Cheapest€11.18
- PARTA PA914715:452h 47m18:32Madison - Dutch MillChicago Union Station
Door to door 3h 31mCO2 5.3 kgChanges 0Changeable for a fee
Travelling from Madison to Chicago costs €11.18 at the cheapest and takes 2h 9m door to door at the fastest, across 3 modes and 8 operators. The route covers 202 km. Cheapest is by Coach, fastest is by Train.
At a glance
- Distance
- 202 km
- Fastest
- 2h 9m
- Average
- 3h 33m
- Services per day
- 72
- Cheapest
- €11.18
- CO2 per passenger
- 35.4 kg
Every way to make this journey
Journey times below are door to door, so they include getting to the terminal and away from it at the other end. Fares are the cheapest we currently sell on 29 September 2026.
| Mode | Door to door | Moving | At the ends | From | CO2 | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train | 2h 9m | 1h 25m | 44m | €26.74 | 6.5 kg | 12 |
| Coach | 3h 25m | 2h 41m | 44m | €12.83 | 5.3 kg | 12 |
| Flight | 3h 50m | 40m | 3h 10m | €31.41 | 50.2 kg | 48 |
- 2h 9mFastest, by Train
- €12.83Cheapest, by Coach
- 5.3 kgLowest CO2, by Coach
- 202 kmDistance travelled
The cheapest and the fastest on 29 September 2026
Two journeys we can sell today, with the service number each operator files them under.
Fastest€30.04
- Amtrak A148314:281h 25m15:53Madison station (C&NW)Chicago Union Station
Door to door 2h 9mCO2 6.5 kgChanges 0Refundable
Today's real departures
Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modelled until our booking connectors are live.
No live timetable for this journey yet.
Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modelled until our booking connectors are live.
Prices over the next three weeks
Live from our own engine, refreshed on every request. The cheapest days for each way of travelling are marked.
| Cheapest fare by mode and day for Madison to Chicago | Sat12 Sept | Sun13 Sept | Mon14 Sept | Tue15 Sept | Wed16 Sept | Thu17 Sept | Fri18 Sept | Sat19 Sept | Sun20 Sept | Mon21 Sept | Tue22 Sept | Wed23 Sept | Thu24 Sept | Fri25 Sept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | €21.63 | €21.08 | €15.58 | €17.23 | €16.13 | €18.88 | €15.58 | €15.58 | €14.48 | €12.83 | €12.83 | €13.38 | €16.68 | €13.93 |
| Train | €51.49 | €50.39 | €33.34 | €33.34 | €34.99 | €43.24 | €33.34 | €34.44 | €31.69 | €27.29 | €26.74 | €28.94 | €34.44 | €26.74 |
| Flight | €45.57 | €42.62 | €32.59 | €32.00 | €33.18 | €40.26 | €32.00 | €32.59 | €31.41 | €31.41 | €31.41 | €31.41 | €34.36 | €31.41 |
Cheapest day: 2026-09-29 · €11.18
That is the travelling done. What happens after you walk out into Chicago is not something we sell.
Looking for somewhere to stay in Chicago?
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When to book Madison to Chicago
The same search run across the whole booking window, so the shape of the curve is visible rather than described.
- €13.9390 days
- €10.0760 days
- €10.0845 days
- €10.6330 days
- €12.8321 days
- €13.9314 days
- €15.587 days
- €15.583 days
- €21.631 days
- Cheapest lead time
- Fares bottom out around 60 days ahead, at €10.07.
- How much it moves
- The gap between the cheapest and dearest lead time is 115 percent. The dearest point is €21.63, 1 days out.
- What that means
- Today sits inside the cheap window, which closes about 60 days before departure. Waiting from here has usually cost money on this corridor rather than saved it.
Book now Fares on this route are lowest around 60 days ahead. You are inside that window.
Which departure day costs least
Median cheapest fare for each weekday, taken across the next three weeks of real prices.
- €14.48Sun
- €12.83Mon
- €12.83Tue
- €13.38Wed
- €16.68Thu
- €13.93Fri
- €15.58Sat
How the fare moves month by month
The same journey priced on the fifteenth of each of the next six months.
- €17.23Sept
- €12.28Oct
- €11.18Nov
- €10.63Dec
- €10.63Jan
- €10.07Feb
The route
What the journey actually looks like
Direct or connecting, how far the route really runs, and what happens when a connection is missed.
- How far it really runs
- The route covers 202 km against 198 km in a straight line, a detour of 2 percent. Track and road geometry account for the difference.
- First and last departure
- The first service of the day leaves Madison at 06:02 and the last at 21:20, across 12 departures. The return direction keeps its own timetable, so the times back are not these times reversed.
Where you leave from and where you arrive
The stations, airports and ports each mode on this corridor actually uses.
