Travel Information
Transportation from the airport to the hotel is the responsibility of each attendee.
Bus
We have contracted three buses from Wisconsin for service to and from the leadership conference. Pick-up/drop-off choices are either Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (11831 N. Seminary Drive, Mequon, Wis.) OR the WELS Center for Mission and Ministry (N16W23377 Stone Ridge Drive, Waukesha, Wis.).
Pick-up times from each location will be on Monday, January 19 at 8:00 a.m., arriving in Chicago at 10:45 a.m. and departing Wednesday, January 21 from Chicago at 1:30 p.m., arriving back in Wisconsin at 4:15 p.m. Each seat is $60.
We have contracted one bus from Minnesota that will be making multiple stops. This bus is departing SUNDAY, January 18 and will return on Wednesday, January 21. This bus requires a Sunday night stay in Chicago. The bus will start in Redwood Falls, Minn. at noon and will make stops in New Ulm, Mankato, La Crosse, and Madison as needed. The cost for this bus is $140 for those in MN and $80 for the WI stops. Prices may change contingent on interest and bus size.
Driving
Visit the Hilton – Chicago website for directions and other helpful travel information.
Flying
Chicago has two major airports.
O’Hare International Airport (airport code: ORD) is 15-18 miles from the Hilton. Midway International Airport is 12 miles from the Hilton.
Getting from the airport to the Hilton:
- Uber or Lyft – Unless you are traveling at a surge time, both should cost around $35.
- Subway – Both O’Hare and Midway have subway stops right at the airport. From O’Hare, the Blue Line will take a rider to the Jackson stop, which is less than a mile from the Hilton. From Midway, take the Orange Line to the Roosevelt stop, which is less than a mile from the Hilton. The subway will cost $2.50 to $5 to ride. An Uber or Lyft for that final mile would be approximately $5-$8.
- Rental car – The airport tax in Chicago means a rental will be at least $55 daily. If you want to see portions of the city during your stay, utilizing Uber or Lyft will likely be less expensive. However, if you wish to consider this option, note that WELS has negotiated rates with a number of rental car companies.
Visit the Hilton – Chicago website for directions and other helpful travel information.
Parking
Parking will be available for $30 per night on a first-come, first-served basis until the parking garage is full.
- Choose self-park when you arrive and let them know at the front desk when you check in. There is room for about 400 cars in the parking garage.
- If the parking garage is full when you arrive, we suggest you use an app like spot hero to find reasonable parking.
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