Chicago is one of the nicest and cleanest cities I have been to recently. It is full of things to do for the family but transportation is like any big city. If you are like myself, you would rent a car to come and go as you please. But after spending 4 days there, renting a car was not the best choice. We stayed right on the main strip in the city and all of the attractions that we went to, were within walking distance or a short cab ride away. The aquarium, museum, and Soldier field, are all located in the same area. You can walk to and from each one within 5 minutes.
To park a car at Soldier Field was $45.00, when a cab ride from the hotel was $5.00. Parking was a big problem in the city and a very expensive one. Most garages were $15.00-30.00 daily and 90% of the hotels on the strip charged to park your car daily. The garage we used near our hotel charged $25.00 every time we entered and exited the garage. We had no choice because we couldn’t park on the street and our hotel was charging $30.00 a day. Cabs for the most part, were easy to get and accessible. Navy pier was also close to walk or a cab ride away.
If not, then you had to drive there and also pay to park. Buses, subways/trains were convenient but we did not use them because we had the car. Overall our trip was a great one, but now that I’ve been there, I know more about getting around the city. Cabs are definitely the way to go if you are planning family things to do right within the city. A cab call is just a simple 1 800 number away, on top of that, they are very convenient. Try out this taxi phone directory for suggestions. If you have to venture outside of the city limits, then a car is what you will want and need. Transportation to and from the airport was provided for us by shuttle but we chose the car instead. You don’t want to spend your time stressing about the drive in or around the city, especially if you don’t know where you are going. Enjoy the city and budget ahead for parking. It was a lot more than we planned but the city was worth the trip.