Used Metra, the Milwaukee District West Line, to get from downtown Chicago to Hanover Park, in the…read moreWestern suburbs of Chicago Cost was $7.75 per one-way ticket, and there was plenty of room on the 5:10 express train. The ticket agent checked our tickets soon after departure. It's a double decker car, with a very small display giving you info about the stops. They did NOT use intercom on this route, and quite a few people ended up missing their stop because of it. Once out of DT-Chicago, there were only a few stops (Roselle, Schaumburg) before our stop of Hanover Park. Skipping those intermediate stops really saved on time....the trip was under 40 minutes. Haven't used Metra in many years, but still remember their radio jingle from my youth: "You're on Metra....the only way.....to FLYYYYYY!".

Metra is so trash, delays almost everytime time with no explanation, I'm convinced they just say…read moredelay and slow down the train to screw with the passengers. If you're taking a late night train to the city, just show up 15 minutes after from when the train is supposed to show and you will probably get there right around when it arrives. I take the morning train everyday for work and it's supposed to get to union station at 8:26, i'm never at the station before like 8:35

This CTA station is located in the Loop. You'll board a blue line train from this station from an…read moreunderground subway platform. I normally use this station to get to or from O'Hare Airport. Everyone coming in from O'Hare and nearby hotels for the Chicago Marathon will most likely get off at this station as the start line is over in Grant Park.

Such interesting smells! Mmmmm. So not all public transit…read morestops in Chicago are ADA compliant. Some don't have wheelchair ramps, access points, or elevators. Some require that you hike a mountain of stairs. Jeesh. This one is accessible. It's a good point to be able to transfer between the red and blue lines of the CTA system. There are plenty of elevators. I just don't wanna think about what those puddles are in the elevators. There's a walkway that connects the two train lines, which could use more inspiration. Mexico City's subway has the Tunnel of Science where they try to teach you about scientific stuff with murals and such. Nothing like that here. At least they have some decorative tile "J" mosaics on the platforms. When I went, it wasn't so crowded.

Last week was my first time taking a train into the city while visiting Great Lakes. I was…read moretraveling alone and a little nervous about getting into the city and unsure about the area that the Ogilvie Transportation Center is in. Reviews made it seem like a confusing place to navigate. I boarded the Union Pacific North Train Kine from Great Lakes just outside of the Navy Training Center. I purchased my ticket on the Ventra App and I boarded the train and took a seat. There were several stops along the way and the Ogilvie Transportation Center was the last stop. The Conductor visited the car I was riding in just a couple of stops before ending at Ogilvie to check and/or sell tickets. The Conductor was polite and patient. When I exited the train at Ogilvie, I just followed the crowd to the stairway into the station and then just chose to exit the building at the Canal Street exit whit turned out to be just perfect for starting my journey into Chicago for the day. At the end of the day, when I returned to Ogilvie, it took me a few minutes to figure out the train schedule and locate the right stairways onto the loading platform. They have large screens at each loading platform stairway entrance that shows where each train travels to and what time they leave. There are stairways on each side of the train station to get you to the train. One important thing to note is that for some stops, the first cars of the train, the doors do not open. So it's best to find a seat towards the back cars or make plans to walk through a couple of cars quickly to get to the exit doors that open. The Ogilvie Transportation Center was easier to navigate than I had thought.

Why oh why does the sign on the Madison St entrance of this building say "Accenture Tower" when…read moreit's really just the retail front of Ogilvie Transportation Center?! That confused me so much the first time I came here that I went across the street to Union Station by mistake thinking I had gone to the wrong place, and I missed my train. Please make better signage indicating that this entrance is also for the train station, as Google maps is getting less and less accurate (it put the marker in the middle of the intersection between the two stations). Other than that, the station is fine. Plenty of ticket machines and display screens showing the train schedules. There are escalators up to the track area for disability access as an option besides stairs. Just expect a huge line for the bathrooms. The retail shops and food items are price gouging to the extreme, like an airport would be.

Where do I begin? Bullet points! Writing is like thinking, and (in this case) that's how I think…read more So: - Clinton station is the deepest station in the CTA. There is a staircase and narrow escalator (single file only). The station is not accessible, and stairs are needed to enter/exit street level. - This is close to the Greyhound and Union station, however there is no underpass. These are a block or two away, and would put you under the elements. - I did not encounter any foul smells or grossly unsanitary conditions. The archway one descends through could use some paint, and the floor would benefit from a power washing. However, the first staircase from street level definitely needs some elbow grease, including the railing. - The station is very well lit and did not feel unsafe. - There are no screens showing arrival information. I have to use the Transit app to show me when the next train is coming. - Seating is extremely limited, I think I saw one bench, though I could be wrong and there could be two. Thus, while some things are typical of CTA stations (like limited seating), the lack of screens and heightened need of a deeper cleaning cost Clinton Station some points. At the same time, I have definitely seen worse in terms of safety and cleanliness, hence a star was saved.

