Getting in

• Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport: Take MCTS GreenLine toward downtown/Upper East Side: roughly 20–25 minutes to the Third Ward and downtown, about $2.75, paid by contactless card/phone or the Umo app. Route 80 is the slower downtown alternative. A taxi/rideshare is sensible only with luggage or a late arrival—roughly $30. Skip the airport shuttle unless its schedule happens to suit you; the regular bus is cheaper and direct.
• Milwaukee Intermodal Station: This is the useful downtown rail arrival: Amtrak Hiawatha from Chicago Union Station takes about 1 hour 30 minutes; Borealis also links Chicago and St. Paul, while Empire Builder is the long-distance option. The station is walkable to Westown and the Third Ward, and The Hop streetcar is free for downtown connections.
• Milwaukee Airport Rail Station: For Amtrak Hiawatha/Borealis passengers using MKE, take the free shuttle between the terminal and the rail station 1.6 miles away. It works well only when the train timetable aligns; otherwise use the GreenLine bus into town.
• Chicago O'Hare International Airport: Use this only when the flight saving is substantial or MKE lacks your route. Wisconsin Coach’s direct airport shuttle to Milwaukee Intermodal/MKE is about $26 and avoids crossing Chicago. A cheaper rail workaround—CTA Blue Line to Chicago Union, then Amtrak Hiawatha—can work, but takes around three hours from landing with good timing and is fragile after delays.
• Chicago Midway International Airport: There is no equally convenient direct rail link to Milwaukee: take the CTA Orange Line to downtown Chicago/Union Station, then Amtrak Hiawatha. Allow about three hours from landing with a clean connection. It is a reasonable fare-driven alternative, not a convenient Milwaukee airport.