I’ve decided to go on my first tour overseas in a wheelchair (I’ve been on several tours of the US in a wheelchair and have been overseas many times prior to being in a wheelchair). I need to get from Edmonton to Dublin and back. Looking at Expedia, going via Chicago seems to give decent connections (about a 3 hour wait in Chicago, but I much prefer having to twiddle my thumbs to panicking in a strange airport).
Just so I know in advance (or so I can change my mind if you guys think I should avoid that airport like the plague), what’s ORD like to get around in? It appears I would need to get between terminal 2 and 5 (judging from the ORD web site, terminal 5 is the International one). Do they have a subway-style train between the terminals like in Denver (the only US airport I have a lot of familiarity with), or what?
The International terminal at O’Hare is somewhat separated from the other three terminals; it’s in its own separate building, as opposed to the other three terminals which are contiguous. If you look up O’Hare on Google maps, the international terminal is the arc-shaped building to the east of the main terminal.
There is indeed a train that runs between the terminals. Since I’ve only ridden it once or twice, I can’t say for certain that it’s wheelchair-accessible, but it’s of fairly recent vintage so I would be surprised if it wasn’t.
I’ve never been to ORD’s terminal 5, but in my experience the airport is wheelchair friendly. Here in the states public places have to conform to the Americans with disabilities act (ADA) which requires public places to be accessible.
I think if you tell your airline that you are in a wheelchair they will arrange for some one to wheel you to your gate. I see people being wheeled all the time, but since I don’t use a wheelchair I’m not sure of the protocol.
Edmonton to Minneapolis-St. Paul has regular service via Northwest Airlines. Two - three flights a day depending on season and the whims of Northest.
The MSP airport is one giant facility on (almost entirely) one level. There are courtesy carts as well as a tram that services one side of the terminal.
OK - I’ll keep that in mind; I’m not leaving until June 20th, so I’ll continue to investigate various possibilities for a little while before booking my flights. Thanks!
