Travel Arrangements
It is recommended that you fly directly into Champaign-Urbana's University of Illinois Willard Airport. This is the most convenient thing to do in most cases, and the fare from international points of origin often is no more than to Chicago. Willard Airport is served by American Airlines (regional jet service through Chicago's O'Hare and prop service through St. Louis Lambert Airports), Delta Airlines (regional jet service through Cincinnatti), and Northwest Airlines (turbo prop service through Detroit).
A potentially less expensive option (although not necessarily) is to fly into one of the nearest major international airports (Chicago O'Hare, Chicago Midway, St. Louis Lambert, or Indianapolis), then find ground transportation from there to Champaign. Only taxi and rental car service is available if traveling to Champaign from Cincinatti. From Chicago's O'Hare Airport and Midway Aiport, Indianapolis, and St. Louis public ground transportation to Champaign-Urbana is also available by a charter bus and/or train. If you need maps or driving directions, click here. You might also want to check today's Chicago area traffic congestion map.
At the Airport
If you are arriving on an international flight at O'Hare, you will probably arrive at Terminal 5, where your travel documents will be examined by officers of the US Immigration and Naturalization Service. Then you will be directed to the area where you must pick up your luggage.
After claiming your luggage, you will have to pass through Customs before entering the main passenger terminal. You will not be permitted to bring any meat products, fruits, or vegetables into the country, so leave them at home. You will also be asked by an official from the U.S. Department of Agriculture if you have visited or stayed at a farm prior to arriving in the United States; this question is designed to prevent communicable livestock diseases from being introduced into the country.
If you arrive at O'Hare on a domestic flight, you will arrive at Terminal 1, 2, or 3. If you are lost or confused, information/customer service booths are located on the lower levels of Terminals 1, 2, and 3, as well as both the upper and lower levels of Terminal 5. Information and customer service representatives will provide airport directions, general service information, and language assistance.
Via Charter Bus
Lincolnland Express (LEX) offers one-way and roundtrip service between Chicago's O'Hare and Midway Airports and Champaign-Urbana. LEX requires an on-line reservation, with fares charged to a major credit card; LEX also has a $10 cancellation fee if you fail to make the trip. The driving time to Champaign-Urbana is approximately 3.5 hours.
Directions to the pick-up point:
From Terminal 5 (International Arrivals)—go to Door #5E on the lower level of the terminal (directly across from McDonald's) and watch for the LEX bus. When the bus arrives, walk out of the terminal through Door #5E to where it is parked and tell the driver that you are going to Champaign. The driver will assist you with your luggage and help you into the bus.
From Domestic Terminals 1, 2, and 3—go to the Bus/Shuttle Center. It is located on the ground level (Level 1 near Elevator Center 3) of O'Hare International Airport's elevated parking garage. (Follow the signs from the baggage claim area on the lower level of each of the three terminals.) Proceed to Elevator Centers 3 or 4, board the elevator, and press the "Bus/Shuttle Center" button. Allow approximately 10 minutes of walking time from the terminals to the Bus/Shuttle Center.
When you get to the Bus/Shuttle Center, sit near Door #4 and watch for the bus. When it arrives, walk out of the Bus Shuttle Center through Door #4 to where it is parked and tell the driver that you are going to Champaign. The driver will assist you with your luggage and help you into the bus.
You may have to cross a roadway to get to the bus—be sure to watch carefully for traffic!
Click here to get a LEX schedule and fare information.
Via Amtrak Train
To take the train, you must go from the airport to the train station in downtown Chicago (about 30 km away). The Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) Blue Lineprovides 24-hour access between downtown Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. Trains run every 8 minutes or less from 5 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday, and every 10 minutes from 5 am to 11 pm on weekends. A one-way fare for the 45-minute ride is $1.50. The CTA station at the airport is located at the lowest level of the Main Parking Garage (next to Elevator Center 4). From Terminal 1, 2, or 3, follow the signs from the baggage claim area on the lower level. From Terminal 5, take the Airport Transit System (ATS) to Terminal 3 and follow the signs.
Take the "Blue Line" train (which goes only southbound from the airport), and get off at the Clintonstop. Walk up the steps to Clinton Street and walk straight (north) for two blocks to Union Station (which is at corner of Clinton and Jackson Streets). The Amtrak ticket counter is located on the ground level between the concourses. Reservations are required and can be made by phone at 1-202-484-7540 (if calling from outside the USA) , or 1-800-872-7245 (if calling within the USA), on their Web site, or through a travel agent. You can also buy your ticket when you arrive at the train station.
Only two trains a day travel from Chicago to Champaign. One leaves at 4:00 pm and arrives in Champaign at 6:25 pm; the other leaves at 8:00 pm and arrives at 10:40 pm. The fare is approximately $30.00. For up-to-date schedules, fares, and train availability, see http://www.amtrak.com/.
Arriving in Champaign-Urbana
The Amtrak train stops at the Illinois Terminal Building, located at 45 East University, Champaign, which is the central bus/train station for Champaign-Urbana. From the Illinois Terminal Building, you may take a Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) bus or a taxi to your final destination. LEX stops at the Illini Union, which is two blocks from Loomis Laboratory of Physics and Daniels Hall (University residence hall for graduate students).
Schedules and route maps for the MTD are posted in the Illinois Terminal Building. You must pay the fare ($1.00) directly to the driver when you board the bus. The exact fare is required after 7 p.m. (i.e., the driver cannot give you change for bills larger than $1.00). If you need to change to another bus to get to your final destination, ask the driver for a free "transfer" when you board the bus; you use the "transfer" in lieu of money to pay your fare when you board the second bus.
Taxis are available outside the main entrance of the Illinois Terminal Building. If you need a taxi from the Illini Union, ask someone at the information desk just inside the main doors to call one for you. The fare will vary, depending on the distance to your final destination, but should not be more than $10 for anywhere in the city. You must pay the fare in cash directly to the driver when you arrive at your destination.
Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help…
If you are lost or confused, don't be afraid to ask for help. In general, Midwesterners are very friendly and eager to assist visitors. However, for your safety, don't EVER get into a private automobile with a stranger.