UIUC to Chicago western suburbs

<p>What are my options if want to come home on weekends (from UIUC to chicago western suburbs). Are there any deals and discounts or passes for buses, trains etc..Thanks a lot</p>

<p>There are two primary bus companies. LEX runs the most often, but service can be hit or miss. Suburban Express only does weekends, but their schedules are pretty solid. Drop off and pick up points are at different malls (Oakbrook if you're in the western burbs more so than the northwest). Or you can go the train route.</p>

<p>which is the cheapest? are there any deals or there are other things i need to get the best deal thanks</p>

<p>There's pretty much no such thing as a deal. You are at their mercy, and they know it, especially with gas prices going up nearly every day. Just going to have to shop around when you're down there.</p>

<p>LEX is cheaper than Suburban Express, but Suburban Express is easily nicer. Amtrak will cost too much. There's always car-pooling with someone you know?</p>

<p>The problem with LEX is that they sometimes stick you in a little van and it could be 3-4 hours before your reach your destination compared to 2-2.5 hours with Suburban Express.</p>

<p>if u pick the right day and book weeks ahead, amtrak is only $13 on certain days. then you'll probably have to take metra which makes it around $18. fyi, u can cancel ur ticket and get a full refund</p>

<p>uh.. canon28, i don't know what train you were on, but amtrak is definitely the cheapest way to get from C-U to chicago. </p>

<p>an amtrak ticket can be as cheap as $13 if you order it way in advance, and Metra only costs about $2. which makes it $15 cheaper than the cheapest LEX ticket</p>

<p>Metra is more than $2 to go anywhere, unless you're a highschooler or a Senior Citizen. Try $3-6 if you buy it at the station. Suburban Express is $24 one-way (no gimmicks, and used to be $23). LEX can be $19.95.</p>

<p>Ok so then Amtrak-Metra method is from $16 to $19, if you're scheduling way in advance and getting the good Amtrak deal. But then the Amtrak takes 3 hours to get to Union Station and if you don't get on an express Metra you could be on that for another hour. Let's not forget the downtime between the Amtrak arrival and Metra departure, unless you mapped that out well. So the difference between the Bus, taking 2-2.5 hours for $24 versus the Train...$19 for 4.5 hours, and you're planning out that trip home a while in advance (yeah right)....I think extra 2 hours of my time is worth the $5 premium here.</p>

<p>amtrak has a snack car</p>

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I live in Oak Brook, I use it whenever I go home. Saved me tons of money.
Check'em out. Very easy to use.</p>

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<p>my friend once got a suburban express ticket to naperville for $1, it's all about timing.</p>

<p>amtrak+metra isnt bad, the amtrak is fast, makes only like 3 stops between champaign and chicago, if you buy at least 3~4 days ahead you can get a ticket for $13, and then buy a metra ticket for $3-5 depending on what zone you live in.</p>

<p>@divinity287, i have heard the same about LEX</p>

<p>another option is megabus, if bought in advance a ticket can be $1~$3, then pick up a metra ticket in downtown and you are good to go</p>

<p>Personally, I would highly recommend Amtrak, as long as you buy before the day before, I've seen tickets as cheap as $13 each way (i've never seen it more than $20 except when its busy for the holidays when they're $30), they have a snack car for food and bathrooms and outlets if needed, and when I traveled on it once, it only took around 2.5 hours (although to be fair, I did take a nap on the train, so it felt faster). Then I took a Metra to Elmwood Park for about $3. My roommate took the bus and he said it was almost 3.5 hours with the stop and it was horrible since there was no way to use the bathroom or get food. But I fly home usually from Champaign to Chicago since my mom works for United and they have agreements with American which is only a 30 minute flight. :D</p>

<p>Plus you have leg room and the ability to get up and stretch in the Amtrak train</p>