Madison
Rail
- Madison station (C&NW)
- Madison Milwaukee Road depot
- Middleton station
Coach
- Madison - Dutch Mill
- UW-Madison Intercity Bus
Air
- MSN
Chicago
Rail
- Chicago Union Station
- Chicago Ridge
- Chicago station
Coach
- Chicago Union Station
- Chicago & Austin Terminal
Air
- ORD
- MDW
Ferry
- Chicago Avenue
- Chicago Riverwalk
Who runs this route
Speed, flexibility and what is on board. Nothing here is a rating, because we have not earned one.
| Operator | From | Fastest | Typical speed | Flexibility | On board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Air Wisconsin | €31.41 | 3h 50m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
 American Airlines | €31.41 | 3h 50m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
 Amtrak | €22.34 | 2h 9m | 140 km/h | Refundable | Power sockets, Wi-Fi |
 GoJet Airlines | €31.41 | 3h 50m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
 PARTA | €11.18 | 3h 23m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power sockets, Toilets, Wi-Fi |
 Republic Airways | €31.41 | 3h 50m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
 SkyWest | €31.41 | 3h 50m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
| United Airlines | €31.41 | 3h 50m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
What the fare is made of
Every part of the total, so the number at checkout is the number here.
| Part | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Operator fare | €7.00 | 63% |
| Taxes | €0.70 | 6% |
| Supplier fees | €1.49 | 13% |
| Our service fee | €1.99 | 18% |
| Total you pay | €11.18 | 100% |
A day in Chicago carrying a suitcase is a shorter day than it needs to be. We do not store bags.
Left luggage near Chicago Union Station
Most of the points near Chicago Union Station open before the first train and shut after the last one.
Check Chicago on StasherOr try Bounce
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Questions about Madison to Chicago
The questions people actually ask about this journey, answered from the same prices and times the page above is built on rather than written once and left to go stale.
How long does it take to get from Madison to Chicago?
The fastest journey from Madison to Chicago takes 2h 9m door to door, of which 1h 25m is spent moving, on the Train. Most services take around 3h 33m, because that average includes slower stopping services and journeys with a connection. Times include reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end.
How much does it cost to travel from Madison to Chicago?
The cheapest fare from Madison to Chicago is €11.18, checked on 29 September 2026. A typical fare across the next three weeks is €33.18. Both figures are the total for one passenger, including taxes, supplier fees and our service fee, so nothing is added at checkout.
What is the cheapest way to get from Madison to Chicago?
The cheapest way from Madison to Chicago is by Coach, at €12.83 for one passenger on 29 September 2026. That journey takes 3h 25m door to door. Cheaper is rarely faster on this corridor, and the comparison table on this page shows what each mode costs against what it saves.
What is the fastest way to get from Madison to Chicago?
The fastest way from Madison to Chicago is by Train, at 2h 9m door to door. Only 1h 25m of that is spent moving; the remaining 44m is reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end. The cheapest fare on that mode is €26.74.
When should I book Madison to Chicago?
Fares from Madison to Chicago bottom out around 60 days before departure, at €10.07. Across the whole booking window the gap between the cheapest and the dearest lead time is 115 percent, measured on 29 September 2026. Booking inside the last week has consistently cost more on this corridor.
Which day of the week is cheapest for Madison to Chicago?
Monday is the cheapest day to depart from Madison to Chicago, at €12.83. That is the median of 21 priced departure days across the next three weeks, checked on 29 September 2026. Shifting a departure by one day is usually worth more than shifting the booking by one week.
Which month is cheapest for Madison to Chicago?
February is the cheapest of the next 6 months to travel from Madison to Chicago, at €10.07 for one passenger. Each month is priced on its fifteenth, so the comparison is like for like rather than a mix of weekends and midweek departures.
Who runs services from Madison to Chicago?
8 operators sell services from Madison to Chicago across 3 modes: Air Wisconsin, American Airlines, Amtrak, GoJet Airlines, PARTA, Republic Airways. Journey times, fares and fare conditions differ between them, and the operator table on this page compares all of them on speed, flexibility and what is provided on board.
Is there a direct service from Madison to Chicago?
Every service we sell from Madison to Chicago is direct, with around 72 departures a day and a fastest journey of 2h 9m door to door. No connection is needed, so there is no missed connection risk to plan around on this corridor.
How much CO2 does the journey from Madison to Chicago produce?
Travelling from Madison to Chicago by Coach produces about 5.3 kg of CO2 per passenger, the lowest of any mode on this corridor. The same journey by Flight produces about 50.2 kg, roughly 9 times as much for one passenger.
Which station or terminal do services from Madison to Chicago use?
Services from Madison to Chicago by Train leave from Madison station (C&NW) and arrive at Chicago Union Station. Allow about 44m in total for reaching the departure terminal and leaving the arrival one, which is already included in every door to door time on this page.
Can I change or refund a ticket from Madison to Chicago?
2 of the 8 operators we sell from Madison to Chicago allow a change or a refund. A change on a changeable fare costs €5.00. The operator table on this page names which is which, and the condition is shown again before you pay.
Where these numbers come from
Observed service A carrier record shows this named operator serving this named pair, and we carry that through unchanged.
Schedules, seat counts and fares are generated by our own model until the supplier contracts are signed. Places, coordinates, operators, which operator serves which pair, and every distance are real. We would rather say that on every page than let a modelled number pass for a filed one.
Defined in full at Door to door, Fares, The booking window, Carbon, Distances
- On this page
- Every figure above was computed for Madison to Chicago on 11 September 2026: 202 km of route against 198 km in a straight line, 72 services a day, 8 operators, a cheapest fare of €11.18, and 2h 9m door to door on the fastest mode. The return direction is computed separately and its numbers are not these numbers.
The flight is the simple part. What you do once you are in Chicago is somebody else's catalogue.
Anything to book in Chicago before you go?
Timed entry, guided walks and half-day trips out of Chicago, with free cancellation on most of it.
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Other ways to make this journey
Arriving in Chicago
Leaving Chicago
- 266Places you can leave for
- 40Countries
- 77Operators
Plan a trip from here
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