773/243-2537), Famous Cab (773/643-4330), Flash Cab (773/561-1444), and Mercury Cab (773/274-3108).

See Chicago Travel Guide