Almost all renters pick up their vehicles at the airport they fly into. O'Hare and Midway Airports are by far the largest in the state. They also happen to have the largest selection of rental cars.

Chicago is located in the northeastern part of the state. If you plan to travel to the southern or western parts of the state, you may be better off flying into a smaller airport and picking up a rental car there. You can also use St. Louis International Airport as an entry point for the southern part of the state. You'll find a wide selection of rental cars at all the major airports.

If staying in the city for some time before heading to other parts of the state, you can also pick up a rental car in the city when you're ready to use it.

A road trip through the Midwest is popular as a summer vacation. Chicago makes for a great starting point for such. You can always drop off your rental car in another state, like Missouri, if you intend to travel to more than just Illinois.

Keep in mind: Most car rental companies charge a fee for one-way rentals, but this will be included in the total if you searched using your desired drop-off location.

English is, of course, the main language spoken by residents of Illinois. The Chicago Metro area has many Spanish-speaking residents. Around O'Hare Airprot, you may see signs in Polish. The language is much less popular these days as second and third generation Poles have assimilated and spread out across the country.

As usual in the United States, if you speak English, you will have no problem communicating.

Galena. "The City That Time Forgot" is a gem about a three-hour drive west of Chicago. The city was built during the 19th century as a port on the Mississippi River for shipping lead from the area. Of course, the demand for lead plummeted in the second half of the 20th century, so the town became a tourist attraction for its historic charm.

The main reason tourists flock to the town is the plethora of historic buildings. Main Street looks like it is a movie set. Many historic houses in the city have been made into bed and breakfasts.

But there's also the scenery in the region it sits in. Particularly in the fall, the area is absolutely gorgeous and worth a leisurely drive through it.

Shawnee National Forest: Located in southern Illinois some five hours or more from Chicago, Shawnee is a great destination for some calm and peace away from the hustle and bustle of the country's second-largest city. A highlight of the area is the Garden of the Gods, which you can hike around and enjoy the rock formations.

The area is also surprisingly teeming with vineyards. The Shawnee Hills Wine Trail is a great place for winos and non-winos alike. Head from vineyard to vineyard tasting the surprisingly-good wine of Illinois.

There are many gas stations all over Illinois. In Chicago and other cities in the state, gas stations can be found almost everywhere you look. But once you get to the rural parts of the state, you may find long stretches of road without service. If you travel to these areas, be sure to fill up beforehand and not let your tank get too low.

Prices at Illinois' gas stations are shown per gallon (1 gallon = 3.79 liters).

As of mid-June 2024, the average price in Illinois is $3.76 per gallon (or about $.99 per liter) for regular. This is slightly above the national average. While prices in the state don't vary that much, they are notably higher in the center of Chicago as one would expect.

The simple answer to this is probably for as long as you plan to stay in the state (or for the duration of your road trip if you plan to visit other states).

Many travel to Chicago for a long weekend. Of course, if you only visit for a weekend, you'd have to keep coming back, again and again, to experience all the city has to offer.

To travel through the rest of the state, a week or two is a better time frame. Of course, many that travel through Illinois outside of Chicago do such as part of a longer road trip through the Midwest. If this is your intention, then Chicago is a great starting point and many rental companies will let you drop off the rental car in another state.

While prices may differ slightly depending on where you pick up a rental car, this probably won't matter much as you will be most likely to pick it up in Chicago.

As of June 2024, the average daily cost of a rental car in Illinois is $69. Of course, rental cars are somewhat cheaper in the winter months than in the summer months.

There are some cheap rental car companies in Illinois. On the whole, the state's car rental prices are about the same as those in the rest of the United States. You may end up being able to find a car for as little as $25 a day — though be sure to see the caveats below.

Obviously, your destination also influences the price — cars tend to be more pricey around popular tourist destinations. However, that conventional wisdom doesn't hold in Illinois. Prices are generally lower in the most popular places — Chicago's airports — due to the sheer number of cars available there.

Keep in mind: Booking a car in advance is a tried and true method for getting a much lower price, especially if you plan to travel to Illinois during the high tourist season. A car booked a month before the trip can cost half as much as the same car booked a couple of days before you travel.

