Train and airport in Milwaukee

[seaboy4hire]

I wont disclose dates yet but I will be in Chicago next month (NOT soon enough though) but I will be flying into MKE and taking the train into the city. Is the distance really far from the airport to the train station to take public transport if that is a reliable option? Thanks for the help as I've never flown into or out of MKE. Also on a very side note if there is interest I am open to staying a night or two in MKE. I haven't booked my hotel in Chicago yet but will do so in the next week or two.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Guest TNT Ted]

The easiest way, if it’s not too late, is to fly into Chicago and take the Amtrak from Union Station to downtown Milwaukee. Unless it's changed very recently, Milwaukee’s public transportation is not good. I think there’s an Amtrak station at MKE that will take you downtown, but not on a frequent schedule. Your best bet is to use hotel shuttles to get into the city. City buses might be available (never used one). Otherwise, taxi. MKE is 5-6 miles from the downtown area.

[seaboy4hire]

Ted I'm flying into MKE & taking the train into Chicago. The bulk of my time will be spent in Chicago & not up north. The crazy routes I'll take just to get to my beloved Chicago.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Karl-G]

Seems Easy

 

You're good at googling; it seems easy. The websites for AMTRAK and Mitchell Airport seem very clear and helpful. An Amtrak train runs from the airport to downtown and then to Chicago. It seems to run 14 times a day, so there should be lots of choices. As you know, for many purposes, Milwaukee is a suburb of Chicago, and so getting to downtown Chicago is important and has to be made easy.

 

Check the websites for specific schedules and fares. It should be a breeze.

[+ David-SF]

One stop away

 

If I remember correctly its one stop away from Downtown MKE and Chicago is about 1 hour and 20 mins to downtown Chicago so you can just stay on the train and get to your beloved Chitown in really no time at all is a really nice ride.

oh yeah here ya go

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Airport_Rail_Station

 

xo David

[+ Gar1eth]

If I remember correctly its one stop away from Downtown MKE and Chicago is about 1 hour and 20 mins to downtown Chicago so you can just stay on the train and get to your beloved Chitown in really no time at all is a really nice ride.

oh yeah here ya go

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Airport_Rail_Station

 

xo David

 

Greg,

 

I was at the Milwaukee train station 12 years or so ago--so I don't know how much help I will be. I was living in Madison, Wi at the time and was going to a conference in Seattle. At the time Amtrak and United had a fly one way/ take a train ride the other way relationship. So I drove from Madison to Milwaukee--about 75 miles. I parked my car at the Milwaukee airport and took a United Flight to Seattle. On the way back to Wisconsin--I boarded a train at the Seattle station on a Sunday and arrived in Milwaukee Tuesday morning. I then took a cab from the Milwaukee train station to the airport to pick up my car.

 

I don't remember at the time there being a train from the airport to the train station but things could have changed. What I am fairly sure hasn't changed is the area where the Milwaukee train station is. Please be careful around that area if you are walking around. The guidebook I used to plan my trip had a warning about the train station not being in a good part of town. Since guide books are notoriously optimistic about things--I thought that if a guidebook said the area was bad--it was probably really bad.

 

Gman

[seaboy4hire]

If I remember correctly its one stop away from Downtown MKE and Chicago is about 1 hour and 20 mins to downtown Chicago so you can just stay on the train and get to your beloved Chitown in really no time at all is a really nice ride.

oh yeah here ya go

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Airport_Rail_Station

 

xo David

 

Thanks David for the link! I was worried that I might have to go downtown and grab the train into Chicago but glad I only have to walk outside the airport and snag it.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[seaboy4hire]

Greg,

 

I was at the Milwaukee train station 12 years or so ago--so I don't know how much help I will be. I was living in Madison, Wi at the time and was going to a conference in Seattle. At the time Amtrak and United had a fly one way/ take a train ride the other way relationship. So I drove from Madison to Milwaukee--about 75 miles. I parked my car at the Milwaukee airport and took a United Flight to Seattle. On the way back to Wisconsin--I boarded a train at the Seattle station on a Sunday and arrived in Milwaukee Tuesday morning. I then took a cab from the Milwaukee train station to the airport to pick up my car.

