The base fare on CTA is $1.75. Fares are paid with a stored-value farecard called the Transit Card. For those familiar with New York City's Metrocard, the principle is the same (although the fare is lower). For each entry into the subway system, $1.75 is deducted from the value on the card. Transit Cards can be purchased at any CTA station for as little as $1.75 (one trip), or as much as $100. Obviously it would be advisable to purchase it in multiples of $1.75. If your card does not have enough value for a particular trip, value can be added at vending machines in all CTA stations.

Stored ride Transit Cards are available on the internet. However, they are only sold in packages of two or ten. If you are going to be purchasing the Visitors Pass, then you will only need one single fare for Saturday morning.

The Transit Card is good on all CTA buses and rapid transit lines; it is also accepted on PACE buses.

Another very similar stored-value card offered is the Chicago Card. I advise against the Chicago Card, since it costs $5 in addition to the fares. In short, it's a ripoff!

The CTA has a Visitors Pass very similar to the MBTA's Visitors Pass for Boston. A one-day Pass is $5, good for a 24 hour period on all CTA rapid transit and buses. It is not applicable towards any METRA, PACE, or South Shore Line trips. Multiple-day Visitors Passes are available as well, but they have to be used on consecutive days. A two-day pass costs $9 ($4.50 per day); a three-day pass costs $12 ($4 per day); and a five-day pass costs $18 ($3.60 per day). The CTA Visitors Pass can be purchased in advance over the internet here.

For the OTOL Eagle RailFest 2005, we may ride the Blue and/or Orange Lines on Friday. Add to that one possible trip to your hotel. We also will take two rides on the Blue Line on Wednesday, July 20th if time permits. Depending on the number of boardings, you could purchase a regular stored value Transit Card for $8.75, which would give you two entries into the system while we are traveling together, plus one more to get to your hotel after our METRA rides and after dinner, and two entries on Wednesday. If we make three or more entries into the system on Friday (and Saturday morning from your hotel to Union Station), then the $5.00 Visitors Pass would be more of a bargain. If you buy this anyhow, it gives us the flexibility to leave the system when we wish and the reenter, at no additional charge.

For Saturday morning, if you don't have a Visitors Pass and need to use the CTA to get from your hotel to Union Station, you will need $1.75 on a stored value Transit Card.

For our Wednesday afternoon round trip to O'Hare Airport, you will need $3.50 on a stored value Transit Card, if you did not purchase this in advance on Friday.

What we ultimately do on Friday will be determined by our arrival time into Chicago on the CAPITOL LIMITED. So no firm analysis can be done. Figure on a $5 Visitors Pass for Friday afternoon. It should still be valid for your Saturday morning trip to Union Station if purchased after 8:30 AM on Friday.

What about reduced fares for kids age 7-11, senior citizens, and handicapped? A reduced fare is available for 85 cents, or less than 50% of the regular fare. At certain attended stations, it is possible to pay the 85 cents in cash to the station attendant. In order to get reduced fares where there is no attendant, a permit has to ordered from the RTA (not the CTA) by calling 1-(312)-836-7000. It would be most worthwhile to just pay as you go for those who qualify for reduced fares, and wherever possible pay 85 cents in cash rather than using a Transit Card or Visitors Pass. If you would rather not have the hassle, then you can purchase a Visitors Pass or Transit Card. Children under age 7 ride free.

METRA fares are based on zones, much like other commuter rail operators. When a ticket office is open at the station, tickets must be purchased before riding, and they are collected by a crew member. A $2 surcharge is added to the cost of the ticket if a ticket office was open before the train's scheduled departure time. METRA one-way tickets and the $5 Weekend Pass are not available by mail or internet; only monthly and ten-trip tickets can be purchased in this manner.

Tickets do not have station names printed on them; only the zones of travel. A Zone H ticket, for example, is good on any METRA line in either direction, between the downtown terminals and any Zone H station.

The two METRA trains we will be boarding on Friday, and the one on Wednesday, will require payment of individual fares. The zones and fares are as follows:

METRA has a dirt cheap deal on weekends. For just $5 you can travel anywhere in the system, all weekend! This can pay for itself on just one outbound trip on some lines. Kids under 12 are free on weekends.

Unfortunately, on this particular trip we will not be riding METRA on the weekend.

Reduced fare is available for children under age 12 on weekdays, and for senior citizens and handicapped every day. Children under 12 ride free on weekends.

Your shopping list in review

Assuming you will be with us from our arrival in Chicago on Friday morning until our departure on Saturday morning (and again the following Wednesday afternoon), this is what you should expect to spend, and how you should obtain it. Obviously, if you are going to participate in fewer activities, or are planning to either join us later in the day or leave the group early, the amount will be lower.

As always, bring enough money to cover your meals.