chicago trip with 5 yr old - transportation help

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, buy a cheap car seat for travel until your child gets bigger. Don’t rent a car and pay to park it.

Yup, this one is rated down to 30 pounds, we have a similar one that you can fit in a shopping bag.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Harmony-Juvenile-Youth-Backless-Booster-Car-Seat-Granite/48859727

Use the El to get from Midway to the hotel (orange line, transfer at Roosevelt to red line northbound, exit at Chicago, hotel a block east towards the lake), then use Uber/Lyft for rides which don't have easy El/bus rides. Save money on the most expensive car ride, the one to the airport.

[Anonymous]

Technically, you don't need a car seat for cabs, but I would never do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just bought the ride safer vest and delight booster. I was going to do the bubble bum, but my DD is thin and doesn't quite meet the 40lb threshold. With ride safer, it's 35 lbs.

In a city like Chicago where public transportation is awesome, I am not sure why PPs are suggesting car seats and boosters. Travel light!

Also it seem your child has just turned 5 with that weight? We did strollers at Disney for our 6 yr old twins.

[Anonymous]

Probably too late now as it is expensive but we love the sit n stroll for this reason. It is a car seat and stroller in one. Excellent from about 2 to almost 5. Now we use bubble bum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, buy a cheap car seat for travel until your child gets bigger. Don’t rent a car and pay to park it.

Yup, this one is rated down to 30 pounds, we have a similar one that you can fit in a shopping bag.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Harmony-Juvenile-Youth-Backless-Booster-Car-Seat-Granite/48859727

Use the El to get from Midway to the hotel (orange line, transfer at Roosevelt to red line northbound, exit at Chicago, hotel a block east towards the lake), then use Uber/Lyft for rides which don't have easy El/bus rides. Save money on the most expensive car ride, the one to the airport.

I was just going to say the same thing, though not sure why take a car ride to the airport. Why not go back on the El?

[Anonymous]

NP. If I may post here. We are also going to Chicago with our 4 yr old who is 38 lbs lol. Which of these would y’all recommend. I was looking at this earlier today.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=booster+seat+car+portable&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Abooster+seat+car+portable

I was also trying to figure out if we should get the 7 day pass for $28 or just a fare card for multiple family members to use. And unless we do more than 2 trips a day it didn’t make sense to get a pass. Is it true that bus rides are typically $2.25 one way max?

When are you going OP? We are going mid-June.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, buy a cheap car seat for travel until your child gets bigger. Don’t rent a car and pay to park it.

Yup, this one is rated down to 30 pounds, we have a similar one that you can fit in a shopping bag.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Harmony-Juvenile-Youth-Backless-Booster-Car-Seat-Granite/48859727

Use the El to get from Midway to the hotel (orange line, transfer at Roosevelt to red line northbound, exit at Chicago, hotel a block east towards the lake), then use Uber/Lyft for rides which don't have easy El/bus rides. Save money on the most expensive car ride, the one to the airport.

I was just going to say the same thing, though not sure why take a car ride to the airport. Why not go back on the El?

Sorry, wasn't clear- meant to take the El to/from the airport, then your other car rides will probably be in the $10-15 range. Best balance of cost/time. El vs. car ride from Midway is maybe 15 minutes slower and could be faster if traffic is bad. Other routes may be significantly longer on public transportation, like going to the Science and Industry museum. But staying so close to the Chicago station on the red line means you will likely be taking the El quite a bit- the red line runs very often and connects to all the lines with a 5 minute ride downtown. It would be the equivalent in DC of staying with a block or so of the Dupont Circle Metro station.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, buy a cheap car seat for travel until your child gets bigger. Don’t rent a car and pay to park it.

Yup, this one is rated down to 30 pounds, we have a similar one that you can fit in a shopping bag.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Harmony-Juvenile-Youth-Backless-Booster-Car-Seat-Granite/48859727

Use the El to get from Midway to the hotel (orange line, transfer at Roosevelt to red line northbound, exit at Chicago, hotel a block east towards the lake), then use Uber/Lyft for rides which don't have easy El/bus rides. Save money on the most expensive car ride, the one to the airport.

I was just going to say the same thing, though not sure why take a car ride to the airport. Why not go back on the El?

Sorry, wasn't clear- meant to take the El to/from the airport, then your other car rides will probably be in the $10-15 range. Best balance of cost/time. El vs. car ride from Midway is maybe 15 minutes slower and could be faster if traffic is bad. Other routes may be significantly longer on public transportation, like going to the Science and Industry museum. But staying so close to the Chicago station on the red line means you will likely be taking the El quite a bit- the red line runs very often and connects to all the lines with a 5 minute ride downtown. It would be the equivalent in DC of staying with a block or so of the Dupont Circle Metro station.

Actually OP can take the El from and to MDW but then can do Navy pier/children’s museum via Uber or Lyft.

Bus 146 will take you straight from a block or so away from your hotel to the museum area so will serve Field, Shedd and Adler. Even MOSI is a bus ride away though more like 45 mins as opposed to 30 mins for the other museums. You don’t need to take the train at all other than for the airport. Faster to do the bus in this case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, buy a cheap car seat for travel until your child gets bigger. Don’t rent a car and pay to park it.

Yup, this one is rated down to 30 pounds, we have a similar one that you can fit in a shopping bag.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Harmony-Juvenile-Youth-Backless-Booster-Car-Seat-Granite/48859727

Use the El to get from Midway to the hotel (orange line, transfer at Roosevelt to red line northbound, exit at Chicago, hotel a block east towards the lake), then use Uber/Lyft for rides which don't have easy El/bus rides. Save money on the most expensive car ride, the one to the airport.

+1 This is the best way. Just have a good stroller. Access to the EL at Midway is very easy.

[Anonymous]

A five year old should not be in a backless booster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't take an uber if you are not carrying a car seat. You are stuck with public transportation OP.

Really? According to whom?

[Anonymous]

Use this car service in Chicago that has car seats for all stages.

https://www.rideinbliss.com/

Unless you are going out of the city, don't bother with a car. It is expensive to park and where would you drive it? To the museums and park again? Unless I'm going to the suburbs, I never rent a car in the city and I'm more likely now to use a car service to get to the suburbs.

Try a Ride Safer travel vest. Looks weird, but works well.

[Anonymous]

I live in a city with no car and my kid uses the Ride Safer a lot-she started using it when she was closer to 37. I'd also get to and from the airport using the orange line, and try to use public transit as much as possible. At that age trains and buses are part of the entertainment.

I believe the 10 bus is the express route from Michigan Ave straight to the museum of science and industry

And the 146 goes to the museum campus where Adler, Shedd, and Field are.

[Anonymous]

Man up and rent a car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Man up and rent a car.

I don’t understand this comment. The buses in Chicago are reliable and the bus system is comprehensive. As PPs have said, getting to the attractions in Chicago via public transportation is really easy. And she could bring a lightweight car seat or car seat alternative for Uber/Lyft rides (which she’d probably have to bring if she rented anyway).