 

I don't remember at the time there being a train from the airport to the train station but things could have changed. What I am fairly sure hasn't changed is the area where the Milwaukee train station is. Please be careful around that area if you are walking around. The guidebook I used to plan my trip had a warning about the train station not being in a good part of town. Since guide books are notoriously optimistic about things--I thought that if a guidebook said the area was bad--it was probably really bad.

 

Gman

 

It's been quite a few yrs for me as well on using the train in downtown Milaukee but I didn't feel unsafe in the terminal. The in bound train was during the day and the out bound at night. But the safety factor might have been better being that I was in Milaukee for the day in the middle of winter and it was a weekend so not a lot of people out and about. In fact now that I think about it I think the four of us were the only ones wondering around the area. Odd.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Guest TNT Ted]

Ted I'm flying into MKE & taking the train into Chicago. The bulk of my time will be spent in Chicago & not up north. The crazy routes I'll take just to get to my beloved Chicago.

 

Oops, sorry. I totally misunderstood your question. I thought you were flying into MKE and inquiring about the best way to get to downtown Milwaukee. It sounded as if Chicago would be your destination only after a stay in Milwaukee.

 

Yes, Amtrak would be the easy way. It’ll take you directly from MKE to Union Station. Amazing that a few (well, maybe many) years ago it was difficult to get to Milwaukee without flying through Chicago. Now you’re flying to Milwaukee in order to get to Chicago. I hope you’re saving lots of money on your tickets.

[Guest RianB]

If it is anything like Boston then maybe they'll have a website that does all the transportation for you. Just type the address and it maps it out. I found it to be convenient

[Bart]

Just a thought for Milwaukee I have some recent experiences there and the Amtrak station is brand new and was built in conjunction with the Greyhound. the area around the station has been pretty much leveled as part of the freeway redevelopment for new investment in the area. It is located just blocks for the completely redeveloped 3rd ward which 20 years ago was a dump. As part of the River clean up this was prime area for restoration of buildings and bringing commerce back to the area just south of the freeway. The area is now filled with small art galleries, coffee shops, small micro-breweries and phenominal condo-development along the river to bring people back into the downtown. The focus was to maintain the architecture from the by-gone days of the late 19th and early 20th century buildings. Much of it bricks actually made in the area that are unique due to the clay structure of the earth. Although much-maligned and misunderstood Milwaukee is in essence a snap shot of Chicago, but has chose not to crown the beautiful lakefront with huge skyscrappers. On a clear day you can see the lake from the high point of the area over 10 miles away and you can occassionaly pick-up the Michigan shoreline.

 

To date only a couple buildings are actually on lakefront property. A restaurant that was grandfathered in over 40 years ago, Milwaukee Art Museum with the breath taking Calatrava solae and foyer entrance to the museum and gardens surrounding it. Finally the newly openned Discovery museum with its hands nautical feel. There are pathways and biketrails that you can take down the shoreline from the Edge of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to the St. Francis Seminary. The beautiful grounds of the Summerfest overlook this treasure as we are currently in a 10 day run of the largest music festival in the US. The area is home to ethnic and art festivals every weekend during the summer starting the first weekend in June through Labor day.

 

Anyway just a few thoughts on Milwaukee. It is not the first tourist destination one would think of but there is more there than one could ever imagine.

[lookin4hotties]

Milwaukee's airport is a lot easier to deal with than O'hare or Midway

airport. It's really easy to park and meet someone there too.

 

Here's the link to the Amtrak station at Mitchell Field (Milwaukee airport)

 

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee283/arga1234/milwairport.jpg

 

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/rail/mars.htm

 

The Hiawatha Limited is a great way to get via rail to downtown

Chicago from Milwaukee. If you ever have time, try the Empire Builder

(Seattle to Chicago). Unlike the Limited, the Empire Builder has a lounge

car, dining car, observation car and sleeping car. I'm going to take it this

fall from Chicago to St. Paul, Minn. Anyway, good luck on your trip and

enjoy the train ride to Chicago!

 

Lookin4hotties

 

More links:

 

Amtrak Hiawatha Limited -

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321481&ssid=133

 

Amtrak Empire Builder -

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321887&ssid=133