Hotels in Chicago, IL

Best time to visit Chicago

Chicago has severe winters and hot summers. For milder weather, it is best to visit Chicago in the shoulder months of April – May or September – October when average temperatures range from 12 – 20 degrees Celsius. Summer is the peak tourist season with higher hotel rates and hard-to-find accommodations. The city plays host to several cultural festivals and events during this time. From January – February, there are great deals on hotels, restaurants and entertainment, but the average temperature is minus 6 degrees Celsius and there is frequent snowfall. Consider visiting in this bargain season only if you can brave the harsh weather.

Getting around Chicago

Chicago is a very walkable city with an easy to navigate grid-style layout. Many of the Downtown Chicago attractions are within walking distance of each other. You also have a dense network of buses and trains operated by the Chicago Transit Authority. A single ride fare starts at $2.25 USD while a 1-Day ticket which allows unlimited rides on buses and trains costs $10.00 USD. Taxis are available easily and charge a base rate of $3.25 USD. Another fast and affordable mode of travel, particularly to view the top tourist destinations, is water taxis. A single ride costs between $3.00 USD – $8.00 USD. Chicago’s bike-sharing program Divvy allows unlimited 30-minute rides in a 24-hour period for $9.95 USD.