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It was a summer afternoon in Noida when one of my friends visiting me asked whether I had a Delhi Metro card. Back then, I didn’t. However since then every city I visit that has a metro, I get a metro card. From Lucknow Metro to Chennai Metro, I have ridden on all of them. So when I was in Chicago earlier this month, I took multiple rides on the Chicago Metro.
In this blog post, I’m going to share every detail of the Chicago metro that every foreigner needs to know. We all would agree that commuting in foreign countries, especially the USA is super expensive. There are buses obviously, but the metro is what I prefer. So without much a do, let’s get into the blog post.
Chicago Metro Route
For the unaware, the Chicago metro is one of the oldest metros in the world. It started its operations in 1862. It is about 165 km in length making it amongst the largest metros in the USA after the New York and Washington subway. There are 145 stations and 8 lines!
The Chicago metro is also referred to as the ‘L’ due to the elevated section. The section of the metro in the downtown area is called the loop due to its elevated structure and design. If you’ve played games like Midtown Madness or GTA, you would have come across the Chicago Loop metro.
You can also check out the detailed Chicago Metro Map, however, as a foreigner, you’re mostly interested in the blue line to start with. Later based on your requirements, you can read more and plan.
Chicago Airport Metro
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is located well outside the city very much like Hyderabad and Bangalore airports. A cab ride to the Chicago metro would cost anywhere between $50-$100 depending on the time and traffic and that makes the Chicago metro a very affordable option, especially for foreigners.
O’Hare metro is connected to Chicago downtown by the Blue Line which also is one of the longest routes in the metro system. Assuming you’re an international tourist to Chicago, you’ll be flying into Terminal 5. The Chicago metro doesn’t operate from Terminal 5, however, there is a free rapid metro from Terminal 5 to Terminal 2. This service is pretty frequent and can get crowded depending on the time.
Though old, the condition of the Chicago metro is pretty good. Some coaches have an old-world charm to it. The coaches on the Chicago metro are not interconnected and hence you can change coaches when the train is running. Further, it’s very common to see people get bicycles in the metro, so don’t be surprised if you see one. Having said all of that, the Delhi Metro or even the Hyderabad Metro look more modern and swankier than the Chicago Metro.
In terms of cost, the Chicago metro from O’hare airport to downtown costs only $5 making it the cheapest mode of commute. Further, depending on your final destination it may vary. I traveled from Chicago metro to Monroe which is on the blue line. However, since I was going to spend a week in Chicago, I got the 7-Day Chicago Metro pass.
Chicago Metro Pricing and Passes
All of the Chicago metro stations have a functional ticket vending machine. So like every other machine, you choose your destination and pay the amount. For longer duration, the Chicago metro also provides a physical card known as Ventra. It’s the Chicago metro card that can be loaded with cash or passes and can also be used for buses.
Every ride on the Chicago Metro costs $2.5 irrespective of where you’re going and this includes free transfers too. However, if you’re also going to spend more than a day, it’s better to get one of the three passes.
- 1-Day Unlimited Pass – $5
- 3-Day Unlimited Pass – $15
- 7- Day Unlimited Pass – $20
- 30-Day Unlimited Pass – $75
Each of these passes can be activated when you’re purchasing a Ventra card at a vending machine. One thing to note is that the card will be loaded with $5 along with the pass you choose.
For payments, all international cards are accepted in the machine. The point where you’ll be stuck while getting a Ventra card is the payment screen that asks for the ZIP Code. Since we don’t stay in the US, you can enter the zip code as 0 and proceed. If everything goes well, you’ll get a receipt and the Ventra card. I used my Niyo Global debit card for this and it worked flawlessly.
Chicago Metro 7-Day Unlimited Pass Experience
As mentioned earlier, I took the Ventra card with a 7-day unlimited pass from O’Hare airport. One good thing that I liked about the card is that the validity is not only for the days but also the time. For example, I brought the card on Dec 3, 7 PM, and its validity was until Dec 10, 7 PM.
In terms of my experience, I was truly satisfied with the weekly unlimited plan. I was put up in Chicago Downtown at the Hilton Palmer Hotel and KubeCon was happening at McCormick Place. Both the metro stations were pretty close to my hotel and McCormick place, so I was lucky on that front.
From Dec 6 to Dec 9, I took 2 rides every day, making it 8 trips. Apart from that on the weekends, I took another 6-7 rides and the card worked perfectly well. In fact on one of the days, I wondered if there was any daily limit on the card since I took 5 rides, but there isn’t anything like that.
So the 7-day unlimited pass is truly unlimited. In short, I feel this was a paisa-vasool deal as I would have easily spent 10x the cost on cabs. The unlimited pass also helped me save around $15, which is a great deal!
Ditch The Cab, Take The Metro
One of the good things about such developed cities is public transport. Not only it is affordable but has great connectivity. Chicago Metro is no different, most of the places in the downtown area are connected by the metro along with the suburbs as well. The conditions of the stations are nice, and the information boards are placed everywhere.
The Chicago Metro was also the first international metro that I took, hence it’s even more special. Furthermore, the unlimited pass ensured I didn’t have to think twice before going anywhere, all I needed was Google Maps and I was good.
That’s about it for this blog post, let me know if you have any questions or queries. You can connect with me on Twitter at @Atulmaharaj, DM @Atulmaharaj on Instagram or Get in Touch.
