Bicycle

Chicago is a cycling-savvy city with a well-used bike-share program. Riders can take bikes free of charge onto L trains, except during rush hour (7am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm Monday to Friday). Most buses are equipped with a bike rack on the front that accommodates two bikes at a time.

Divvy (www.divvybikes.com) has some 5800 sky-blue bikes at 580 stations around Chicago and neighboring suburbs. The $15 day pass allows unlimited rides in a 24-hour period, up to three hours each. Or opt for a $3 single-ride pass for 30 minutes. Both are available for purchase at station kiosks or via the Divvy app. Rates rise fast if you don’t dock the bike in your allotted time. Having the Divvy app makes life much easier for finding docks, checking availability and paying.

Bike rentals for longer rides (with accoutrements such as helmets and locks) start at around $8 per hour. Try Bike & Roll or Bobby’s Bike Hike. They also rent children’s bikes, and offer discounts if you book online.

Boat

Water Taxi

A water taxi is an interesting alternative to walking or busing between major sights. There are two water taxi lines in Chicago: the Chicago Water Taxi (312-337-1446; www.chicagowatertaxi.com), aimed mainly at commuters, and the Shoreline Water Taxi (312-222-9328; www.shorelinesightseeing.com), which connects some major tourist sights.

Shoreline Water Taxi

Shoreline Water Taxi operates three different lines from late May to early September. The Lake Taxi transports you from Navy Pier (at the southwestern corner) to the South Loop’s Shedd Aquarium. The River Taxi connects Polk Bros Park (just west of Navy Pier) to Willis Tower (via the Adams St Bridge’s southeast side). Prices depend on the day of travel, but a one-way adult ticket is $8 to $10 (child $4 to $5). Weekends are peak travel times.

There’s also a Commuter Taxi that runs from the Michigan Ave Bridge (northeast side, near the Tribune Tower) to Willis Tower/Union Station.

Chicago Water Taxi

This water taxi aims primarily at commuters, and runs from March to October. It plies the river from the Michigan Ave Bridge (northwest side, by the Wrigley Building) to Madison St (near the Metra Ogilvie Transportation Center), stopping at LaSalle St en route. In summer it continues on to Chinatown. A one-way ride is $5 on weekdays, $6 on weekends. An all-day pass is $9 on weekdays, $10 on weekends.

Bus

City buses operate from early morning until late evening. The fare is $2.25 ($2.50 if you want a transfer). You can use a Ventra Card (a rechargeable fare card that you buy at L stations) or pay the driver with exact change. Buses are particularly useful for reaching the Museum Campus, Hyde Park and Lincoln Park’s zoo.

Car & Motorcycle

Driving in Chicago is no fun. Traffic snarls not only at rush hours, but also just about every hour in between. Especially for short trips in town, use public transportation to spare yourself the headache.

Downtown garages cost about $40 per day, but will save you time and traffic tickets. Millennium Park Garages (www.millenniumgarages.com) are some of the cheapest.

Car-Share Services

The car-share service Zipcar (www.zipcar.com) is popular in Chicago. Hourly/daily rates are $8.50/74 weekdays and $9.25/79 on weekends. That includes gas and insurance and good parking spaces around town. You need to become a member first ($70 annually plus a $25 application fee).

Rental

All major car-rental agencies are in Chicago. Rates fluctuate radically. In general, it’s more expensive to rent at the airport than downtown. To rent a car you typically need to be at least 25 years old, hold a valid driver’s license and have a major credit card. Unless stated otherwise, these companies have outlets at both Chicago airports and downtown.

Alamo (www.alamo.com)

Avis (www.avis.com)

Budget (www.budget.com)

Dollar (www.dollar.com) At the airports only.

Enterprise (www.enterprise.com)

Hertz (www.hertz.com)

National (www.nationalcar.com)

Thrifty (www.thrifty.com)

Pedway

Come wintertime, when the going gets tough and icy sleet knifes your face, head down to the Pedway. Chicago has a 40-block labyrinth of underground walkways, built in conjunction with the subway trains. The system isn’t entirely connected (i.e. it would be difficult to walk from one end of the Loop to the other underground), and you’ll find that you rise to the surface in the oddest places – say, an apartment building, a hotel lobby or Macy’s.

The walkways are also hit-or-miss for amenities: some have coffee shops and fast-food outlets tucked along the way, some have urine smells, but they’re an interesting place to soak up local life. The city posts ‘Pedway’ signs above ground at points of entry. City Hall is a good place to dive under. Chicago Detours provides a free map to download from its website for DIY jaunts. The company also offers guided excursions that include the passageways.

Taxi & Rideshare

Taxis are plentiful in the Loop, north to Andersonville and northwest to Wicker Park/Bucktown. Hail them with a wave of the hand. Fares are meter-based and start at $3.25 when you get into the cab, then it’s $2.25 per mile. The first extra passenger costs $1; extra passengers after that are 50¢ apiece. Add 10% to 15% for a tip. All major companies accept credit cards.

Train

Elevated/subway trains are part of the city’s public transportation system. Metra commuter trains venture out into the suburbs.

L Train

The L (a system of elevated and subway trains) is fast, frequent and will get you to most sights and neighborhoods.

Two of the eight color-coded lines – the Red Line, and the Blue Line to O’Hare airport – operate 24 hours a day. The other lines run from roughly 4am to 1am daily, departing every 10 minutes or so.

The standard fare is $3 (except from O’Hare airport, where it costs $5) and includes two transfers. Enter the turnstile using a Ventra Ticket, which is sold from vending machines at train stations.

You can also buy a Ventra Card, aka a rechargeable fare card, at stations. It has a one-time $5 fee that gets refunded once you register the card. It knocks around 75¢ off the cost of each ride.

Unlimited ride passes (one-/three-/seven-day $10/20/28) are another handy option. Get them at train stations and drugstores.

For maps and route planning, check the website of the Chicago Transit Authority (www.transitchicago.com). The ‘Trackers’ section tells you when the next train or bus is due to arrive at your station.

Metra

Metra (www.metrarail.com) commuter trains traverse 12 routes serving the suburbs from four terminals ringing the Loop: LaSalle St Station, Millennium Station (below street level – look for the stairs down), Union Station and Richard B Ogilvie Transportation Center (a few blocks north of Union Station). Some train lines run daily, while others operate only during weekday rush hours. Buy tickets from agents and machines at major stations.