CTA has a station at Clinton. It gives you good access to downtown. What isn't good is the…read morecondition of this nasty ass facility. Avoid touching anything. The place also really smells. It sadly is typical of many stations around downtown. It serves the Blue Line. This station is also way down under. It's actually the deepest in the CTA. There's an escalator thankfully but it takes a long time. Also the station smells bad. It has a pungent piss odor that could put you in a coma. The good thing is trains come often and usually are on time.

Cool subway station located within the famous Loop…read more My hunny, and a few friends and I were able to get off the Orange Line at this stop and walk to our hotel 5 minutes away. This train line stop is convenient to many hotels, and attractions in downtown Chicago. Thanks Chicago for making public transportation safe, convenient, and affordable.

CTA has a stop on the Loop at Washington and Wells, best for getting to the areas west of around…read morehere. It has pretty good access to other transportation systems and you can get on many different Lines. Putrefying smell at times but that by far is the worst. Located across the river from a few important buildings and attractions. There's Amtrak and Metra where you can make transfers. It can be found on the northwest side of the Loop close to some other public transportation systems you can conveniently access. It serves the Brown, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines. The times each of these operates varies. Brown goes counterclockwise. The others go clockwise so you have to be on the correct side of the platform. For the Brown, stand on the west, and the others are on the east. Close proximity to Amtrak and Metra is right by here. This is only a few blocks to the Ogilvie Station, so if you're going that way getting off here is the best place. Also know the Purple is a limited extension. It's only on weekdays at rush hour. This gives you quick access to either the Ogilvie station or Union Station if you're transferring between systems.

Closest stop to Chase Tower and Chagall's Four Seasons if those are your itineraries. There are…read moreonly stairs and escalators going up. No elevators. The direct entrance through the Chase Tower building has been closed off since Covid. Probably never to be opened due to security measures.

This is a great spot to catch public transportation into Chicago. Parking was under $10 and the…read moreride is about $5.

If you are trying to save money to get to your hotel downtown this is a good alternative. It…read morereminds me of public transportation in Baltimore in a way. As most public transportation drop off locations it smelled like urine once off the train.

CTA has an L station on Roosevelt close to Soldier Field. It connects a few Lines. Very busy…read moreespecially on football Sundays. Also close to the museums. There's trains coming at all times. Get a train to almost anywhere. It serves the Green, Orange, and Red Lines. This is a very busy station. Close to here is Soldier Field. Needless to say, it gets busy when there's a game. Of course, there's other stuff here too. Get off here to go to the Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, and Shedd Aquarium, along with other less known museums. There's also buses that take you right there. Better than driving. There's also no paying for parking. Here you can walk over to many attractions. It's best known for being close to Soldier Field and museums. There's buses for those not wanting to do as much walking.

Station is currently closed but the entrance is pretty cool. It is designed as a replica of what a…read moremetro stop in Paris is like. That's about it. Cool to see as a tourist. But even operational, METRA trains aren't really useful for tourists outside of very limited circumstances.

I grew up in Hyde Park on the South Side and the other day I decided to hop on the Metra train that…read moreused to be the Illinois Central Commuter. My mother used to take me to this Van Buren stop to go downtown to see the museums, then later I would go with friends. This is the same station, it hasn't been renovated since. Parts are crumbling and if it's raining or there is melting snow you may get more than a little wet disembarking (note to Metra, "detraining" is not a word) but the station is very clean. Be wary of very aggressive panhandlers as soon as you hit street-side but somehow they've kept the interior areas devoid of the homeless. If you're visiting from out of town and staying downtown, this is one of two good ways to get to visit the University of Chicago campus (the home of close to 100 Nobel Prizes, literally "Where Harry met Sally," the Regenstein Library home of the Erudite in the "Divergent" future, the must see Oriental Institute, and it should all start with President Obama's favorite diner, Valois, only a block from the Hyde Park station). A good alternative is the CTA 192 bus if you're closer to Union Station. For Metra, get tickets ahead of time or be prepared to pay in cash on board.