If you’re downtown, you’ve seen them: Tourists. You might even be one yourself.
There’s no shame in that; Chicago has some cool stuff that’s worth checking out. And luckily, the city has several decent transportation options for seeing all the sites.
But which one should you choose? If your traveling party is more than a few people, cost is certainly a consideration. When does time saved trump expenses?
We mapped out a tour of five of the most popular tourist spots and sent out a team of “tourists” at 10 a.m. on a recent busy Friday to compare the transportation experiences.
Our route (in order): Water Tower to Navy Pier to Sears Tower to Millennium Park and finally, to the Field Museum.
Our modes of transportation: a paid bus tour with the ability to hop on and hop off, a free trolley, the bus, cabs and good old-fashioned shoe leather (we did this one on a different day). (We eliminated the elevated train because it did not come close enough to our destinations.)
Here’s what we found:
HOP-ON / HOP-OFF TROLLEY
The Hop On Hop Off trolley (chicagotrolley.com) combines a guided tour of the city with the flexibility of getting off and then back on the trolley at multiple stops. But is that a good thing?
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With 13 stops covering nearly all of the popular downtown attractions, the Hop On Hop Off trolley will certainly get you where you need to go. But the trolley only runs in one direction, so it makes its 13 stops in order and then repeats the process. This requires you to plan out your route, or you will, like us, have to double back, making for some long rides.
The information provided by the tour guides is fairly entertaining. Each guide has his or her own flair, with some choosing to focus on the more gruesome details of Chicago (gangster fights) while others take a more light-hearted approach (joking that Chicagoans love to take their daily trip on LSD — Lake Shore Drive). Be warned, however, that sitting near the tour guide puts you in a prime position to be teased for the duration of your journey.
Your Hop On Hop Off ticket allows you to ride both the Chicago Trolley Co.’s single-decker “old fashioned” trolleys or the Chicago Double Decker Co.’s double-decker “luxury” trolleys. While the double-decker trolley’s top level offers plenty of sun with a nice breeze along with large, comfortable single seats, the bottom level has windows that may not open (the windows open on only half the fleet), making it awfully uncomfortable and muggy at this time of year. The “old fashioned” trolleys have wooden benches, which, while charming, are extremely uncomfortable.
That said, I’d certainly recommend the Hop On Hop Off to first-time visitors of the city. If you can grab a seat on the top of the double-decker, you’ll get plenty of sun and tons of entertaining facts about one of the best cities in the world.
Total time: 4 hours, 8 minutes
Total cost: $22.50
— Dan Kricke
TAXI
For the most part, cabs are quick and easy to find. They lack the charm and affordability of other forms of Chicago transportation. But if you’re more interested in the destination than the journey, cabs might be for you.
One of my drivers, Daphne Jackson, gave a few tips for travelers:
*Be visible. Make it clear to drivers that you’re trying to hail a cab.
*Know the address. Too many times tourists will simply name a shop or restaurant’s name, Jackson said. Your driver may not be familiar with your destination.
*Check for all of your belongings before you exit your cab. During one ride I shared a cab with an abandoned digital camera. The driver seemed unfazed.
*Plan your trip. Hail a cab that’s already traveling in your destination’s direction.
*Zero cabs? It could be because you’re not standing at an approved cab stand. Look for signs, or ask someone at a local business or attraction.
*Carry cash. While most cabs take plastic, some only accept certain credit card companies. For a quick exit, carry cash and in several bill denominations. On top of the fare, add 15 percent for a tip, and try to round to the nearest dollar.
Total time: 44 minutes
Total cost: $36, includes tips
— Amanda Maurer
CTA BUS
The CTA buses are a great way to see Chicago if you don’t mind a wait and carefully plan your route in advance. If you don’t, they’re a great way to get lost in Chicago.
