The windy city has been home to some of the most prestigious restaurants in the country for many decades. Although California and New York are given credit for being the top culinary cities in America, Chicago has always been able to keep up with it’s own large array of gourmet restaurants. Here are just a few of the top restaurants in Chicago.

Alinea

Chef Achatz of Alinea restaurant mixes flavors from all around the globe into his unique contemporary American fare. Alinea has some of the most comprehensive tasting menus in the country. It consists of 24 courses and takes over 5 hours to complete. It has quickly become a culinary destination for foodies around the world.

Charlie Trotter’s

Charlie Trotter’s Chicago eatery has won more than its fair share of prestigious awards. Many top culinary journalists have dubbed Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant as quite literally one of the best restaurants in the country. Many of their dishes like their braised short ribs, have been copied in hundreds of professional kitchens around the country.

Custom House

The Custom House is ran by James Beard award winning chef Shawn McClain. His protein-heavy dishes such as Bison chops and dry-aged house steaks are a huge favorite in the windy city.

Everest

Located on the 40th floor of the city stock exchange, Everest restaurant imports the best ingredients from all over the country to cater to its demanding clientele. Maine Lobsters and Wild Alaskan Salmon are featured in a number of unique and fresh dishes.

The decision to hire a car on your trip to Chicago can sometimes be complex, but now you can make your experience hassle free by picking up your rental car at the Airport.

There are many benefits of hiring a car, a main one being it will save you time and money. By collecting your car at the airport you can be ready and driving within 10 minutes. It will also save you from having to get expensive taxis to and from the airport to your destination.

Hiring a car gives you the freedom to travel where you like we when you like. And you don’t have to worry if you are not returning to the same airport, many car rental companies now offer the choice of collecting it at the airport and then leaving it at a selected downtown location, or even another airport if you need to drive cross country.

If you don’t want to hire a car for the total duration of your stay, then you should consider a car share option, where you can hire a car for much shorter time periods, which will ultimately save you money.

And you also have the choice of several optional extras including sat nav, CD player and roof rack.

To find out several quotes for hiring your car at Chicago airport then simply fill in your arrival and departure dates then you will be given a list of available cars within seconds. Good luck on finding the perfect car and have a great trip.

If you are a budget traveler, chartered planes will cross your travel planning trail at some particular point in time.

The standard of charter flights can be both bad and good. During the high season, flying to a popular locations can be extraordinarily dear. That is when charter flights can come to the rescue. I did this exact thing once, booking a round trip ticket to Europe in the summer season. The seat set me back $400, a savings of $350 at the time. A great way for me to afford cheap international flights.

However, the chartered flight had bad and good points. I don’t need to get sued, so I will leave out the name of the company in the following:

Bad Points. I was flying out of L. A. and into Paris on a nameless charter flight. The fun started on arriving at the airfield. The flight left at 2pm in the afternoon, but the ticket window was not open at 12 pm. An hour later, a particularly long line of passengers were beginning to complain about being ripped off since the ticket window still had not opened. Replying to roars asking how we were supposed to all board the airplane in fifteen mins, the ticket agent kindly made us aware the flight had been delayed by 3 hours!

Bad Point Number 2 : Due to the emergency exit, my seat didn’t recline! Frankly, this was more bad luck than anything to do with the charter company. The flight was eleven hours, the majority of which I spent cursing myself for being cheap.

Good Points. There’s one superb point when it comes to flying charter. While the opening booking is inexpensive, most travelers fail to take advantage of the character of a charter flight. Hardly any folk who can afford first-class tickets will take a charter flight. In reality, the 1st class section of the plane might be close to empty. When you check in, make an effort to ask if you can upgrade to first-class for the flight. If this works out, it is mostly extremely inexpensive way to travel first class. On my return flight from Paris to Los Angeles, I upgraded for a gigantic $50 and straight away changed into a travel snob. Excellent!

Charter flights definitely are an inexpensive way to fly. Just bear in mind you get what you pay for.

Chicago is a great city that’s packed with things to do. It is a perfect blend of a fast-paced urban setting life and Midwestern charm crammed into one of the most productive cities in the country. Most visitors to Chicago find that there are so many things to do in this fabulous city that just picking one or two attractions is nearly impossible. Here are the “can’t-miss” destinations in the windy city.

Navy Pier

Navy Pier is a large convention area that has been a Chicago landmark ever since it’s opening in 1916. It has a very diverse and interesting history. Today there are several restaurants, gift shops, auditoriums, theatres and various other attractions that make this our #1 travel stop in downtown Chicago.

Shedd Aquarium

A stroll through the local aquarium may not seem like the most exciting thing at first glance, but he Shedd Aquarium located across from Navy Pier isn’t quite like any other Aquarium. Being one of the largest aquariums in the country, it has exhibits, activities and showcases that no other aquarium has. Shedd is home to over eight thousand different marine animals as well as man-made coral reefs and one of the biggest shark exhibits in the world.

Union Station

Union Station is the only remaining part of Chicago’s collection of beautiful turn-of-the-century train stations. There are several gourmet eateries in the station as well as various shopping boutiques. The beautiful architecture is reason enough to make Union Station a must-see destination for any Chicago traveler.

If you’re backpacking or traveling through Chicago and looking for somewhere very cheap to stay there a few hostels that you should know about. Prices range from a low $27 a night up to $40 a night for several Chicago area hostels. Hostels are not just for backpackers. Anyone looking for a good deal can and does stay in a hostel. Before you book your room, you should be familiar with the amenities the hostel has to offer as well as its location. When checking places on the Internet choose a place that has photographs of the accommodations.

