Question by Sue:
what are some towns about 45 miles from chicago to stay in to avoid the bedbug scare in the big city?
We are planning our spring break trip there and heard the bed bug problem is really bad in Chicago and thought picking a town about 45 min away that is smaller and less traveled may be our best bet??
Best answer:
Answer by Swat
I would not let this bother me. I think the actual number of hotel rooms which might have a genuine beg bug problem is very very small and most of the information which is available is not documented “hard evidence”, but is anecdotal. There have been some surveys in the news lately based on the number of calls exterminator businesses might receive in particular cities, but many times the exterminator finds nothing upon inspection. And of course the news media sensationalize something like this and that gets even more people looking and finding bugs of various types including bedbugs. I read a recent article which states if the resurgence of bed bugs continues Chicago could have a significant problem in two to three years. Bed bugs do not carry disease so their bite is not even as dangerous as a mosquito bite which can cause some very serious illnesses. The most important thing is, you do not want to bring a bug home with you and there is information available on the internet which gives instructions on how to safeguard your belongings while in the hotel room so the bugs can not hitch a ride to a new home. Again, I would not let this stop me from staying in a downtown Chicago hotel. But, if you want to stay on the outer edge of the metro area then by all means do that for the benefit of your peace of mind. There are many cites and towns to the south, west and north of Chicago which have hotels and motels of all price ranges. I do not know what direction you are coming from or what mode of transportation you are using, but you might consider getting your accommodations near one of the Metra railway commuter stations and come on in to downtown Chicago by train.
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All of the places below are smaller and less traveled…plus are near 45 miles from the BIG CITY.
Starting at the north along the lake to southeast along the lake, Zion, IL is about 46 miles:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/answer?qid=20110108104328AAmg9Hv
Wauconda on beautiful Bang’s Lake is 44 miles away:
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=42.074412&lon=-87.887065&zoom=11&q1=chicago%2C%20il&q2=wauconda%2C%20il
Gilberts is a bit more than 45 mi:
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=42.026484&lon=-88.03255&zoom=11&q1=chicago%2C%20il&q2=plato%20center%2C%20il
St. Charles is about 43:
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=41.918745&lon=-87.972595&zoom=11&q1=chicago%2C%20il&q2=st%20charles%2C%20il
Montgomery is about 44 miles:
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=41.800972&lon=-87.9836&zoom=11&q1=chicago%2C%20il&w0=41.87467383975801%2C-87.99636840820312&q2=montgomery%2C%20il
Oswego is as close to 45 miles as you can get:
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=41.785849&lon=-87.992685&zoom=11&q1=chicago%2C%20il&q2=oswego%2C%20il
Joliet is 47 mi:
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=41.703586&lon=-87.86097&zoom=11&q1=chicago%2C%20il&q2=joliet%2C%20il
Peotone is about 47 mi too:
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=41.605695&lon=-87.723125&zoom=10&q1=chicago%2C%20il&q2=peotone%2C%20il
Porter, IN is adjacent to the big lake at 46 mi:
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=41.605695&lon=-87.723125&zoom=10&q1=chicago%2C%20il&q2=peotone%2C%20il
Forty-five miles or 45 minutes away? I assume you mean the latter, which is how we measure distance in Chicago, anyway. And do you mean by car or public transit? I assume again you mean the latter, but you could still be well within the city limits and have your ride to downtown Chicago take 45 minutes.
If you plan activities that primarily take place downtown, you will regret staying on the edge of the city and having to commute in. It will be difficult and a time waster for your purposes. Plus, the bed bug scare has been made by the media to sound worse than it likely is. As another poster noted, the vast majority of hotel rooms are A-OK.
Late add: There are bed bug sprays you can purchase in advance of your trip, if that helps you feel better about getting a hotel room in the city. You spray it on your bag, at your doorway, and where the mattress meets the bed frame. Or wherever you want to spray it. I did that when I went on a trip to a different city.
Chicago suburbia is horrible, the bed bug problem is not. If you want to stay that far from the city, you’re better off not coming. Otherwise, if you want get the most out of your trip, stay no further from the city than Oak Park.