Coach & Minibus USA

Charter bus rental in Chicago

A charter bus in Chicago mostly runs between the airports, the lakefront and the ballparks. Most of those places have a set spot for buses. Use it.

O'Hare and Midway pickups

At O'Hare, charter buses load from the lower-level commercial lanes, except at Terminal 5, where the pickup is Door 5D's outer lane. Limos use the lower-level center lane. The Multi-Modal Facility is off limits to charter buses. Tell us the terminal for each flight.

Midway is closer to downtown, about 11 miles, and suits groups staying in the Loop or South Loop.

MAN Lion's Coach 49-seat touring coach, front three-quarter view
MAN Lion's Coach 49-seat touring coach, front three-quarter view

Airports serving Chicago

Stadiums and arenas

  • Soldier Field — Chicago Bears (NFL), Chicago Fire FC (MLS)
  • Wrigley Field — Chicago Cubs (MLB)
  • Rate Field — Chicago White Sox (MLB); formerly Guaranteed Rate Field
  • United Center — Bulls (NBA), Blackhawks (NHL)
  • Wintrust Arena — Chicago Sky (WNBA), DePaul basketball

Day trips and intercity runs from Chicago

  • Six Flags Great America (Gurnee) — about 42 miles, 1-1.5 hr
  • Indiana Dunes National Park — about 48 miles, 1-1.5 hr
  • Lake Geneva, WI — about 74 miles, 1.75-2.25 hr
  • Milwaukee, WI — about 90 miles, 2-2.5 hr
  • Starved Rock State Park — about 94 miles, 2-2.5 hr
  • Springfield, IL — about 200 miles, 3.5-4.5 hr

Rules for buses in Chicago

  • Soldier Field bus drop-off/pick-up: Columbus Drive, north of Balbo.
  • Reserved motorcoach day parking at the Adler Lot, Museum Campus.
  • McCormick Place Marshalling Yard (31st St & Lake Shore Dr) is reservable.
  • Diesel vehicles may idle only 3 minutes per hour.

McCormick Place and Navy Pier conventions

McCormick Place is south of the Loop. Its Marshalling Yard can be reserved for buses; it sits where 31st Street meets Lake Shore Drive. For a big show, run a hotel loop from River North and the Loop timed to the sessions. Navy Pier events load in Streeterville.

Without a yard reservation, the coach drops and comes back. Print the pickup time on the agenda so nobody waits at the curb guessing.

Charter bus rental for Museum Campus trips and Soldier Field

For a school trip to the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium or Shedd Aquarium, use the Adler Lot, where motorcoach day parking can be reserved. For Bears and Fire games, the bus drop and pickup is on Columbus Drive north of Balbo. Give the group that exact spot.

Wrigley Field, United Center and Rate Field

Game days crowd the streets around every park. Agree a meeting point a short walk from the gate before the first pitch or puck drop, and give the driver the group leader's number. With younger groups, name a backup spot too, in case the first one is packed.

Day trips from Chicago

Six Flags Great America, Indiana Dunes, Lake Geneva, Milwaukee and Starved Rock are each two and a half hours or less. Springfield takes between 3.5 and 4.5 hours each way. Treat it as an overnight or a very early start.

Questions

At O'Hare, where does the charter bus pick up?

Lower-level commercial lanes. Terminal 5 groups load from the outer lane at Door 5D. Never the Multi-Modal Facility.

Where do school buses park at the Museum Campus?

At the Adler Lot, where motorcoach day parking can be reserved.

Is Milwaukee a day trip from Chicago?

Yes. Each way is about 90 miles, or 2 to 2.5 hours, which leaves several hours there.

Can the bus wait at McCormick Place all day?

Ask us to plan around the Marshalling Yard, which is reservable. Book it early for large shows.

Trip types we arrange

Vehicles

Plan a Chicago charter

Send the flights, venue and hotel. We quote a coach and driver from a licensed operator.

Request a quote or call 15722344442