Coming to Chicago for USA - Brazil; Trip advice from locals

[Fonsos]

Alright,
we did something similar for the Gold Cup and we'll do it again for this match. I'll post quite a few things to this thread prior to the match, so if you're from outta town, definitely use this as a guide.

Fonsos

[SnakeEyes]

While I won't need it, I know enough from my Fire trips, your advice is and should be appreciated.

[swkfilms]

id say the one of the coolest places for the out of towners to get a picture would be by "the bean" http://www.neatorama.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/chicago_bean.jpg

[ChedarDog]

First round of questions

1) Does anyone know is the Bear's "parking lots open 4 hours prior to kick off" rule in affect for this match?

2) With a WSox game @ 1 PM, how much might that impact traffic and or public transit?

Thanks

reference links
http://www.soldierfield.net
http://www.rtachicago.com/

[SnakeEyes]

I can't speak for this specific game but lot openings held true for previous US matches.

[Fonsos]

First round of questions

1) Does anyone know is the Bear's "parking lots open 4 hours prior to kick off" rule in affect for this match?


Call them the day before. Check Soldier Field's website for the number. Also ask the price they're charging for parking - I'm guessing $25 a pop and I'm serious, it's also another reason why I won't drive to a match there.


2) With a WSox game @ 1 PM, how much might that impact traffic and or public transit?


Not much on either. Trains and roads can handle and have handled Bears, Cubs and Bulls games which took place all around the same time AND on the same day with very few problems. Chicago is full of events over the summer, so we do alright with it. Sometimes traffic gets weird on Saturdays and Sundays - you ever see rush hour on a Saturday afternoon? It happens on occasion and I don't think anyone knows why, it just does but you should be alright that Sunday afternoon.

[Fonsos]

I'll post Public Transport details as we get closer to the match date, posting it now makes no sense - things will change.

Hotels - book it quickly. If you've come here before you know that this city of 3 Million people still manages to have high occupancy rates at the hotels and we have alot of them and they're big. Priceline is your friend and I strongly suggest staying at a hotel near O'Hare which is either within short walking distance of the Blue Line or a free shuttle ride to it. The Blue Line (el/subway) runs 24 hours a day seven days a week and is a bargain. It will drop you downtown and near a number of places you'd want to visit, so it's a great deal and it's safe.

Parties related to the match - a few are scheduled and I'll post when I get information. A trip to the Globe (www.theglobepub.com) is a great idea and also a trip to Chicago Soccer (www.chicagosoccer.net) is a great one. They're actually about a mile and some change away from one another.

A+,
Fonsos

[FW__]

Don't park at Soldier Field, its like $30-$40. Sox traffic won't be bad unless you're actually driving past the Cell or coming from the Southside to SF.

[mrecint]

Can we park in the Museum lots and walk? I thought the website said the parking was like $15 for the day or $8 after 4:00. Or is that on non-event days?

[Makuch]

I've been to Chicago a couple times, but never without a car. If I fly into Midway, is it pretty easy to get to Soldier Field by train? What sort of time should I allocate? TIA

[arefmusa]

I've been to Chicago a couple times, but never without a car. If I fly into Midway, is it pretty easy to get to Soldier Field by train? What sort of time should I allocate? TIA



Yes take the orange line till Roosevelt Street, then you can walk to soldier filed its only 10 minutes, its only 30 minutes between the train and walking

[ricecloudnine]

I've been to Chicago a couple times, but never without a car. If I fly into Midway, is it pretty easy to get to Soldier Field by train? What sort of time should I allocate? TIA

You can take the Orange Line train right from Midway to Soldier Field. It's about a a 20-25 minute ride to Roosevelt Station and then ~3/4 mile walk from there to Soldier Field. On the weekend, Orange line trains leave every 10 minutes until the evening when it's every 15.

[Makuch]

Yes take the orange line...

You can take the Orange Line train right from Midway to Soldier Field...

Thanks! Last time I was there I used one of the fixed-price car service to get from Midway out to the suburbs, but it sounds like the train would be a lot better.

I may be meeting some friends after the game at the Weber Grill restaurant or by Navy Pier. Any recommendations about the best way to get around downtown. Would cab, bus, or train be the best way?

[Via_Chicago]

Thanks! Last time I was there I used one of the fixed-price car service to get from Midway out to the suburbs, but it sounds like the train would be a lot better.

I may be meeting some friends after the game at the Weber Grill restaurant or by Navy Pier. Any recommendations about the best way to get around downtown. Would cab, bus, or train be the best way?

If you want to get downtown from Soldier Field, take the Metra train from the Roosevelt Station stop (or 18th Street if it's running there) north to Randolph Station (the last stop) and walk to Weber Grill on State Street (two blocks or so west of the station and then north another few blocks). Or, alternatively, if you're going to Navy Pier, walk the five or six blocks from Randolph across the Michigan Avenue Bridge. It's not a very long walk. In fact, just about everything downtown is within a comfortable walking distance.

[gosh1976]

I'll add my 2 cents from my experiences at the Gold Cup final.

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn by O'hare. I looked for a downtown hotel but there were very few rooms and they were all very expensive and we tried to book pretty early on.

The Hilton Garden Inn was very nice. We used the US soccer discount available online and got a whirlpool suite for a very reasonable rate. The hotel was very helpful including when we called including when we called Friday night still in Atlanta telling them we wouldn't be there until Saturday because we flew standby and did not get on a flight Friday as planned. The fact that nothing was within walking distance was a minor annoyance since the shuttle vans ran every 30 minutes 24 hours a day and would take you anywhere near by. Even when we called from the train station at 3am they were there to pick us up in minutes.

If you stay out by O'Hare leave very early to get to the game. This is especially true if they are still doing construction on the blue line that weekend the train went very slow during portions of the trip. Though we got a later start than we had planned it still took longer than we thought it would to get to the stadium and we ended up drinking our beer on the walk to the stadium from the train station rather than in the parking lot mingling with fans.

So anyway try and stay downtown if at all possible but if you can't because of money concerns or lack of general availability there are nice hotels out by O'hare and it is a minor inconvenience being further out.

[Sparky98]

For those looking to do it 'on the cheap' consider using the Chicago Hostel, right downtown, not too far to Soldier Field.

http://www.hichicago.org/

Also, be aware that the Blue line in from O'hare is STILL under construction, inbound rides could be as high as 50 min.

[doogiemo]

For those looking to do it 'on the cheap' consider using the Chicago Hostel, right downtown, not too far to Soldier Field.

http://www.hichicago.org/



just what I was looking for! Thanx for the post!

[Rodneyd444]

I got the O'Hare Raddison for $55.00 @ night from Priceline.com. I have taken the Blue Line and bus to Soldier Field a few times, most recently the Gold Cup games; it is easy and good way to get to the game.

I got my game ticket in the Supporter Section 123 row 13.

[swkfilms]

also, fwiw, the is NO OPEN ALCOHOL on the El trains. You will be ticketed, same thing with walking to the stadium, basically open alcohol in the stadium parking lot only. This is the voice of experience speaking

[stealth71]

I got the O'Hare Raddison for $55.00 @ night from Priceline.com....

DAMN!!!!
That's a good deal and then some. That's like Free around these parts for the Radisson.

Fonsos