Whether you fly into Chicago or Champaign-Urbana will be determined by which airline you take and your tolerance for driving. People typically fly through Detroit or Chicago or Dallas, on their way into Champaign-Urbana. It's about a 3-hour drive from O'Hare (Chicago) airport to Champaign-Urbana. You likely won't need a rental car on campus, so if you are staying in a hotel on or close to campus (ex: Illini Union Guestrooms, Hampton Inn), a rental car would not be of much use. If you're farther away (Holiday Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Embassy Suites) you might want a car, or take shuttle.
The Amtrak train runs from Chicago twice daily. It origniates in Chicago at Union Station located at 225 South Canal Street Chicago, IL 60606, about 18 miles away or a 30-minute cab ride from O'Hare to Union Station. It's sometimes delayed, so caveat emptor. Train fare is significantly cheaper when you reserve earlier, rather than waiting until 1-2 days before your trip.
Editor's note: I would fly directly to Champaign (CMI), rather than flying to Chicago and then driving/train-ing/bus-ing back and forth to Champaign.
The Willard airport is 10-15 minutes from campus, and there are buses and taxis that go back and forth. As of May 2008, two airlines fly into Willard: Northwest and American. There are always taxis at the airport when flights arrive, but to get from campus to the airport it's best to call ahead for a taxi to meet you someplace on campus. (There aren't taxis driving around campus as they do in larger cities.) Taxis cost ~$10-15 per person, one way.
The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) offers the Air Bus #27, which goes from campus to the airport, about once every hour on weekdays. For maps and schedules, visit http://www.cumtd.com/. A sample AirBus schedule is: http://www.cumtd.com/routeschedules/ByRoute.aspx?routeID=27&routegroupID=8
Any stop labelled "Illini Union" is very close to the activities and housing (Sherman Hall). The "Materials Research Lab" stop is in front of the workshop location. One way fare on a MTD bus is $1.
The MTD buses go to and from Illinois Terminal quite often, even later at night. For maps and schedules, visit http://www.cumtd.com. Here's an example schedule, for Sunday evenings (after 8pm) http://www.cumtd.com/routeschedules/ByRoute.aspx?routeID=31&routegroupID=12
Any stop labelled "Illini Union" is very close to the activities and housing (Sherman Hall). The "Materials Research Lab" stop is in front of the workshop location. A bus ride costs $1. You can purchase bus tokens and passes on the bus, from the driver.
The campus is pretty compact, and there are several restaurants within easy walking distance.
Parking is expensive (~$10/day or~ $30/week), and you might find that you don't need a car, unless you are bringing a spouse/partner/companion who will be going around the city during the day. The housing is a 12-minute walk from the workshop, and a 5-minute walk to campustown (restaurants, shops, pharmacy, office supplies, photocopy centers). It's a 20-minute walk through pleasant residential streets to Urbana (local restaurants, bakery, natural food store, some shops and bars), and a dusty 40-minute walk to downtown Champaign (bars and clubs and restaurants). Movie cinemas and mall-like shopping are possible by bus.
The MTD bus system offers extensive routes and times, with plenty of stops in campus. For schedules, visit http://www.cumtd.com. A bus ride costs $1. You can purchase bus tokens and passes on the bus, from the driver.
Champaign is served by a variety of private taxi services. Taxis are typically waiting at Illinois Terminal when trains arrive, and at Willard Airport when flights arrive. Listings of taxi and limousine services are provided below:
| Origin | Destination | Action |
|---|---|---|
| O'Hare | Campus | Train: Cab from O'Hare to Union Station (Chicago's Amtrak station) Train to Illinois Terminal, then cab/bus to campus. |
| Anywhere within driving distance (<250 miles) | Campus | Driving: See map on page 2 of Welcome Packet (PDF). |
| Campus: Sherman Residence Hall Housing | Cab or bus: You can catch a cab at the terminal. | |
| Cab or bus: You can catch a cab at the terminal. | ||
Hall Housing |
MRL or NCSA | Walk: ~12 minutes. Walking is better than taking a car, because you won't have to find and pay for parking by MRL. (You will also walk by two coffeeshops, Espresso Royale on Daniel Street and Espresso Royale in the Illini Union east entrance.) |
| Sherman Residence Hall Housing |
Alumni Center | Walk: 12 minutes. |
| Illini Union | MRL or NCSA | Walk: 5-7 minutes. |
| Hampton Inn | MRL or NCSA | Walk: 3-5 minutes. |
| MRL | Alumni Center | Walk: 5 minutes. |
| Around campus | Someplace else on campus | Walk or bus: The campus is pretty compact, and there are several restaurants within easy walking distance. |
You can call Durst Cycle at 217-367-3600. They rent their used bikes, for about $35/week. You should bring a helmet if you have one. Durst is four buildings away from the workshop location.
You might also try http://www.campusrec.uiuc.edu/outdoor/rates.html which is part of the University.
What about internet access at the dorms?
There are ethernet jacks in the rooms. The blue cables needed for computer access should be in each room (often in a drawer or closet). If the cables are missing, you can contact the front desk. There is also wireless connectivity in the common areas (lounges, lobby, etc.) Please do not plug any routers or bridges into the housing network. The most typical problem for connecting is using the wrong cable or having it plugged in the wrong way. The small end of the blue supplied cables must be in the wall jack. You can also call 4-1111 during the day to try to get help.
Do I need to bring sheets and pillows, etc?
The dorms will have pillow, made bed, blanket, towel, washcloth, and soap. You can request more blankets at the front desk, and exchange towels there, too.
Are there laundry facilities available in the dorms? What are they like?
There are usually laundry facilities in the basement of the building where you are staying. Machines accept quarters, and it costs $1 a wash and $1 per dry. There is a change machine in the room, and the front desk staff can provide change for small bills. We have no laundry soap available in the hall, so participants will have to bring their own or purchase supplies in local stores (d
Weather: http://www.atmos.uiuc.edu/fcst/
ATM: The nearest ATM (cash machine) is in the Beckman Institute, west of NCSA by two buildings. You have to go inside the building, and it's by the west entrance. There are other ATMs on campustown (Green Street), on just about every street corner; and in the Illini Union, south entrance.
Updated Sunday, 15-Jun-2008 10:23:05 CDT
