Hotel
We have a hotel block reserved for our guests. Please book your room via the below link. Attendees can also call reservations at 877-865-5321 and refer to the group code.
Discount Code - VDW
House Or Rental
We recommend using AirBnB to find accommodations near the hotel as well. We recommend staying in the Loop, River North, Near North, or Gold Coast neighborhoods.
Flight
O'Hare (ORD) is the largest airport in Chicago, located on the northwest side of the city. Flights from all major airlines, with the exception of Southwest Airlines, land at O'Hare. Depending on the time of day, it's about a 30-60 minute cab ride to downtown from O'Hare, but downtown is also easily accessible from the Blue Line CTA train which picks up in the lower level of the airport and leads directly to the Chicago Loop. It is approximately 45 minutes from O'Hare to the downtown area by train.
Flight
Midway Airport (MDW), located southwest of the city is the smaller of the two airports. Southwest Airlines flies into Midway. Midway is a bit closer to downtown via cab, 15-25 minutes, and is also accessible via the CTA Orange Line. The Orange Line picks up from the airport (via a bit of a walk along the outer edge of the parking garage, the pathway is marked with signs) and takes about 25 minutes to reach the downtown area.
Train
While you can pay cash (exact change only!) on buses and at the train stops, it's usually easier and a better deal to purchase a fare card (called Ventra cards) or pay with a smartphone. All CTA methods of transportation let you scan your smartphone (if you have Apple Pay). All CTA train stations also have self-serve vending machines that accept credit cards. While single-ride fares can be purchased, it's worth buying a 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day pass if you plan to take more than a few rides. The multi-day passes are unlimited usage across all trains and buses- otherwise a single ride from the airport alone costs $5, while other rides cost $2.50 each when paying cash. Children under 7 years of age are free, and children under 12 are reduced-fare.
Rental Car
Lyft is a popular rideshare service you can download for free to your phone. Use the link below to get $5 in referral credit or search online for promo codes! We use Lyft regularly and recommend using Lyft to get around the city in lieu of driving.