CHICAGO — Take a ride on the Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains between Chicago and Milwaukee this summer and bring the kids for free. From now through August 31, kids ages 2 to 15 travel for free every weekend this summer — including Independence Day weekend in July.
With the Amtrak Kids Ride Free promotion on the Hiawatha trains, two children may travel for free with each full-fare paying adult on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains offer seven daily departures in each direction Mondays through Saturdays, with six trains each way on Sundays. The Kids Ride Free promotion is available on travel between Chicago and Milwaukee as well as points in between — Glenview, Ill., Sturtevant, Wisc., and Milwaukee (General Mitchell International) Airport. Travel time for the full route is only 89 minutes.
“With the addition of the Milwaukee Airport stop, Kids Ride Free is an even better way to plan a hassle-free family vacation,” said Tracy Robinson, Amtrak East Region marketing director. “And when traveling by train, the journey becomes part of the fun.”
Passengers can zip to Milwaukee or Chicago on the Hiawathas and take in the local sites – museums, zoos, shopping, ball games or summer festivals. Transportation upon arrival is a snap as both the Chicago and Milwaukee Amtrak stations offer Hertz rental car services and access to local transit systems. A free shuttle is offered from the Milwaukee Airport rail station to and from the air terminal.
Due in part to the renovated downtown Milwaukee rail station, ridership on the Hiawatha Service continues to rise. For the period October 2007 – April 2008, ridership was 393,435, an increase of 18.2 percent when compared to the same period a year ago. The on-time performance of the service is among the best in the Amtrak national system.
The Hiawathas Kids Ride Free promotion is available for purchase through August 31, 2008. Travel plans may not be changed once travel has begun, and the adult and child must travel together on the same itinerary. Reservations are required and passengers should refer to the Hiawathas Kids Ride Free discount code of H766 when making reservations. Other restrictions apply, including the only Friday black-out date, August 29, 2008.
Hiawatha Service trains are operated by Amtrak under contracts with the Wisconsin and Illinois transportation departments.
