Using buses in downtown area

Is it convenient/safe to use CTA buses when in the downtown area? Realising some sights I want to see are not that close to each other :-(

Using buses in downtown area

oh yes, buy the one or five day pass. The bus lines i took run along the same route as the subway, like the 22 Clark. Downtown, there are buses on Michigan Av going to the museums. Buses are fun and you get to see more stuff.

Using buses in downtown area

Go to www. transitchicago.com for CTA details and route planning. There are also free trolleys starting end of May which go from many tourist attraction to another. Very safe.

I would recommend against relying on the free trolley service. I have had a string of bad luck with them. If one shows up and you can get on then fine, but oftentimes there is a line for the trolley and not everyone in line can get on when one does finally show up. They also tend not to run as frequently as advertised. Of course, if you have a transit pass, you might as well take the CTA buses and not even bother with the trolleys, unless one happens to be going more directly to where you want to go than the bus.

I use the trains and busses everytime I visit Chicago and have never had a probem getting to any of the major tourist sites. Public transportation in Chicago is supreme and its part of the fun of visiting. It%26#39;s also a lot easier than what you might think. You will be amazed at how much money you will save by taking the CTA over the taxis.

My advice as a fellow Chicago visitor would be to get a copy of the CTA bus/train map as soon as you arrive. You can download it off the CTA website but its kind of hard to read like that since the map is so large. You might want to call CTA and see if its possible to have a map mailed to you. Once you have the map in hand, read it ALL and study the routes you will be taking. When traveling, keep the map handy in case you need to get your bearings. I%26#39;ve found locals to be friendly and have never had trouble getting help with directions when needed.

You will also need to purchase a CTA visitor pass. I always order mine online so that I dont have to worry about getting one once I arrive. They generally take about 7-10 days to arrive.

Thanks for the info guys!

If it reassures you any, I have lived in the ';middle of nowhere'; most of my life without the benefits of public transportation and found Chicago%26#39;s public transit very easy to use. I also recommend downloading the CTA maps to become familiar with the routes and purchase the mulit-day passes to ride as often as you like. The signs at both the El and bus stations were pretty easy to understand. I enjoyed just riding the bus up and down Michigan Ave to get a lay of the land and see all the stores and great architecture when I needed to get off my feet for awhile. Also keep in mind that while some things look pretty far away on the map, things seem closer when you%26#39;re actually out there, or at least they do for me. Have a great time!