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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Des Plaines
Give Des Plaines one night as an O'Hare base, not a sightseeing stop: Metra to downtown Chicago takes about 35 min, and the draw here is cheap beds and a casino.
Des Plaines is an inner-ring northwest suburb of Chicago with two halves: a quiet residential north and a hotel-and-business strip along the O'Hare corridor in the south. It works as a cheaper, quieter place to sleep near the airport, with a commuter rail line into downtown Chicago, a river trail and a casino. It is not a destination in itself.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, snow), late Nov–Feb
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–170 excl. bed · High $170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Des Plaines police non-emergency 847-391-5400 · Poison control 800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Burger or sandwich | $10–18 |
| Seafood plate at Boston Fish Market | $15–30 |
| Draught beer at a bar | $6–9 |
| Metra ride to Chicago | $6–7 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ORD · O'Hare International
- Borders the city; Pace bus 250 runs from the airport into Des Plaines, and many hotels run a free shuttle.
- PWK · Chicago Executive
- Smaller field near Wheeling; mostly private and business flights.
Typical fares
- Metra Des Plaines → Chicago
- about $6–7, about 35 min (check)
- Pace bus 250 from O'Hare
- about $2, pay exact change or app (check)
- Taxi or rideshare, O'Hare → Touhy Ave hotels
- $15–25
Get around
Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line runs from downtown Des Plaines to Chicago in about 35 min, with frequent weekday service and less on weekends. Pace buses cover local routes, including the 250 from O'Hare. A car is the practical way to reach the casino, the river trail and neighbouring suburbs; I-90 and I-294 are both toll roads.
See and do
Known for
- O'Hare airport hotels
- Rivers Casino
- Des Plaines River Trail
- Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line
- The Breakfast Club filming site
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Loop | Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line from downtown Des Plaines | About 35–45 min |
| Rosemont | Short drive or Pace bus | About 15 min |
| Park Ridge | Drive or Metra one stop | About 10–15 min |
| Schaumburg | Drive on I-90 | About 25–35 min |
| Arlington Heights | Metra UP-NW northwest, or drive | About 20–30 min |
Sleep
- O'Hare corridor (Touhy Ave and S River Rd)
- Airport hotels with shuttles, the casino and the big seafood restaurant; best for one night with a flight.
- Downtown Des Plaines (Miner St)
- Walkable to the Metra station, library, bars and restaurants; best if you want the train into Chicago.
- North Des Plaines (Golf Rd and River Rd)
- Quieter, more residential, near the golf center; needs a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the Metra station? | Where is the Metra station? |
| Does this hotel run an airport shuttle? | Does this hotel run an airport shuttle? |
| How much is the fare? | How much is the fare? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| Thanks, keep the change. | Thanks, keep the change. |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- I-90 and I-294 are toll roads: rent a transponder or pay online after the fact.
- Winter runs cold with snow and ice; allow extra time for any drive to O'Hare.
- Suburban blocks are spread out and pavements are patchy: a car or a bus beats walking between sights.
- Casino and bar tabs add up; set a limit before you sit down.
A safe, quiet suburb; the real risks are winter driving, toll-road fines and late-night bar tabs. Petty theft from cars happens in hotel lots, so leave nothing visible.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Des Plaines yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- O'Hare airport hotels
- Rivers Casino
- Des Plaines River Trail
- Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line
- The Breakfast Club filming site
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Des Plaines: www.desplaines.org/
- Metra — Union Pacific Northwest Line: metrarail.com/maps-schedules/train-lines/UP-NW
- Des Plaines Park District — Lake Park: www.dpparks.org/parks-facilities/lake-park/
- Des Plaines History Center — Kinder House: www.desplaineshistory.org/kinder-house-1
- Wikivoyage: Des Plaines, revision 5238611 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5238611
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Des Plaines
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Des Plaines police non-emergency847-391-5400
- Poison control800-222-1222
No embassies here; they are in Washington, DC, with consulates in Chicago. Belize keeps an honorary consulate at 780 Lee St, Unit 109.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/des-plaines). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.