By plane
The nearest airport is Chicago's O'Hare Airport. If you're heading directly to Evanston from the airport, ask your hotel if they can arrange an airport shuttle. Otherwise, you'll have to take a taxi. American Taxi offers reasonable flat rates between O'Hare and Evanston and many other North Shore towns, but a pick-up must be arranged by phone. Another alternative is to take the CTA Blue Line to the Clark/Lake station, then transfer to the Purple Line express during rush hour or transfer to the Red Line at Jackson and then go north to Howard station where you can take the Purple Line the rest of the way to Evanston. A cheap way of going to Evanston is by Pace bus 250, which runs directly from O'Hare Kiss-and-Fly to Evanston Davis Street.
By train
The Metra Union Pacific North Line (http://metrarail.com/Sche...) runs from downtown Chicago, with stops in Evanston at Main and Davis Both right next to the Purple Line and Central a few blocks further west.
The Chicago Transit Authority CTA (http://transitchicago.com/) runs the Purple Line from Chicago. It can be accessed during morning and evening rush hours from most elevated train stops in the Loop. It runs express from Belmont on Chicago's North Side to the Howard station in Rogers Park, at the northern border of Chicago. Then, it becomes an all-stops train for Evanston. When the Purple Line Express is not running mid-day and late evening, take the Red Line north to Howard and then transfer to the Purple Line. The Davis station is in the midst of the downtown business and shopping area and is accessible.
By car
Interstate I-90/94, known locally as the Edens Expressway, runs about 5 miles to the west of Evanston.
Pace & CTA
(http://pacebus.com/) runs buses from neighboring suburbs such as Wilmette and Skokie. Many routes connect at the Davis CTA station.