Planning a trip to Chicago and looking for apps that will make your time here easier? I’ve made a list of must have apps for people traveling to Chicago to get the most out of their Chicago experience; whether you’re looking for ways to keep your budget down, planning transportation, or looking to fill your itinerary, this post is for you! Here are the best apps to use when traveling to Chicago, Illinois:

Here are 6 apps to help you on your next trip to Chicago:

Public Transportation in Chicago

If you’re taking a trip to Chicago and plan on taking our public transportation, one of the first apps you should download is the Ventra app. The Ventra app allows you to purchase mobile tickets, manage your account balances as well as give you real time updates for your desired route all from your phone.

You can purchase a Ventra pass in person at any Ventra Vending Machine; find more information about walk-up services here. You can find a full list of fare information for Chicago’s public transportation here.

Download the Ventra app from the App Store here. | Download the Ventra App from the Play Store here.

Using Taxis in Chicago

If you prefer to take a taxi to your desired location, the city of Chicago has two CHICAB approved apps Curb & Arrow as great options to e-hail a taxi in the city. I personally have the Curb app downloaded on my phone, but you should check out their websites to see which one is a better fit for you. You can see more of what the City of Chicago has to say about that here.

If you’re flying into O’Hare airport or Midway airport, you will always find a cab stand lined by the exit. I haven’t heard of any scamming behavior by the taxis lined up outside of O’Hare or Midway airport, but I resort to using an app anyway. The app allows you to see pricing beforehand, you don’t have to worry about getting cash or paying any absurd CC fees by using one of their card readers. The City of Chicago website also includes average flat rates from shared taxis you can read more information about that here.

Download Arro app from the App Store here. | Download Arro app from the Play Store here.
Download Curb app from the App Store here. | Download Curb app from the Play Store here.

Apps for Ridesharing Services in Chicago

If you already have apps like Uber and Lyft on your phone, you can also use that here too. I personally open both apps to see which has the cheaper option before requesting a ride. If you’d like to take it a step further, opening a taxi app allows you to see what is ultimately the cheapest option. (If you didn’t know, the city of Chicago loves taxing everything and rideshares may be more expensive than you’re used to. You can read more about how they taxed rideshare riders here.)

Download Uber app from the App Store here. | Download Uber app from the Play Store here.
Download Lyft app from the App Store here. | Download Lyft app from the Play Store here.

Finding Parking in Chicago

If you are planning on driving all the way to Chicago or renting a car when you get here, parking is something you’re going to have to budget for your trip. Thankfully parking is a bit cheaper than rideshare services, but depending on what activities you’re doing or what areas you’re going to the cost can run you quite a bit.

To find cheap or free parking in Chicago the apps I use are SpotAngels and Spot Hero app. Both applications have different pricing for the similar lots. Some parking lots are cheaper on SpotAngels and some parking lots are cheaper on Spot Hero; I do prefer how easy it is to find free parking spots on SpotAngels website though.

Download SpotAngels app from the App Store here. | Download SpotAngels app from the Play Store here.
Download Spot Hero app from the App Store here. | Download Spot Hero app from the Play Store here.

Find Free Tours in Chicago

Chicago is a gorgeous city and taking a tour is one of the first things you should do when you get here. Some tours can run you a bit of money, but there are a few free options out there as well. If you read my post about the list of free walking tours in Chicago, I mention GPSmyCity and all of the awesome options they have for those of you who want to see the city up close. Most routes are an hour or two and give you a taste of Chicago history, architecture, food and amazing views.

GPSmyCity isn’t just great for free tours in Chicago, they actually have thousands of free tours & custom routes in thousands of cities across the world. With this app you can access any tour you want offline, pop some headphones in and walk around like you already know the place. I definitely recommend checking out their website to see which free tours are available near you. You can see their full list of tours here.

See full list of 5+ Free Walking Tours In Chicago You Can Do Right Now
Download GPSmyCity from the App Store here. | Download GPSmyCity from the Play Store here.

Find a Place to Sleep in Chicago

The usual tourist experience is flying into O’Hare airport or Midway airport, taking a taxi to a hotel downtown, then spending the remainder of the Chicago trip in the downtown area. There’s nothing wrong with that – the downtown area is gorgeous, but there’s a lot more to Chicago. Before you type, “Cheap Hotels in Chicago” in Google, maybe try looking up some places on Airbnb instead. With Airbnb you’re able to actually stay in a Chicago home, in a Chicago neighborhood and experience something a bit deeper than a hotel downtown may provide.

Download Airbnb from the App Store here. | Download Airbnb from the Play Store here.

Keep Track of Everything to See in Chicago

This is moreso a general travel tip instead of one specific to Chicago, but I really appreciate the map features on Apple Maps & Google Maps! One thing I like to do is pin locations I’d like to see on a map and I’m able to keep track of them while offline.

Open Apple Maps here. | Download Google Maps from the App Store.

Looking for Free Things to do in Chicago?

I wrote a list of 25+ FREE things you can do in Chicago today and it includes a few tourist things but mainly gems that I enjoy myself even as a local. I also shared tips on planning transportation around Chicago, traveling to Chicago alone, and other tips for women travelers. Definitely use my Chicago blogs as a resource to build your Chicago itinerary. If you have more time to expand from the city, I also recommend you check out my Illinois blogs to add a couple of those locations to your bucket list.

Free Free in Chicago