Getting Around Chicago

Question

Can I Drive Around Chicago?

Answer

You can! If you're from out of town, be prepared: a lot of parking is paid parking here. If you're spending some time downtown before the wedding, we recommend downloading SpotHero - an app that helps you find cheaper parking ahead of time, or just budgeting some extra time for finding parking.

Question

I Won't Have a Car Available to Me. How Do I Get Around Town?

Answer

We will provide shuttle service from The Rose Hotel to the wedding. To get around on days other than the wedding, you can either take public transit or use Lyft or Uber, rideshare apps. Lyft and Uber drivers are everywhere in Chicago; you can usually get a driver to pick you up within 15 minutes of a request, sometimes even faster.

Question

Is Taking Public Transportation Safe?

Answer

The vast majority of the time, yes. Most of the people who ride the trains and busses are regular people going to work (this has included both Erin and Brian in past jobs!). Especially during the day, you shouldn't have any issues. That being said, if someone on your bus or train is making you uncomfortable, you can always change train cars, or get off and wait for the next bus. Plus, Chicago is a very walkable city - sometimes you don't need any form of transportation except your feet! Chicago gets a bad rap for crime, but fun fact: last year, violent crime in Chicago dropped by 23%. There's a lot of cool stuff happening here at the local level, which makes us even more excited to brag about our city!

Question

How Do I Use Public Transit?

Answer

If you use Google Maps, you can select the "public transport" option. It will tell you how to get to where you're going using public transit. At train stops, there are kiosks you can use to buy train and bus fares. You can also purchase a virtual card via Ventra https://www.ventrachicago.com/howitworks/.