7 hour layover in chicago...time to see millenium park?

QueenBey

I have a 7 hour lay over in Chicago is this enough time to get into see the big bean in millennium park and back? No stops for food or anything just in and out

cena

QueenBey wrote: »

I have a 7 hour lay over in Chicago is this enough time to get into see the big bean in millennium park and back? No stops for food or anything just in and out

I dont think you leave the airport till your final stop. You have to go through customs first

I could be wrong

Winning Hand

QueenBey wrote: »

I have a 7 hour lay over in Chicago is this enough time to get into see the big bean in millennium park and back? No stops for food or anything just in and out

Airport is way out of the city. It could be done but it's pushing time, and really not worth it for that alone. Use the money you would have spent getting there and get a lounge pass

sashafierce

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Recognition Scene

Should be plenty of time... L from the airport to the loop takes about 45 mins from what I remember.

Winning Hand

sashafierce wrote: »

whats a lounge pass?

Most airlines in the us have lounges you can buy day passes for while traveling. Rules vary but can be worth it just for some quiet, food and drink

biddywiddy

I think you should have plenty of time. You're flying through O'Hare?

Make sure you have your boarding pass for your connecting flight and check what terminal you will depart from.

You can get the Blue Line from Terminal 2 and get off at Washington-Blue Station. There's a map of the 'L' system here. I just checked the journey planner and it's currently predicting a travel time of 45 minutes (it's 8pm there now, so maybe check for a time you will be traveling). It's about 3 blocks from Washington Station to Millennium Park. Here's a map.

The fare is $2.25 each way. You can buy a ticket in the station with cash/credit card.

iusedtoknow

This is entirely possible if you're flying Dublin->O'Hare and have your luggage booked through to your final destination and you have a boarding pass.

Immigration/Customs are completed in Dublin so you arrive in the US as a "domestic passenger". All you need to do is walk of the plane, through baggage claim and go to the L. You could in theory be at the park a little over an hour after landing. That would also give you time to get a bite to eat and head back to the airport in loads of time to go back through security and on to your next flight.

If you're flying Dublin->heathrow->Chicago , it could be a bit tight as you have immigration to deal with, which can take upto an 1 hour depending on when you arrive - you also have to pick up your bags to put them on the conveyer belt to go through TSA security etc. You'd still have 3 hours to play around with though.

truffle5

This is entirely possible but what's the point? You'll stress yourself out trying to get to the bean, take a photo, and then rush back so you don't miss your flight while praying the train doesn't break down.

Chicago was so desperate for a landmark that they settled for an ugly shiny modern art monstrosity. It's no Statue of Liberty. Tourists still flock to it like sheep though, not sure why. Wait until you visit Chicago properly and then explore the rest of the city at a leisurely pace. I find it greatly suffers from "second city syndrome" and Chicagoans have a major inferiority complex with New York.

Quin_Dub

I had a 7hr lay-over in Chicago last week...

It's plenty of time if you are coming from Ireland directly and have cleared customs.

I didn't go down-town , but I left the airport and went to a Shopping Mall about 15 minutes away from the Airport - It's an oulet mall , but the area around it has lots of shops, restaurants etc.

7hrs is loads of time...Journey to City Centre is about 40 minutes or so on the train.

I travel a lot and 7hrs in an Airport , even in the lounge is a pain in the hole...

A few free beers only goes so far...

Get out of the airport , even if it's just to find a different place to eat and waste a few hours it's more than worth it...

Plan your trip - 1 hour to get there , 1 hour to get back , aim to be back in the airport about 90 minutes before your onward flight (just to be extra careful) , that still gives you 3 hours plus to have a leisurely lunch and do a bit of sight-seeing...

Well worth it and far far better than fannying around an airport for 7hrs (also , the food options in O'Hare are fairly dire...)

On my trip last week I also had a 7hr lay-over in Newark on the way back - It's a regular thing for me , so I did as I always do , got the train into Manhattan , had lunch , did a bit of shopping on 5th Ave , wandered about doing nothing in particular and I was still back in the Airport nearly 2 hours before my flight home took off...

7 hours is a LONG time....