As a newcomer to Chicago, making my way around the city on the CTA buses as a proxy tourist meant I was going to need the CTA’s trip planner (transitchicago.com). A couple of clicks, and I had my entire route in front of me. I didn’t even need a map.
The bus rides themselves were uneventful — the most memorable moment of my day occurred when a wasp fluttered onto the bus in between Water Tower Place and Navy Pier, causing a nervous stir among the passengers. With the exception of the driver of the Water Tower Place-Navy Pier route, who ignored several stop requests until a woman in the back of the bus began screaming at him, the drivers were courteous and quick to answer navigational questions. The buses were air-conditioned, relatively clean and uncrowded. They were also noticeably devoid of conspicuous tourists.
The biggest drawback of CTA buses: The system is enormous. If you haven’t planned ahead, you’re better off asking a driver for help than trying to figure out a route with a bus-stop map.
Everything went snag-free until I attempted to go from Millennium Park to the Field Museum. By the time I’d been waiting for half an hour, I had to admit that I’d messed up. Later, I realized that the bus I was waiting on only ran during the evening rush hours.
I made it to the Field Museum and, sick of public transportation, threw myself into a taxi. The air conditioning was broken. I wished I were on a bus.
Total time: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Total cost: $8 cash fare, $7 with CTA fare card
— Helen Eckinger
CHICAGO’S FREE TROLLEY
Based on the price, it’s hard to complain about the city’s free trolley service (cityofchicago.org/cdot). But it can get kind of confusing.
There are four routes — including a Navy Pier Trolley — and each route is distinguished by a colorful symbol (a red circle, a yellow star, a green triangle and a blue square). There is no way to know where each trolley goes unless you ask a driver or an attendant. Even the map that a friendly attendant gave me in my time of despair did little to help me.
Finding the trolley stops also proved to be confusing. Ultimately, I ended up checking the map to see what street had a stop and walking until I found one. I also looked to see where the trolleys were headed and followed them. And if there was an attendant at my stop — not all stops have them — I asked him where to catch my next trolley.
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The Navy Pier trolley stops were even more confusing. Unlike the more elaborate and quaint Chicago Trolley signs, the Navy Pier trolley signs are simple and blue. Plus, in order to get to the Navy Pier trolley stop, I had to go down the stairs at Michigan Avenue in order to find my stop. The stop was in the middle of a few parking lots and garages, and I missed my trolley because I could not figure out whether it was the right place.
On a more positive note, the staff of the Chicago Trolley was great. Everyone was helpful, friendly and informative.
The trolleys themselves are clean and pleasant to ride in. They are not air-conditioned, but if you sit in the back, there is a large window and it feels great.
Total time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Total cost: Free
— Becky Schlikerman
WALK
Navigating Chicago by foot may seem like a daunting proposition. It certainly offers more opportunities to get lost than more tourist-friendly options such as cabs or the free trolley, but it does have its perks. Instead of being confined to routes taken by buses or trolleys, you can explore Chicago on your own terms. And, after spending the day hoofing it around the city, you can splurge on dessert absolutely guilt-free. Just take a reliable map and you’ll be fine.
The entire walk — without stopping at any attractions or shops — took about 2 hours and 9 minutes (not counting a 30-minute lunch break and 15-minute snack break). We walked a total of 13,391 steps, or a little over 5 miles. And the best part? It was free.
As for navigation, it was fairly straightforward. For example, the Sears Tower is kind of hard to miss — just look up, and navigate toward it. And the walk from Sears Tower to Millennium Park was the shortest of the bunch, but newcomers to the city might need a map.
The most relaxing walk was from Millennium Park to the Field Museum, with the lake on one side and the sprawling park on the other. Directions to the museum are also clearly marked, so there is no confusion.
Although it is a long walk, regular stops and sightseeing break up any monotony and alleviate sore feet. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers — it gets cooler by the lake.
Total time: 2 hours, 9 minutes (13,391 steps)
Total cost: Free
— Becky Schlikerman and Helen Eckinger