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There is a company called megabus that you can take from downtown Des Moines to Chicago that is reasonably priced and a bit better quality than the Greyhound bus. I have family in Chicago that take the megabus all the time back to Des Moines for visits. http://us.megabus.com/
Interstate 80 runs right through the middle of Iowa and has several lanes in each direction so it looks as though it would be a quick, easy way to get where you need to go. Most of the time, that's true but, a lot of the time it isn't.80 has A LOT of truck traffic for exactly the reasons I mention above. In addition to all the trucks, you mix in a little weather - some snow or some rain - and driving the 80 can get really dangerous. The trucks also seem to shed an awful lot of tires on their way to wherever they'e going and those tires, flying down the road at 70 mpg or so can become very dangerous projectiles - trust me, I, unfortunately, know all about that.So, as an alternative, try some smaller roads. Highway 30 comes in from Chicago and is an excellent road. It goes through Davenport, Cedar Rapids, and Ames. The 20 is just a little further north and runs through Dubuque, Waterloo,...
There are several ways to get to Iowa - Cedar Rapids and Des Moines have the biggest airports and, with Interstate 80 running through the middle of the state, driving is certainly an option as well.However, the focus of this tip is the train. Amtrak goes through Iowa. One route (Chicago to Oakland, CA) stops in Ottumwa, Mt. Pleasant and Burlington. All fine cities. The other route (Chicago to Los Angeles) has only one stop in Iowa - the small river town of Ft. Madison. It isn't a very good option. Although it has improved over the last few years (it used to be almost impossible to rent a car), it's still a very small town that isn't nearly as well-equipped to handle the arrival of visitors as you would think a town with a train stop would be (or should be). Also, certain times of the year, the town is overrun with bugs. Ft. Madison is right on the river and so, naturally, the bugs are...
The very best form of travel in the state of Iowa is certainly an automobile. There are so many small, out-of-the-way towns to discover, and the only way to accomplish that is to drive.Jill and I realized when we began our 8-day tour that it would be far more expensive than our annual trips have been in the past. We had to pay between $3.29 and $3.59 per gallon. I will say that it was much cheaper in Iowa that week than it was in Illinois!Another reason to drive [if you shop like we do] is that you need plenty of room for the purchases. Jill is a quilter, and she purchases lots of fabrics. She also purchased clothing, shoes, a hat, several purses, and a hat. Some of the fabric that we purchased was for a new quilt for my bedroom.Also, being typical American women, we need plenty of room for the clothing and shoes that we take along [between 8-10 outfits each]. And, since we were staying...
Dfaniately Drive! Traffic isn't bad. In Des Moines in a traffic jam you're looking at about and hour wait.Be careful on county highways. Semi trucks get to hauling and will come up on you fast and might ride your butt because of the hills and the inability to pass.
I recommend flying into Chicago, then renting a car and driving on I-80. You can take this interstate all the way through the state, and most sights are on the way.You need a car! There is little or no public transport!
You can fly into the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, or Sioux City airports, or take the train into Osceola, though it may be cheaper to fly into Omaha and rent a car if you are coming to the western half of the state.It is a must to have access to a car. Some of the cities have good metro bus systems, but to see the countryside, you will have to drive. We Iowans think nothing of driving two or three hours to spend some leisure time.
I flew from London to Minneapolis, then drove south into Iowa. There were alternatives - Des Moines was one - but for the area I was going Minneapolis was by far the best choice. From London, the prices aren't extravagant - I think I paid £250 for the flights.DEFINITELY by car, in the area where David lives. Really, you would have to have a car to get anywhere. I guess if you were travelling between cities then you could use Greyhound or Amtrak same as most places, but there were no Amtrak or Greyhound stations anywhere close to David's town.
The best way to get here I think is by car, otherwise you will have to rent one (since there really is no other transportation). Airfare is usually expensive in Des Moines anyways.Pratically the only way to get around Iowa is by car. There really is not a lot of transportation.
this is for orientation purposes.
Fairfield Inn & Suites Des Moines Airport Des Moines
1 Review and 36 Opinions I have been to Des Moines several times for business over the past few years. The distance from...
Marriott Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids
1 Review and 49 Opinions A wonderful marriott with great service in a nice location north of town. The pool and work out room...
Sheraton Iowa City Hotel Iowa City
2 Reviews and 107 Opinions my family stayed during Jazz festival..we were tickled to be staying at a Sheraton for the first...
Reviews and photos of Iowa attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Iowa sightseeing.
More Cities in Iowa
Q: Hi I am thinking of visiting a friend who resides in Iowa and to visit the surrounding cities. What would be a suggested...
A: You should figure out which cities you'd like to visit first. Iowa is actually pretty well-located as far as surrounding cities, so you have some choices. My list would...
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