Daily · one departure each direction
Chicago to Grand Rapids
Chicago → Grand Rapids via Holland
Three nights in Chicago, then the train curves east and Lake Michigan appears through the window.
- Recommended
Nights - 5–6
- Cities
- 3
- Line
- 1
Fly in ORD · Fly out GRR
The route
Tap a stop to jump
- Chicago3 nights · Days 1–3
- Pere Marquette · 3h 30m
- Holland1 night · Day 4 (optional)
- Pere Marquette · 45m
- Grand Rapids2 nights · Days 4–5 (or 5–6 with Holland)
Some hotel, tour, and rail links are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we'd recommend anyway.
Days 1–3 · 3 nights
Chicago
Three nights to land properly, cruise the river, eat well, and board the Pere Marquette without rushing.
Stay · Chicago
The Freehand Chicago
River North · $
Affordable, walkable to River North and the Brown Line, and the Broken Shaker bar downstairs is a proper cocktail spot — not a hotel bar that happens to pour drinks.
Do · Chicago
Chicago Architecture Center river cruise
The canonical Chicago experience. Book the afternoon of day one so you're oriented for everything that follows.
A couple more in Chicagowe’d consider
For when the top pick’s full or the wrong fit.
Chicago Athletic Association Hotel
$$$The Loop
Converted 1890s gentlemen's club facing Millennium Park. Library bar, game room, Cindy's rooftop — worth the stay on its own.
Check rates on Booking.com →
The Palmer House Hilton
$$The Loop
One of the oldest continuously operating hotels in America. The lobby ceiling fresco alone justifies the room rate.
Check rates on Booking.com →
Also worth it
- The Art Institute — Impressionist wing, two hours minimum.
- Pequod's or Lou Malnati's for deep-dish.
- Lakefront Trail on a Divvy bike — 18 traffic-free miles.
- The West Loop for dinner: Au Cheval or Girl & the Goat.
Getting around: CTA Blue Line from O'Hare to the Loop in 45 minutes for $5.
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) →Amtrak · Pere Marquette
One-way · single seat
Depart
Chicago
IL
Rail
Arrive
Holland
MI
The Pere Marquette runs once daily, departing Chicago Union Station in the late afternoon and crossing into Michigan through fruit-orchard country. Holland is a mid-route stop — the train rolls in as the sun is low.
Journey time
3h 30m
Day 4 (optional) · 1 night
Holland
A working Dutch windmill, 5 million tulips in May, and Saugatuck — arguably the best small arts town in the Midwest — 15 minutes south.
Stay · Holland
CityFlatsHotel Holland
LEED Platinum boutique hotel a short walk from the Amtrak station and Windmill Island Gardens. One of the greenest hotels in Michigan and a genuine downtown address.
Do · Holland
Windmill Island Gardens
De Zwaan is a fully operational 18th-century Dutch windmill imported from the Netherlands in 1964. Combine with a drive south to Saugatuck for galleries and the Lake Michigan dunes.
Also worth it
- Saugatuck — galleries, restaurants, and the Butler Street boat launch. 15 minutes south.
- Saugatuck Dunes State Park — a proper dune hike with Lake Michigan views at the top.
- Tulip Time (first two weeks of May): 5 million bulbs, parades, folk dancing.
- Holland Farmers Market, Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
Getting around: Holland's compact downtown is very walkable. Saugatuck requires a rideshare or rental car — 15 minutes south on Blue Star Highway.
Macatawa Area Express (MAX) →Amtrak · Pere Marquette
One-way · single seat
Depart
Holland
MI
Rail
Arrive
Grand Rapids
MI
A short final leg north through the Grand River valley into downtown Grand Rapids. If you skipped Holland, you ride this same train direct from Chicago.
Journey time
45m
Days 4–5 (or 5–6 with Holland) · 2 nights
Grand Rapids
Beer City and Art City in one walkable downtown — 80+ breweries, ArtPrize every fall, and the Grand River threading through it all.
Stay · Grand Rapids
The Graduate Grand Rapids
Downtown / Monroe Center · $$
On Monroe Center (the main pedestrian spine of downtown), walking distance to Rosa Parks Circle and the riverfront. A genuinely local feel for a branded hotel.
Do · Grand Rapids
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
158 acres of outdoor sculpture with permanent works by Rodin, Degas, Moore, and Bourgeois, plus the best butterfly exhibit in the Midwest. A 20-minute rideshare from downtown.
A couple more in Grand Rapidswe’d consider
For when the top pick’s full or the wrong fit.
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
$$$Downtown / Pearl Street
Grand 1913 riverfront landmark on Pearl Street, walkable to the Gerald R. Ford Museum and across the Blue Bridge.
Check rates on Booking.com →
Canopy by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown
$$Downtown / Fulton
Modern Hilton lifestyle hotel on Fulton Street, an easy walk to Van Andel Arena and the downtown market.
