Hipfig Travel Channel offers Travel
Video Guides for more than 20 cities in
Asia, US, and Canada. If you like our
travel videos subscribe to this channel
to see more. Welcome to Hipfig's Video
Guide Series on Chicago. In this video
we'll be showing you the public
transport available in the city. The
Chicago Transit Authority or CTA runs
the public transportation system in the
city of Chicago. The CTA service includes
both bus and train or subway service. The
CTA subway or train lines also known as
the "L" have 8 routes and 145 stations. The
nickname "L" is short for elevated, a
reference to the all elevated beginnings
of the system. Every station has Venture
vending machines if you need to buy or
load fares. Venture cards can store
value for regular cards and unlimited
ride passes. When you enter a train
station, you can pay your fare at the
turnstile or gate. Simply touch your
Venture card or Venture ticket or
contactless Bank card to the reader on
the top of every turnstile. Stations have
maps and signs to help you find your way
Follow signs to the boarding area for
the train. Once at the platform, wait near
the signs that indicate where the train
stops. The "L" trains are efficient and an
economical travel option. The L runs
every 7 to 10 minutes and every 10
to 15 minutes later in the evening
The CTA offers free transfers between
all "L" routes and they're available at
designated locations. Go to Hipfig's
website for the link. L train routes are
designated by color: Red, Blue, Brown, Green,
Orange, Purple, Pink, and Yellow lines. The
Red and Blue "L" lines operate 24 hours a
day every day. All other lines run daily
except the Purple line to the downtown
Loop. The Purple line runs a shuttle
between Linden and Howard and then an
express "L" train between Linden and the
downtown Loop. CTA "L" train arrival
estimates are available also text. Go
to Hipfig's website for the link. Digital
signs at many CTA stations also provide
arrival estimates. Another train option
in Chicago is the Metra rail system. If
you're coming from the suburbs of
Chicago or O'hare airport then you can
take the Metra commuter rail. Metra is a
commuter rail service in the Chicago
metropolitan area. The railroad operates
241 stations on 11 different rail lines
For more information and the link, go to
Hipfig's website. Another convenient way
to get around the city is by CTA bus
The CTA bus service has 140 routes. After
you find your bus stop, wait near the
sign. Stand near the bus stop so that the
driver can see you and stop for you.
Check the designation sign as the bus
approaches or read the one on the side
when it stops. You should have the bus
route number, name, and where it's headed
When the bus opens its door, it will also
audibly announce the bus's route and
destination. If you're still not sure
where the bus is going, you can always
ask the driver. Make sure that your fare
is ready when the bus approaches and pay
your fare as you enter. Fares can be
paid using the Ventra card. There's also
passes which are good for unlimited
riding within a certain period of time;
and if you're using cash you have to use
exact change. You can get CTA bus
arriival information through the CTA bus
tracker app on your mobile phone. There
are also bus tours like Big Bus. They are
hop on and hop off tours. These are
especially helpful in getting around the
downtown Loop area because they drop you
off right in front of the attractions
which saves a lot of walking and
figuring out routes. Big Bus tours are
included in multi attraction cards like
Citypass Chicago. This is a good deal if
intend to go to more than three
attractions in the Chicago area. There
are also other kinds of tours available
like the Pedal bike tours which are
available in the Loop around tourist
areas. If you're more of a self-guided tour
kind of person, consider a self-guided
bike tour
Consider renting a bike from Divvy. It's
Chicago's official bike share system. You
can rent a bike for a 24 hour period at
a very low fee. All you have to do is
pick up a bike at one of the hundreds of
stations they have around the Chicago
area and then after you're done, return
it to any bike station near you. The best
spot to ride your bikes would be the
Lakefront Trail. Happy Travels. Go to hipfig.com
hipfig.com for more information or go to
our Hipfig Travel Channel on YouTube
and be sure to subscribe for regular
updates