Interstate Travel Methods

This past weekend, my cousin was getting married in Michigan and I knew that I had to be there. Luckily for me, Chicago is close enough to Michigan that I am able to travel home for a weekend and make it back in time for classes, so I was able to go to the wedding! In this post, I will be discussing different methods of travelling home for the weekend or for breaks for kids who live out of state but in a state not too far away.

I’ve been lucky enough to be able to go home for every break, and now a random weekend for something important with my family. Going home is fairly easy for those of us who live in Illinois or in states surrounding Illinois, like me in Michigan. There are many means of travel available to us to make travelling home quick and easy. My preferred method of travel is taking the Amtrak train from Chicago Union Station to Royal Oak, Michigan. The line that I take is called the Wolverine Line, and it travels from Union Station and stops at many cities along the way until its final destination in Pontiac, Michigan. I need to take the train to the Royal Oak stop, which is one before Pontiac, so I’m on the train basically until the very end. Taking the train is fairly cheap, clean, and easy. Amtrak trains are available travelling on many different lines to many different cities. However, where the train is usually a great way of travel, it is also extremely time consuming and can take many more hours than you would think to get to your desired location. This is due to them having to wait for freight trains on the lines. Overall though, the train is a cheap and easy way to go!

Megabuses are another mode of transportation for interstate travel. Megabuses are faster and cheaper than trains, but they have less space and drivers often drive very fast. I’ve taken the Megabus once, and it was a nice experience, but I still prefer the train. However, if you are okay with the idea of travelling on a bus and want cheap and fast travel, the Megabus is the way to go. Like the trains, the bus station is right across from Union Station, and have buses going to many different places within the United States.

Another way of travelling home is by airplane. Chicago has two main airports, O’Hare and Midway. Both have outgoing planes that go to almost any location you could need. I would love to be able to fly home, as it would only take about fifteen minutes, but flying is a very expensive option. I have not flown home yet and probably will not be using this mode of transportation unless in cases of emergency! However, flying is clearly the fastest method of travelling, if you’re willing to pay for it.

All in all, travelling home for weekends to states nearby Illinois is easy and is made possible in many different modes of transportation. I know that I was extremely grateful for the quick transportation to get me home for the wedding and back before classes began the next Monday. Travelling is easy and painless, so don’t worry about that if coming from out of state! ☺