Booking a car for a longer period of time is also a good idea — due to different commissions and other fees, booking a car in Illinois for a longer period can cost significantly less per day.

Price is obviously a huge factor when choosing a car rental company, but it shouldn't be your only consideration — often, for a couple of dollars more, you can find a much better overall deal. Instead, try to look for a company that offers both a good price and has a good rating from previous renters.

Also, make sure you are familiar with the rental conditions! Different rental car suppliers will have different conditions. The rental conditions can influence the final price of the car and are important to be aware of in general.

You can find the rental conditions when searching for a rental car on our website.

Some of the most important things when picking up a rental car is knowing your rental car supplier's fuel and mileage policies along with its driver requirements.

Mileage policy :
A rental supplier's mileage policy is the maximum permitted distance that you are allowed to travel per day (or sometimes per week) with your rental car. Once you exceed the permitted distance, you will be required to pay an extra fee for every additional mile you drive. There might also be the maximum permitted mileage for the whole of the rental period.

Different rental car suppliers have different mileage rules. It's important to know about them before booking your car, especially if you plan to drive a lot or travel long distances during your trip.

Also keep in mind that many rental companies restrict the allotted mileage for residents of Illinois (and some offers are not available for Illinois residents, particularly those of Routes Car Rental).

You can find the supplier's mileage policy in their rental conditions:

Driver requirements:
Different rental car companies will have different requirements for drivers. These may include:

Choosing the right insurance is very important as it will protect you in case anything goes wrong during your rental period. If you have your own personal insurance, it may or may not cover your rental car — you should ask your insurance carrier to find out.

Your credit card may also cover your rental car. Be sure to check with your credit card company in advance.

If you are an international customer (that is, you do not reside in the US or Canada), then your rental rate will almost surely include a Collison Damage Waiver. Unless you have a zero deductible rate, the CDW will have a deductible — an amount you'll be liable for in the event of any damage to the car. For this, we suggest adding our Full Coverage to your booking — an added bonus being that it covers many parts of the car that the CDW may not!

Check the Insurance section of our Help Center to learn more about choosing the right insurance and everything related to it.

Small cars are the cheapest type of cars, costing as little as $47 per day. SUVs start at $53 per day. Of course, this changes depending on the season and demand.

There are a number of local companies in Illinois. But all of the major brands also have huge fleets at Chicago's airports. And while some of the smaller companies that you may not have heard of before may offer what looks like a lower price, be sure to find out how much their mandatory fees cost like their toll package. Also, see in advance if they will accept your car insurance as coverage as some of them only accept insurance from certain companies. If you are required to purchase the rental company's coverage, expect the total price to perhaps double.

The main factors for choosing a rental car should be the price and rating of the company. Keep in mind that the well-known large brands have been operating in Illinois for decades.

To pick up a rental car, you'll need to have your booking confirmation voucher, passport, driver's license, a credit card on the main driver's name, and all the other necessary documents.

When making the reservation, you will see your rental car's pickup location, of which there are many types. Since most travelers tend to pick up their rental cars at the airport, we'll mainly focus on the pickup locations in or near the airport. These are the most popular pickup location types:

• Meet & Greet. With this type of pickup location, you'll be met by an employee of the car rental company in the arrivals hall of the airport which you normally enter right after leaving the baggage claim area. The employee will usually have a printed sign with your name on it. The employee will take you to the company's office to proceed with signing the rental contract and collecting the car's keys.
• In the terminal. In this case, you will have to find your rental car company's desk yourself. The desk will be usually located in the arrivals hall. Once you've found the desk, you can present your documents and continue with the pickup procedure. Do keep in mind that you might have to wait in line.
• Shuttle bus. In certain cases, the car rental company's desk might be located outside the airport's terminal. Sometimes you can reach it on foot, but in most cases, you need to take a shuttle bus. For this, you'll need to find the shuttle bus stop inside the airport, the location of which will be given to you when making the booking. Sometimes, the shuttle bus is shared by multiple car rental companies while others have their own shuttle service just for them. Look for the name and the logo of your rental company to make sure you take the right shuttle bus.
• Delivery service. This type of pick-up is similar to Meet & Greet but takes even less time to complete as you won't need to go to the car provider's office to sign the agreement.
• Car rental center. This means that your car rental company shares its location with other companies. The car rental center is located in the arrivals hall, in another part of the terminal, or in a separate building next to the terminal.
• Outside terminal. This pick-up location means that your car rental company has an individual desk located outside the airport's terminal, but within the larger airport complex, that can usually be reached on foot

At the pickup location: After the car rental company checks your documents and make sure you have enough deposit on your credit card, you will receive the car's keys and be taken to the rental car which will usually be parked in a nearby parking lot.