Check rates on Booking.com →
Also worth it
- Founders Brewing Co. taproom — the brewery that put Grand Rapids on the map.
- Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on the riverbank — the best replica Oval Office in the system.
- ArtPrize (September–October): 200+ venues, one very large prize, and the entire downtown becomes a gallery.
- The Grand Rapids Art Museum — free on Tuesday evenings.
Getting around: Downtown Grand Rapids is very walkable. GRR airport is 10 miles southeast — rideshare around 20 minutes, roughly $20.
The Rapid →Getting there
How to arrive at the start of the trip
Whichever way you’re coming. Pick the panel that fits.
Arriving from Europe
Fly into Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — daily direct service from London, Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris, and Amsterdam. The trip starts in Chicago, where three nights of settling in happen before the Pere Marquette east.
Don't try to catch the train the same day you land. US customs at Terminal 5 can take an hour or more at peak arrival times, and the Pere Marquette runs once daily with no same-evening catch-up. Overnight near Union Station and board the following afternoon.
Fly home from GRR via a one-stop through Detroit (DTW), Chicago (ORD), or Atlanta (ATL). Gerald R. Ford International is a compact, low-stress airport — Security in 10 minutes on a normal day. ESTA before you leave home; apply at least 72 hours before your outbound flight.
Connecting flight from elsewhere in the US
ORD is a United and American hub — non-stop service from virtually every major US airport. Land in Chicago, do your three nights, then board the Pere Marquette.
Flying home from GRR: Gerald R. Ford International has direct service to Delta, American, Southwest, and United hubs. It's a genuinely low-stress airport for a last-morning departure — you'll miss the ORD chaos entirely.
Driving in, or already nearby
Drive to Chicago Union Station from the suburbs or anywhere on I-90/I-94. The Union Station parking garage sits one block south; SpotHero often has cheaper nearby ramps around $25–30/night.
Already on Amtrak elsewhere: the Hiawatha runs hourly from Milwaukee in 90 minutes; the Borealis arrives from St. Paul daily. Both deliver to Chicago Union Station — the same departure point for the Pere Marquette.
Practicalities
Booking and onboard
- The Pere Marquette runs once daily each direction. There is no alternate departure if you miss it — book the train first, then build flights and hotels around it.
- Chicago to Grand Rapids direct (skipping Holland) is about 3h 45m total. With the Holland stop, you ride the same train — Holland is a mid-route call, not a transfer.
- A café car runs on the Pere Marquette — basic snacks and drinks. Pack a deli lunch from the Loop before boarding.
- Holland's overnight is genuinely optional. If your dates fall in Tulip Time (first two weeks of May), it's essential. Off-season, two full nights in Grand Rapids is the better allocation.
- GRR is small and relaxed. 90 minutes before departure is plenty for most domestic connections.
First time in the US?
- Tipping: 18–20% on restaurant bills (some add it automatically — check before you pay), $1–2 per drink at bars, a few dollars per bag for porters.
- US SIM card: pick one up at O'Hare on arrival (Mint, T-Mobile prepaid). Strong wi-fi covers most gaps.
- Cash is rarely necessary — tap-to-pay works at most US restaurants, transit, and shops.
- ESTA, not a visa, for most EU and UK passport holders. Apply online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov for $21 at least 72 hours before you fly.
Add-ons
Want to extend the trip?
Three places worth adding on the same Amtrak network. Pick one, or stitch all three together for a longer trip.
Saugatuck & Douglas, MI
+1 night, side trip from Holland
One of the prettiest small arts towns in the Midwest — galleries, a hand-cranked chain ferry across the Kalamazoo River, and Saugatuck Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan. Add a second night in Holland and spend a full day here.
Good to know
- Pere Marquette roll-on bikes: Amtrak's bike service is available on this train — no boxing required. Cycling between Holland and Saugatuck along the Lakeshore paths is a proper afternoon.
- ArtPrize runs for three weeks in September–October. If your dates overlap, Grand Rapids is measurably more interesting — book hotels early.
- This is one of just two Amtrak routes that crosses the Lake Michigan shoreline. It's not a busy corridor — which is exactly the point.
- When to go: May for Tulip Time in Holland; June–September for Lake Michigan beaches; September–October for ArtPrize in Grand Rapids.
Not this trip?
There’s a corridor for every weekend.
6–8 nights · MSP → ORD
Chicago to Minneapolis–St. Paul
Six to eight nights from Minneapolis–St. Paul to a Chicago finish.
5–6 nights · ORD → STL
Chicago to St. Louis
Five to six nights down the Lincoln Service. Chicago, Illinois farmland, and the Arch.
5 nights · ORD → DTW
Chicago to Detroit
Five nights, two American classics, and a reborn 1913 Beaux-Arts train station to walk into.