Welcome to Chicago, one of the liveliest cities in the
United States and the world's convention capital. Thanks
to its central location, easy access by air and by land,
an abundance of events and attractions, world-class shopping
and dining and great hospitality, Chicago is the premiere
choice for meetings as well as tourism. Over 30 million
domestic and foreign travelers visit the city every year,
almost half of them to attend a meeting.
We hope you will find the following information helpful
in planning your trip to Chicago and to the conference
events. Further information on places to see and things
to do once in Chicago may be found in both the Chicago
Do & See and the
Tours sections of this website.
All costs shown are in U.S. dollars,
and are subject to change without notice. To
convert any amount to another currency, use the XE.com
Personal Currency Assistant.
Bannockburn
Travel Management (BTM) has been selected
as the official travel agency of the 30th International
Symposium on Combustion. They have negotiated special
airfares and a variety of travel opportunities for
Symposium delegates and their accompanying guests.
BTM can arrange travel from/to any destination.
Please
contact this agency directly with your travel needs,
and be sure to ask about anything that may interest
you!
To ensure prompt and convenient service, BTM is providing
both domestic and international contact numbers. For
a complete listing of BTM contact numbers and detailed
reservations instructions, click
here.
BTM also offers a wide variety of tours and travel packages.
For a listing of tours and packages suggested
for Symposium attendees, please see the Tours section
of this website.
Most of our guests will likely be arriving by
air, landing
at either O'Hare
International Airport or Midway Airport,
which together handle more flights per day than any other
U.S. city.
O’Hare
International Airport (800.832.6352), located
20 miles northwest of Chicago’s downtown area, is
considered the world's busiest, serving about 180,000 passengers
and 2,500 flights a day. O'Hare is host to most
major airlines and features direct service to more than 60 international
destinations. Hourly nonstop service is available from/to
New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit,
and Minneapolis (with flight times up to about 2 hours),
as well as Los Angeles (4 hours).
Several methods of transportation means connect O'Hare
International Airport with downtown Chicago: local mass
transit lines,
regional trains and buses,
downtown and suburban shuttles and
interstate highways. Ground transportation can be accessed
at each terminal's main entrance. Travelers are advised
to allow plenty of time to get to, from, as well as around,
O'Hare International Airport.
Midway Airport (773.838.0600), one of the fastest growing
airports in the U.S., is located southwest of downtown
Chicago. It is served by these
airlines.
Downtown Chicago can be reached from Midway Airport by
the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) Orange
Line in just
20-30 minutes, as well as by regional
buses, downtown and
suburban shuttles, and interstate highways. Most ground
transportation access areas are located at the main entrance
area of the terminal.
For directions to the University of Illinois at
Chicago campus, please visit the UIC website. Printer-friendly
maps of the relevant areas of the UIC campus are
also available: the Northeast
portion / the Southeast
portion.
Chicago can also be easily reached by bus or train. Chicago
is a major destination for both Amtrak and Greyhound.
The commuter train service, Metra,
and Pace bus
system connect downtown Chicago with its suburbs.
Our international guests are reminded to arrange
for appropriate health and accident insurance before
leaving for the United
States. Arrangements for out-of-country insurance can usually
be made through travel and insurance agents.
Generally, foreign citizens who wish to enter
the United States for temporary stay, must first
obtain a visitor
(nonimmigrant) visa, either
B-1 (visiting for business) or B-2
(visiting for pleasure or medical treatment).
Persons
planning to travel to the United States
for a different purpose (students,
temporary
workers, crewmen, journalists, etc.),
must apply for a different visa in
the appropriate category.
Consular officers can provide
additional information. Please contact
the U.S.
Embassy or other diplomatic mission closest
to your place of residence for details.
Applicants for visitor visas must show that they
qualify under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality
Act. The presumption in the law is that every visitor visa applicant
is an intending immigrant. Therefore, applicants for visitor
visas must overcome this presumption by demonstrating that:
(1) The purpose of their trip is to enter the U.S. for
business, pleasure, or medical treatment; (2) They plan
to remain for a specific, limited period; and (3) They
have a residence outside the U.S. as well as other binding
ties which will insure their return abroad at the end of
the visit.
It is advisable
that an application for a U.S. visitor
visa be made well in advance of intended travel. For
details on entry requirements and procedures, visit the
U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S.
Department of State Visa Services websites.
Short-term visitors from qualified countries may
be eligible to visit the U.S. without a visa. Please
visit the U.S.
Department of State Visa Waiver Program website for an up-to-date list of designated
countries
and
further
details.
Canadian citizens as well as landed immigrants in Canada
who are (a) British subjects, (B) citizens of a Commonwealth
country or (c) citizens of Ireland do
not need to obtain a visa to enter the United
States as visitors. For such
individuals, a passport is not required to enter the U.S.
(except after a visit outside the Western Hemisphere).
All travelers should be prepared to present documentary
evidence of identity, citizenship, and (if applicable)
resident status in Canada. Please visit the U.S.
Embassy in Ottawa website for details.
For information on customs regulations and procedures that
apply to travelers entering the U.S., please visit
the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection website.
Any of the above information is subject to
change and travelers are advised to contact the proper
authorities or their websites for up-to-date information.
Chicago’s climate is typical for mid-America. Although
known as the Windy City, Chicago
tends to be sunny and warm in summer. The average
daytime temperature in late
July is 78-82°F
(25-28°C), but can reach into the 90s°F (30s°C).
For up-to-date information on Chicago weather, please
visit the Chicago
Tribune Online Edition website.
