CHI Questions

Will be connecting from the Hiawatha to the CZ (bedroom) at CHI first week of June. Not a frequent traveler so have a few questions:

1) If we want to catch an earlier Hiawatha to leave extra time to explore Chicago do we need to call ahead or can our tickets be used on any train?

2) We are departing from Milwaukee airport station so no checked baggage service there. Do we need to visit main Amtrak counter in CHI to check our bags or can that be done in the Metropolitan Lounge?

3) If I remember correctly, the Metropolitan Lounge has capabilities to store our smaller carry on bags, correct?

4) Any recommendations for lunch in or around CHI Union Station?

Thanks in advance.

Hiawatha Service is unreserved so I assume any ticket any train is good.

There is a food court in Union Station. I have eaten Giordano's Stuffed Pizza and although I've never been to the one near CUS I hear it's pretty close.

Have fun on the California Zephyr!

storage in the lounge is a checkroom, complimentary, but gratuity reccommended. if you are checking any bags on the cz (depending on destination station and personal preference) be sure to allow extra time for that. (not sure of the time requirement for checked bags in CUS)

For good info on dining within walking distance from Union Station, browse this forum. There have been many detailed threads within the past 3 or 4 months with tons of info on good places to eat and how far they are from the station.

Just a thought, if you didn't want to bother dealing with checking your luggage in Chicago, you could drop it off at the full Milwaukee station earlier the same day or even the day before if you had wanted.

Triley said:

Just a thought, if you didn't want to bother dealing with checking your luggage in Chicago, you could drop it off at the full Milwaukee station earlier the same day or even the day before if you had wanted.

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Unless they're flying into the airport.

You cannot checked your baggage in the Metropolitan Lounge, They only let you day check your carry on's. You will need to go to the main Amtrak ticket counter to check your larger bags to your destination.

They won't have checked baggage yet, it would be carry-on coming off the Hiawatha. At that point, they would want to check any baggage they wanted to check, drop the rest at the lounge and be off to sightsee. They could dump it all and come back later, but they would have to allow plenty of time to retrieve all luggage, and walk over to the main counter to check what they wanted to, and back to the lounge for pre boarding. Going on the CZ in a S/L sleeper, it might be easier to use a redcap, and just put the bigger stuff in the racks downstairs.

We will be driving to MKE so I think dropping our bags off at the full service station the previous day would be a good idea. I assume we'd need to have them there to meet the previous day's Empire Builder?

That is correct. The EB is the only train that has checked baggage, so you will have to check them before the eastbound EB arrives the previous day. And yes, since the Hiawathas are unreserved, you can board any train.

the_traveler said:

That is correct. The EB is the only train that has checked baggage, so you will have to check them before the eastbound EB arrives the previous day. And yes, since the Hiawathas are unreserved, you can board any train.

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Sorry, but the Hiawatha does have checked baggage service in the NPCU (Non Powered Cab Unit) from Milwaukee to Chicago or reverse. the two intermediate stops have no checked baggage service.

I was not aware of that. Apologies.

Thank you Benny for the address of Giordano's. Right on Jackson St. The report also gives a review of the Zephyr.

https://bennysmith.exposure.co/cross-country-train-trip-2016

Giordano's takes an hour to make a deep dish so we now call ahead and place a to go order when we are about 15 minutes out from Chicago. Then we walk down, pick it up, and take it back to the lounge to eat.