Things to do / Travel Guide
The metro Chicago and southern Wisconsin region is generally less expensive to visit than the big cities on either coast, owing among other things to the city's more industrial and blue collar past. As always, there are options for every budget!
Dining
Windy City dining can vary from the $200-a-person meal in a posh restaurant in the downtown Loop area to the $3.50 Chicago dog you can get all over the city! The same can be said for Madison's downtown isthmus, which boasts a generous portion of extravagant restaurants. Milwaukee's centrally-located ethnic restaurants are available on most budgets.
While eating in the Windy City and southern Wisconsin can be done on every budget, watch for the added 10.25 percent gratuity that may be added on to your food tab. If you see the extra amount added on, it means you don't have to pay your server a tip. Generally, you will notice the added cost in the more posh restaurants, located in Chicago's Loop or north near the Gold Coast, the downtown areas of Milwaukee, Madison, and surrounding the lake in Geneva Lake. Expect to spend between $30-50 per person at these places. Rarely you will see restaurant that charges the highest-end $200 a person, but they do exist, mostly in the Loop. Moderately priced meals are usually around $15-$30 per person, while cheap eats can range from $2 to $15.
Lodging
Illinois has a general hotel tax of 15.4 percent that is added onto your bill, while Wisconsin hotels have the option of adding on the additional tax. The more expensive luxury hotels will cost anywhere from $250 to $500 and can be found in Chicago's downtown Loop area and within the downtown areas of Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin. Moderately priced hotels, depending on the area, can be from $150 to $250. Lower priced hotels and budget motels can range from $40 to $150. Also available in all areas are bed and breakfasts, but depending on location, can vary between $90 per night to $350 per night or require a weekend stay. Hostels are popular throughout Chicago for less than $20 per night, and near the universities in Milwaukee and Wisconsin for around the same price.
A hotel in the Loop is more costly than one outside, and with parking at about $30 a day, it might really be a better idea to lodge in the surrounding communities instead. Furthermore, while winter months generally bring lower prices to Chicago and southern Wisconsin, as winter is not tourist season, this reduction doesn't occur as much within the Loop. One of the more popular and affordable places to lodge outside the Loop is in Lincoln Park, on Clark Street and Lincoln Avenue.
Transportation
If you're driving to Chicago, you may want to ditch your car in one of the parking garages and head to the EL train for cheaper travel. Gas is expensive, a mite cheaper than prices in New York City, and parking on the city streets is even worse, so that $1.50 ticket starts to look real good after a while. It's the same price as the average cup of coffee in Chicago. Driving on the interstates, such as I-90 or I-94, tolls can range from 15 cents to two dollars.
The region's gas prices are cheaper in Wisconsin and there are no toll roads within the entire state! Milwaukee offers the Milwaukee County Transit system with buses traveling throughout the entire extended Milwaukee area. Fares are relatively inexpensive at $1.75 for adults, and 85 cents for children ages six to 11, senior citizens, and passengers with disabilities. To travel from Milwaukee to Madison, bus services run around $15 for a one-way ticket. Buses in and around Madison also start at $1.75 for adults, $1.50 for kids 17 and under, and 90 cents for senior citizens, with some free-fare zones near the university downtown.
Attractions
Chicago and southern Wisconsin is packed with all kinds of attractions, and many of these offer free or discounted rates. Chicago Greeter offers free tours of the city. Two great free attractions are the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Lincoln Park Conservatory. Discount cards are available with a Chicago city pass, which allows the card holder into many of the Museum Campus buildings like the Adler Planetarium.
Southern Wisconsin is in general less expensive than Chicago. Both Milwaukee and Madison have public transportation in the form of buses, and it's relatively cheap. The food is also less expensive in southern Wisconsin than it is in Chicago. There are always Friday fish fry specials, but aiming for the ethnic cuisine won't leave you penniless. In Milwaukee, the Miller Brewing Company offers free tours, as does the Milwaukee County Historical Center. Madison is full of free sites, like the Olbrich Botanical Gardens, and the State Capitol Building.
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