The easiest option to find flights to would probably be O'Hare International Airport (ORD). We will do our best to coordinate pickup to the extent possible, though please note that it is a solid 70 miles from our house, and it may not be possible to pick up everyone. There is a bus, the Van Galder bus, that goes directly from Terminal 5 in O'Hare to Rockford Bus Terminal, which is within walking distance of the hotel (you can literally see the terminal from the entrance of the hotel). Katie has taken this bus several times and it is reasonably cheap, clean, and safe.
There is another, closer airport, Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD), but they will probably not have as many or as cheap flight options. It is also about 20 minutes from both hotels, but if possible, we would be happy to try to coordinate pickup from the airport.
The flights will be too expensive. What can I do?
Don't worry, we are the *pros* of affordable travel. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
1. Buy your tickets AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, because they are cheap now but will not stay that way.
2. Check the following websites:
https://www.kayak.com
https://www.justfly.com
They usually have really good deals.
3. Check flights that leave on multiple different days, if you can (ie, Thursday-Sunday, Friday-Sunday). Tuesdays and Wednesdays are generally the cheapest days to fly, so if you can manage it, it wouldn't be a bad time to have a family vacation in Chicago.
4. If you still can't find anything, contact us and we will help you find something. Katie is basically a travel agent and would be happy to help you out!
Van Galder
7521 Walton St, Rockford, IL 61108, USA
(866) 912-6224
This bus goes direct from Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport (ORD) to Rockford, where the wedding is. It costs about $20 each way, and you can buy tickets in the airport or online at the website below. There are signs near the baggage claim that will lead you to the bus stop. It's reasonably clean and comfortable, and takes about 40 minutes. If you decide to do this, let me know and we can arrange for someone to come pick you up from the bus stop.
If you are staying at the Radisson (where we blocked off the rooms), you will easily be able to walk to the hotel from the bus stop, since it is literally down the street — you can actually see the sign for the bus terminal from the entrance to the hotel.
Check-In: Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | Check-Out: Saturday, November 23, 2024
Rate: $134
We blocked off 45 rooms in this hotel: 5 rooms for Thursday-Sunday, 20 rooms for Friday-Sunday, and 20 rooms for Saturday-Sunday. I believe you can choose between a King or Double Queen room, with a locked-in rate of $134 per night. Please book your rooms AS SOON AS POSSIBLE because if we are booking a lot of rooms they will block off more for us at the discounted rate. It is not the absolute cheapest in the area, but it is nice and clean, and some others in the area may not be as nice. This hotel seemed to be the best overall. Katie, Alejandro, and Katies mom have toured the different rooms in this hotel and would be happy to answer any specific questions you may have:)
This hotel is within sight and walking distance of the Van Galder bus, if you choose to take the bus to/from the airport.
It has a small pool and fitness center, as well as a small restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner (I dont believe they have any complimentary meals, though). It is smoke-free and has free Wifi.
I'm flying in, and I won't have a car. How can I get from the hotel to the wedding, and from the wedding to the reception?
It can actually be a bit difficult to find an Uber or taxi in Rockford, so if you would like to travel on your own, the best decision may be to rent a car. There are a few different car rental options in the area for you to check out. If you would like to discuss any of the options, feel free to reach out to Katie and she will do her best to help, though I do not believe that we have rented a car in the area before.
There will also be a shuttle bus that will help bring guests to and from the wedding. We will share more details as they become available.
