Mass Transit

Chicago has an excellent mass transit system including rail and bus service from both major airports and around the city. You can plan a trip using the trip planner -- highly recommended! The planner doesn't make it obvious how fares work; if you see a fare over $2 it's probably inaccurate if you get a fare card.

Chicago's rapid transit system is called the 'L'; this is run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), who also runs bus service in the city. You can find system maps here. The CTA is a great way to get around if you want to explore Chicago.

The conference hotel is located two blocks south of the Rosemont 'L' station on the Blue Line, a short walk away. The Blue Line runs 24 hours a day. The hotel shuttle will drop you off there too. If you walk, be sure to cross River Road by Bryn Mawr Ave as there's no chance after that.

The 'L' costs $2 per trip, plus $0.25 if you transfer to a bus. You can purchase or add money to a fare card using cash at all 'L' stations (no credit cards). Multiple people can share a fare card but you'll only have one transfer. The CTA system map also makes a decent city map, and they'll usually have free maps at stations. Stations all have attendants who can answer your questions (but they can't handle money or generally do anything very useful).

Note that the 'L' is a very loud train. If you're sensitive to noise, the hotel-provided earplugs may come in handy!

See Wikipedia for more about the 'L' and for more about the CTA.

The commuter rail system is called Metra, and the suburban bus service is called Pace; these are run by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA). The Metra schedule is here. You can find more information on Pace routes here.

If you are coming into Midway Airport, note that taking the Orange Line to the Blue Line is slow. The trip planner recommends taking the #62 Bus to the Blue Line. You'll still want to pick up a fare care at the 'L' station (which you can use on the bus).

Taxis

If you wish to take a cab from O'Hare airport, follow the taxi signs overhead in the arrivals area of the terminal. There will be a taxi stand (often with a line of people waiting). Here's what Fodor's web site has to say about taking a taxi from a Chicago airport:

"BY TAXI: Metered taxicab service is available at both O'Hare and Midway airports. Trips to and from O'Hare may incur a $1 surcharge to compensate for changing fuel costs. Expect to pay about $40-$45 plus tip from O'Hare to Near North and downtown locations, about $30-$35 plus tip from Midway. Some cabs, such as Checker Taxi and Yellow Cab, participate in a share-a-ride program in which each cab carries up to four individual passengers going from the airport to downtown. The cost per person is substantially lower than the full rate, which is approximately $50."

You can flag down cabs along most busy streets in Chicago. If you're near a hotel or cab stand (there are a few cab stands in the downtown area), you may find a taxi more easily.

If you have a group of people you can call for a taxi and request a minivan. One possible service is 1-800-TAXICAB. Yellow Cab Chicago seems to be in flux and haven't been answering their phone. Note that there is an extra fee of $1 for each passenger after the first (the fare structure is written down in each taxi, so you can be pretty confident about what the fare should be).