The first hostel to consider is the Hostelling International Chicago Summer Hostel located at 24 E. Congress Pkwy in South Loop Chicago. The average price for a room in this hostel is $27 per night. If you pay a little bit more your room comes with breakfast. The hostel is in a great location, the rooms are clean the staff is friendly. There’s also free WiFi for those traveling with a laptop.

Rooms at the Chicago International Hostel average $38 per night. The rooms are comfortable and breakfast is a basic fair of toast, cake, juice and fruit. There are no frills at this hostel. Travelers stay here for the low price.

Located in the Greek section of Chicago, the AAE Chicago Parthenon hostel is another good value for your money. At $40 a night this place is a little bit more expensive than the others since the accommodations are a little nicer.

If you would like to have an experience unlike anything you have ever experienced on vacation…the very moment your plane lands at the Chicago O’Hare airport, get tickets to Supernatural Chicago.

Now you have the chance to try something extraordinary, something that you will carry with you long after your vacation has ended.

As you can imagine, Supernatural Chicago will become that defining moment in your trip that’s so spectacular you’ll want to fly or rent a car and drive back into Chicago just to experience it all over again.

Here’s what you are in for…

During all performances Neil Tobin, Necromancer does a superb job of introducing theatergoers to a few of Chicago’s best-documented paranormal events.

Each event is conveyed through eerie stories blended with interactive presentations of mind reading mixed with magic. What really makes this attractions stand out is the way the audience is involved.

At times, you’ll be bowling over with laughter while at other times the interaction will be highly intense, dramatic and striking.

No doubt, this is one of Chicago’s top attractions and is an outstanding way to kick off your weekend.

All shows are held at the Excalibur Nightclub and you will be able to sense the energy the very moment you enter.

And just in case you are wondering, the Excalibur is an historic building that has been cited as one of Chicago’s most haunted locations.

Think about it…you can have a drink; listen to some spooky stories while stepping outside of your comfort zone to explore the unexplained.

As stated earlier, you’d better snatch up your ticket fast because seating is limited to only 50 people.

Only during the month of October can you see the show on both Friday and Saturday nights. The rest of the year, shows are held every Friday night at 7:30pm

Seriously, you don’t want to miss this. When you are standing at the luggage terminal in Chicago O’Hare Airport, daydreaming about the fun you are about to embark on, remember to order your tickets to Supernatural Chicago…there’s no other destination like it.

One of the places to go if you are interested in Taxidermy and seeing some amazing animal specimens is the Field Museum Store. You could see a large selection of animals ranging from the tiniest around to some of the largest animals you have ever seen in the flesh. Well not really the flesh per se, but what was left after they were put into their current configuration by the expert taxonomists. Of course it is a Museum, so it will offer plenty of other exhibits that will be sure to entertain everyone such as a pirate, Egyptian and many other themed areas that will allow children to really enjoy the experience. Make sure that you have a chance to enjoy this location by having a vehicle on hand that can take you there while in the Chicago area. Choosing a fuel efficient option is always a good idea!

The best way to get around the Chicago area is to take advantage of a low cost car rental solution. Fortunately, car rentals have become a very affordable option for many people and taking advantage of the low cost vehicles online is very easy to do. Many people use a car rental while in Chicago by taking advantage of the ability to get anywhere they need to be while in the area. Several people are able to really get to where they want to go in less time while having the freedom to do so. It is important that many people take advantage of great low cost car rental options when they go to Chicago to really enjoy their time looking around the area and enjoying the many attractions in the area.

If you are looking for a great place to stay during your time in Chicago, there are a lot of options to look through. However, as we all know, not all hotels are equal (regardless of their price), so it can be helpful to have input from people who have actually stayed at these hotels.

To help you narrow your search, here are five great hotels in Chicago. All five of these hotels have an average room rate that is higher than $200 per night, but they have all been very highly rated by the people who have stayed there and judged to be well worth the rates:

Sofitel Chicago Water Tower: The average room rate here is $289 a night. This hotel received a “Traveler’s Choice” award in 2009, and is extremely popular thanks to its ideal location for anyone interested in sightseeing while they are in Chicago.

The Talbott Hotel: The average room rate here is $268 a night. This hotel is well-known for its top of the line service. In fact, many people have referred to this hotel as a “home away from home” thanks to their commitment to making their guests as comfortable as possible.

Hampton Inn Majestic: The average room rate here is $209 a night, which is a steal given the value that they provide for this rate. You can count on being very comfortable during the time that you spend here.

Hotel Monaco (a Kimpton Hotel): The average room rate here is $275 a night. While most hotels offer free coffee in the morning, this hotel takes things to the next level by offering free Starbucks coffee in the morning.

Homewood Suites by Hilton: The average room rate here is $220 a night, which comes complete with a full kitchen.

Anyone that heads to the Chicago area with children will have a hard time looking for things to include children that will truly divert and be enjoyable. Of course there are always small parks and places to be leisurely in, but children prefer action and great things to look at. This nature of children brings many to the great Chicago Park District Zoo where you can see a wide variety of animals and have a great experience with children. Even adults enjoy seeing a variety of animals and they do not need to be excluded if they lack children to go with them. It is a great experience and will not cost much money at all to help provide food for the animals and more with your entrance fee. It is certainly a place to see if you have the time or have an incentive to tire out the children during your trip.

Ensure that you have the chance to go see the great Chicago Park District Zoo and several other attractions by allowing yourself to procure a great car rental option while in Chicago. This can be done ahead of time and reservations made in advance will actually boost your chances of saving money on your car rental needs. This is a great advantage for anyone that will be in the Chicago area for an extended period of time because weekly rates are often lower than a daily rate for seven days. Take advantage of the great options available to you online when making plans to visit Chicago for your car rental needs to give you a reliable vehicle that will take you wherever you need to be.