Travel & Transportation Facts Sheet

2013/14

Portage, Local Travel & Transportation

Transportation to Portage:

 You are responsible for getting to Portage where you will be met and taken to the housing.

 Amtrak (train) is the only public transportation directly to Portage, and Portage is the only place
where a Cascade Mountain representative will be available to meet you. Transportation to Portage via
Amtrak is available from many cities throughout the USA.
 If you arrive from your country at an international airport other than O’Hare International in Chicago,
Illinois, you may be able to get transportation from that city to Portage via Amtrak through Chicago. You
may have to stay overnight to make a train connection. And if you fly into Chicago, be prepared to spend the
night if you cannot coordinate your flight(s) to get the train. Arriving at O’Hare after 11:00am local time,
makes it hard to guarantee you will get to the train station on time to check in and catch the train. Amtrak
leaves Chicago for Portage at 2:15pm.

 The closest major airport is O’Hare in Chicago, IL. You can access information at www.ohare.com. If
you arrive in Chicago at a reasonable time, you can get to Wisconsin in one of two ways:
1. Amtrak from downtown Chicago has one train per day to Portage, leaving at 2:15 pm.
*Current Fare: $35 - $55 one way depending upon date of travel; more expensive the closer you
book your reservation to the date of travel and around holidays. www.amtrak.com
2. Coach USA has several buses per day from O’Hare Airport to Madison. They offer service both
through MegaBus and Van Galder Bus Line.
*Current Fare: Check for best times and pricing as MegaBus has many options. Make
reservations in advance. If your flight is delayed you should still be able to use the ticket on a
later bus on the same day. www.coachusa.com/vangalder or www.megabus.com

You can purchase a Student Advantage Card* that gives a discount of 15% or more on Amtrak,
many stores, hotels, etc. It is good for one year. www.studentadvantage.com Check it out!
* Prices current as of September 1, 2013. Some prices may be advance purchase and not current
(especially considering gas price fluctuations). Prices will probably be higher around
Thanksgiving and Christmas. It may be very difficult to get reservations around Thanksgiving
(November 22nd). Advance reservations are strongly recommended on all transportation.
Check the websites for current information.
 If you need information on transportation from O’Hare Airport to Union Station (Amtrak) in downtown
Chicago, please contact us for more information.
 If you arrive in Madison by plane or bus, you need to find transportation to Portage. On Van Galder Bus, the
easiest bus stop for you to get public transportation from Madison to Portage is at the Memorial Union at the
University of Wisconsin. You will be able to wait inside if you need. Because of construction the Union
stop may be located at a different site.
1. There is a shuttle bus between Portage and Madison 2 times a day Monday through Friday.
2. There is a bus line (Lamers) that has 1 bus daily from Madison to Portage.
 It is not very convenient to get from the airport or bus stop to the pickup point for either option it but
can be done via public bus or taxi. Please contact us for more information if need to use one of these
services.
Arrival too Late to Get Transportation
 If you will arrive in Chicago too late to get transportation to Portage or Madison that same day, there are a
couple of hostels you may want to contact for an overnight reservation. Both are located downtown very
near Amtrak.
1. HI-Chicago: www.hichicago.org
2. IHSP-Chicago: www.ihspusa.com (free shuttle from O’Hare)
3. Alternatively, there are hotels near the airport (some with free shuttle service) or downtown close to
Amtrak. Check the internet.
 If you will arrive in Madison too late to arrange for a taxi to Portage, you may want to make an overnight
reservation at the Madison Youth Hostel, www.hostelworld.com/madison. Hotels: If you arrive in Madison
too late to get transportation to Portage and prefer not to stay at the hostel or cannot get reservations there,
contact us for hotel information.

Portage Local Travel & Transportation:

 Portage (population about 10,000) is the closest city and offers limited nightlife in downtown bars, a few
restaurants, some shopping, the movie theatre, the library (with free internet access), banks and post office.
Wal-Mart and K-Mart are located on the north side of Portage as are several other shopping places,
restaurants, banks and a supermarket.

Transportation will be provided to and from Portage by shuttle service once the hill opens
for the season. Service will be at regularly scheduled times with several stops including
downtown by the library and the shopping areas near Wal-Mart and K-Mart. There is a
small fee for this service paid as you get on the shuttle.
Driving in the United States is legal if you have a driver’s license from your country. You
can only get a license in Wisconsin if you will be here for at least 6 months.
If you rent a car to take a trip while here, you must have a driver who is at least 21 years of
age (or older depending upon the rental company used) and a credit card. You will be
required to buy the insurance they offer. If you buy a car at a small cost (a few hundred
dollars), be prepared to make some expensive repairs. Wisconsin now requires you to have
automobile insurance.
Winter driving is something that can be very dangerous. You need to be very careful and
drive slowly whenever there is any kind of precipitation on the roads.
Traffic safety laws are made for a purpose – to keep you, your passengers and others safe!
Learn the laws that govern driving in the USA; obey traffic signs and signals; drive within
the speed limit; and don’t drink and drive. If you are stopped by the police or traffic patrol
you may just receive a warning or you may be ticketed with big fines or even arrested. Once
you are stopped, the officers frequently keep a watch for repeat offenders and if you are
stopped again, the consequences will probably be more severe.

In the United States, it is against the law to drive without a valid driver’s license!