Amalfi Hotel Chicago, Chicago Hotels by CRSHotels.com

Best Time to Travel to Chicago

Chicago has activities and attractions to keep you busy any time of year. If your principal concern is comfortable weather for touring the city, consider a visit in spring or fall, when moderate temperatures make it a pleasure to be out and about. The city really comes alive in late fall as stores dress up for the holiday season along the Magnificent Mile and State Street. Summertime brings many opportunities for outdoor recreation, although temperatures will climb into the 90°s during hot spells, and the humidity can be uncomfortably high. Winters can include very raw weather with temperatures in the teens and the occasional news-making blizzard, but mild winters, with temperatures in the 30°s, are common, as well. For those brave enough to venture into the January cold, a reward is to be had. Many retail stores offer killer first-of-the-year sales.

For those of you looking for specific weather information, see the following are the average, daily temperature ranges for Chicago :

January 18-32°F (-8 to 0°C)
February 20-34°F (-7 to 1°C)
March 29-43°F (-2 to 6°C)
April 40-55°F (4-13°C)
May 50-65°F (10-18°C)
June 60-75°F (16-24°C)
July 66-81°F (19-27°C)
August 65-79°F (18-26°C)
September 58-73°F (14-23°C)
October 47-61°F (8-16°C)
November 34-47°F (1-8°C)
December 23-36°F (-5 to 2°C)

Transportation to Chicago

By Air
Approximate flying times to Chicago are two hours from New York, four hours from San Francisco, seven hours from London, and 17 hours from Sydney.

Airports
O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Phone: (773) 686-2200
Website: www.ohare.com
The major gateway to Chicago, O’Hare is one of the world's busiest airports. Travelers will find O’Hare just 20 miles from downtown, in the far northwest corner of the city.

Midway Airport (MDW)
Phone: (773) 838-0600
Website: www.chicago-mdw.com
Midway Airport is about seven miles southwest of downtown and serves budget airlines.

Meigs Field
Phone: (312) 922-5454)
Just south of downtown, this airport serves commuter airlines with flights to downstate Illinois .

Airport Transportation
Ground transport to or from both O'Hare and Midway airports can be slow, so consider taking public transportation.

Shuttle Buses
Shuttle buses run between O'Hare and Midway airports, to, and from both airport and various points in the city. When taking an airport shuttle bus to O'Hare to catch a departing flight, be sure to allow at least 1½ hours. If you are going from the South Side of Chicago to Midway, it is advised to call 24 hours in advance.

Shuttle Bus Services:
Airport Express
Phone: (312) 454-7800 or (800) 654-7871,
Website: www.airportexpress.com
Coaches provide service from both airports to major downtown hotels and those in the Near North. Call for reservations. The trip downtown from O'Hare takes a half-hour or longer, depending on traffic conditions and your destination. The fare is $20-$36 roundtrip. The trip downtown from Midway takes about a half hour as well and the fare is $15-$27 roundtrip.

Omega Shuttle
Phone: (773) 483-6634
Website: www.omegashuttle.com
Vans travel between O'Hare and Midway, with departures every hour. The fare is $20 and travel time is roughly an hour. Omega also departs from both airports to locations in Hyde Park and the South Side. The fare is $20 from O’Hare to Hyde Park and $15 from Midway to Hyde Park.

Airport By Car
Driving to and from O'Hare takes about an hour . The drive to and from Midway Airport takes at least 45 minutes. From O'Hare, follow the signs to I-90 east (Kennedy Expressway), which merges with I-94 (Edens Expressway). Take the eastbound exit at Ohio Street for Near North locations and the Washington or Monroe Street exit to get to downtown. After you exit, continue east about a mile to get to Michigan Avenue . From Midway, follow the signs to I-55 east, which leads to I-90.

Airport By Taxi
Metered taxicab service is available at both O'Hare and Midway airports. Trips to and from O'Hare incur a $1 surcharge. Expect to pay about $25-$35 plus tip from O'Hare to Near North and downtown locations and about $17-$27 plus tip from Midway. Some cabs participate in a share-a-ride program in which each cab carries two or three individuals going from the airport to downtown. The cost per person is $15, which is substantially lower than the full rate.

Taxi Companies:
American United Cab Co.
Phone: (773) 248-7600)
Checker Taxi Phone: (312) 243-2537
Flash Cab Phone: (773) 561-1444
Yellow Cab Company Phone: (312) 829-4222

Airport By Train
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
Phone: (312) 836-7000
Website: www.transitchicago.com
Trains are the cheapest way to and from the airports and they can be the most convenient transfer. "Trains to City" signs will guide you to the subway or elevated train line. In O'Hare International Airport, the Blue Line Station is in the underground concourse between terminals. Travel time to the city is about 45 minutes. Get off at the station closest to your hotel, or from the first stop in the Loop (Washington and Dearborn Streets) you can take a taxi to your hotel or change to other transit lines. At Midway Airport the Orange line El runs to the Loop . The stop at Adams Street and Wabash Avenue is the closest to the hotels on South Michigan Avenue . For others, the simplest strategy is to get off anywhere in the Loop and hail a cab to your final destination. Train fare is $1.50, which you will need in either dollar bills (turnstiles do not provide change) and/or coins. A fare card is another option. Pick up brochures outside the entrances to the platforms that detail the stops of the train lines. The Downtown Transit Sightseeing Guide (PDF File) is also helpful.

Greyhound Lines
630 W. Harrison Street Chicago , IL , USA
Phone: (312) 408-5970 or (800) 231-2222
Website: www.greyhound.com
Greyhound has nationwide service to its main terminal in the Loop and to neighborhood stations, at the 95th Street and Dan Ryan Expressway CTA station, and at the Cumberland CTA station near O'Hare International Airport. The Harrison Street terminal is far from most hotels, so plan on another bus or a cab to your hotel.

