O'Hare airport...is it "easy" to get from one terminal

[luvwinnie]

to another? I know the place is huge, but is this feasible? My two workers and I get in around the same time, but different terminals. Can we all meet in one place to share a cab without going insane?

 

[bonoriffic]

Yes this is possible and fairly easy, as long as one of you are not at international terminal 5. They are all interconnected, although a significant amount of walking will be involved. Terminal 1 (mostly United) is the largest with a second "terminal" that needs an underground passage to reach. If you started at this farthest point and had to go to Terminal 3 (AA) it could be a 20 minute very brisk walk.

 

[Deb in IA]

As stated above, there is a underground walkway between Concourse B and C in Terminal 1.

There is also a shuttle between Concourse C and Concourse E in Terminal 2. You have to walk down some steps and the shuttle goes outside, across the tarmac.

Here is a map of the airport that may help.

http://www.flychicago.com/PassengerInformation/CustomerService/OHare/Concessions.aspx

 

[Jestocost]

I've made it from the far right of the map above (United) to the far left (American) in 20 minutes when I had to buy a ticket at the gate after United was planning to leave me stranded. I would not recommend that.

As you can see, however, everything kind of funnels toward the center when it comes to catching ground transporation. That makes it not too hard to do what you have proposed. Just be very clear with each other where you will be meeting.

 

[freckles and boo]

If I have to meet someone I usually pick a baggage claim carousel - Say carousel #1 at Terminal 2. That way you are close to ground transportation and it is more or less an exact location.

 

[NotUrsula]

If it were me I'd say use the airport transit system train to all go to the station at one terminal, probably 3, as that is closest to the road leading out of the airport. (Well, 5 is really closest, but it can get a bit hairy outside the int'l terminal with all the meeting and greeting going on.)

Your other option is to take the CTA Blue Line train to Grand Avenue or the Loop and pick up a cab there. The CTA station is under the central parking garage, A. Taking CTA from the airports in Chicago can often be much faster for getting to the center city; cabs sometimes get bogged down in traffic on the interstates (the train is 45 minutes, a cab can take anywhere from 25 -90 minutes depending on traffic. If you've got a smartphone it might pay to check out the traffic report for the Kennedy Expressway before you decide for sure.) Of course, if you're headed to somewhere in the suburbs, CTA probably won't be the best option.