Inspect the car: Upon picking up the car, you will have to sign a document called the check-out form. If your rental car has any scratches or other types of damage, they should be listed on the form. Inspect the car carefully — if it has any scratches or other issues that are not listed, make sure to point them out to the employee before signing the check-out form. The form will also list the mileage and the amount of fuel the car has at the pickup time.

Take photos: It is generally a very good idea to take photos of the car before picking it up, preferably from multiple angles and including the inside of the car with the odometer showing the previous mileage on the car and of the amount of fuel in the tank (read more about fuel on our Fuel Policy section above). The photos should have a timestamp to show the date and time when they were taken; most pictures taken with mobile and digital cameras have them.

Find out the drop-off location: Before leaving with the car, make sure you find out the exact drop-off location and the directions to get there. While it will often be the same as the pickup location, it might also be in a completely different part of the airport (this is especially the case with the larger airports that have multiple terminals).

Returning the car: When dropping off the car at the end of your trip, carefully check the vehicle in the presence of an employee of the rental company. If any new scratches or damages are found, the company employee should point them out in your presence. If there are none, the car's check-in form should state that the car has been returned in the same condition. The same applies to the cleanliness of the car (if you return a car that is not clean, the company might later charge an extra cleaning fee). Make sure to check the car's trunk and the glove compartment to avoid leaving any personal belongings in the vehicle.

You might also want to add some extras for your rental car such as a GPS system, a child's seat, second-driver permission (if you're traveling with a friend or a family member who can and wants to drive). You will likely need winter tires in Illinois during winter, but all rental cars should be equipped with htem. Be sure to search for them in advance and add them before making the booking. Not every rental car supplier will have all of these extras available. Adding extras will influence the final price of a car and different car rental companies offer them for different prices.

Speed cameras and red light cameras are legal and used in Illinois. Speed cameras are used on the toll authority's highways and in constructions zones throughout the state. Speed cameras are also used in the city of Chicago.

The best way to avoid being caught by one is, of course, to know what the speed limit is and follow it and to avoid running red lights.

Keep in mind that if you are caught with a camera, whether it be a speed camera inor a red light camera, the ticket will be sent to the rental company via the license plate on the car. You can expect that the rental company will tack on an extra fee for administering the fine.

Your best bet to avoid being charged with drunk driving is to not drink at all before getting behind the wheel. That being said, anything over .08% BAC is a DUI in Illinos. While cannabis is legal in Illinois, driving under the influence of it is treated exactly as drunk driving is. Also, be sure not to try to carry any with you when returning to the airport or driving out of the state.

Yes, there are toll roads in Illinois. The Chicago area (stretching into the rest of the northern part of the state) has a few different interstates that are tolled including portions of I-88, I-90,I-294, I-355 and IL-390. In addition, there is a connection between the northwest border of Indiana and the center of Chicago via a bridge known as the Chicago Skyway.

Outside of the northern part of the state, there are no toll roads.

While you may see some old information stating that you can pay with cash at toll booths in Illinois, this is outdated. The state permanently ended the acceptance of cash in 2021 (it started during the covid pandemic).

You must now either have an I-Pass transponder or use the Pay-by-Plate system. This means that if you don't have a transponder and pass through a toll gate, you can go online and use the license plate of the car to pay for the toll (though it will cost more). You must make the payment within 14 days of traveling on the road.

Rental companies offer toll pass packages that include a transponder. However, they usually charge a hefty daily fee for it. While it makes things more convenient, you may be better off not taking it and paying the tolls on your own online.

Keep in mind: If you do not take the company's toll package and incur tolls that you fail to pay, they will charge the tolls to you and include an additional fee that may be as much as $25 per toll. If you want peace of mind above all else, you may want to purchase the rental company's toll package.