Amtrak
Phone: (800) 872-7245
Website: www.amtrak.com
Amtrak offers nationwide service to Chicago 's Union Station at 225 South Canal Street . Some trains travel overnight, and you can sleep in your seat or book a sleeper car at an additional cost. Train schedules and payment options are available by calling Amtrak directly or consulting its Web site. Amtrak trains tend to fill up, so if you don't purchase a ticket in advance, at least make a reservation.

Amalfi Hotel Chicago and Miami City information
Do not try to hang a clever moniker on Chicago. America 's Midwestern Metropolis moves much too fast to be pinned down. What was once considered a gangster's paradise has evolved into an eclectic mix of transcendent architecture, excellent theater and rabid sportsmanship? Chicago 's image has definitely changed. No longer has the “second city”, Chi-Town, the place where three million people call home, acquired a first-class reputation around the world, particularly when it comes to the arts. Carl Sandburg's City of the Big Shoulders is now also City of the Big Limos on opening nights. Exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago have drawn worldwide acclaim. You could spend days there drinking in the impressionist paintings alone, then be happily transported into the 21st century by works at the bold Museum of Contemporary Art , which overlooks Lake Michigan . Gutsy Steppenwolf Theater productions, from True West to The Libertine, have jolted critics on both coasts. The city's scores of other theaters, including the Victory Gardens , the Goodman, the Court, and the Shakespeare Repertory, regularly showcase the talents of remarkable local actors who just might turn out to be the next John Malkovich or Gary Sinise. The Grammy-laden Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well wins standing ovations both at home and abroad. At the other end of the Loop ( Chicago 's central business district), the Lyric Opera's lavish productions boast excellent singers and conductors. The city has staggeringly varied architecture is lauded (and occasionally lambasted) around the globe. And don't forget film critics and TV talk. The thumbs of Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel weighed heavily in the movie review scale. Plus, who doesn't know Oprah, Jenny Jones or Jerry Springer? Chicago , is also the home of the groundbreaking Second City improvisation and comedy club. Here, talented performers have included the brilliantly funny Mike Nichols and Elaine May, the late John Belushi, Jim Belushi, Bill Murray, and George Wendt. And even city hall, headed by no-nonsense mayor Richard M. Daley, lightens up in March by dyeing the Chicago River green in honor of St. Patrick. Perhaps one reason Chicagoans have a sense of humor is the weather. As local film director Joel Sedelmaier contends, "Colder-than-hell winters saved this city." In an essay in Great Chicago Stories he wrote, "If Chicago had weather like Florida , we would be L.A. and I would not wish that on anybody." However, residents complain that the city's four seasons are "winter, winter, winter, and the Fourth of July," at least on a winter day, when the snow is blowing horizontally across the Michigan Avenue Bridge, Chicagoans can duck into such popular clubs as Andy's, where there's hot jazz even at noon.

Chi-Town Architecture and Landmarks

Citicorp Center
Hordes of commuters rush through this landmark every day. Step apart from the throng for a moment to appreciate the modern train station/office tower outside and inside.
James R. Thompson Center
Love it or hate it, you are sure to find the red, white, and blue post-modern, wedged shape structure intriguing.
Monadnock Building
Take one look at the thick base walls to see why this steel frame was such an innovation.
Reliance Building
Now reborn as the Hotel Burnham, this building has the best early examples of the Chicago window.
Robie House
The cantilevered roof, leaded-glass windows, and lack of a basement exemplify Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie style.
Rookery
The exterior is imposing, but inside is an airy marble and gold leaf lobby remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905.
333 West Wacker Drive
The shimmering green glass curves alongside the river that inspired it.
Lake Michigan
Go ahead and stroll, bike, or in-line skate along the lakefront. On a sunny summer day, hundreds of Chicagoans will join you by the shores of Lake Michigan.
Art Institute of Chicago
Be awed by the truly magnificent collection of impressionist paintings and other masterpieces.
Visit "Sue" at the Field Museum
Sue holds court at the Field Museum as the largest and most complete T. Rex skeleton ever found.
Wrigley Field
Put your heart into (and fondly remember the late Harry Caray) singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch, regardless of who is winning.
Second City Comedy Club
Bust a gut at the club, which has launched some of the funniest comedians around.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Neighborhood
Walk in the famous designer’s footsteps in his Oak Park neighborhood.
Chicago ’s Blues Bars
Experience real roots music at a crowded, smoky blues bar, even if it is full of other out-of-towners trying to get soulful.
Michigan Avenue Bridge
Check out the view from this landmark and get a good look at the Chicago River , with the wedding-cake-like Wrigley Building on one side and the Loop on the other.
South Lake Shore Drive
Drive north from Hyde Park to take in the Chicago skyline. Each curve provides a unique vista.
Navy Pier's Ferris Wheel
It is a beautiful, breezy view of the skyline from an open-air car, 15 stories off the ground.
Sears Tower Skydeck
Ride an elevator up dozens of stories for a panoramic view of the city.

Discount Hotel Links
Crs Hotels (Central Hotel Reservations)

More Miami-specific links
ATM Locator
Mastercard's search page provides addresses and maps for 780,000 ATMs worldwide. If your card has the Cirrus, Maestro or Mastercard logos, it should work at any of the machines listed here.

Embassies of the World
Need to know if there's an Embassy, Mission or Consulate at your destination? This web site has an impressive listing, and it's easy to use.