Students & Budget Travelers

You can have a great time in Chicago and still keep within a tight budget. We have student hostels and low-cost hotels, budget restaurants and an array of free activities. Most of the museums have one or two free days a week; the Lincoln Park Zoo is always free; and you can use many Chicago Park District facilities for little or no charge.

This is a great walking city and a great biking city – and the CTA will take you anywhere you want to go for $2.25 a ride -- or cheaper if you buy a visitor’s pass. If you’re a student, you can meet your counterparts in Chicago’s downtown and South Loop, the biggest “college town” in Illinois, with more than 20 higher learning institutions and 52,300 students.