How to Find Hotels in Rockford, Illinois

Rockville is located in north Illinois' Winnebago County, in the Midwest section of the United States. It is west of Chicago and close to the border of Wisconsin. It lies along the Rock River.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

Know Your Destination

1. Get a map. Rockford is located near three major cities: Chicago (about 90 miles away), Milwaukee (about 90 miles away) and Madison, Wisconsin (66 miles away). This convenient location makes Rockford an excellent stopover on an extended tour of Illinois.

2. Dress for the season. Rockford, Illinois, has four full seasons, and one of them is a harsh winter. Cold air masses from Canada can create heavy snowstorms and even blizzards. Summers are more moderate temperature-wise (highs in the 80s), but severe thunderstorms can occur during the spring.

3. Understand that Rockford is not a small town. It is one of the largest cities in Illinois, and more than 300,000 people live in its metropolitan area.

Book Transportation

4. Drive into Rockford. The city is close to a multitude of interstate highways, including Interstates 90, 43, 39 and 55.

5. Fly into Rockford. The Chicago/Rockford International Airport (aka RFD) brings in travelers from national and international destinations. International travelers will need to go through customs in Rockford.

6. Fly into O'Hare or Madison as an alternative. Van Galder/Coach USA bus service will take travelers from O'Hare into Rockford.

7. Drive yourself around town with a convenient car rental. Alternatively, you can use local bus or taxi services to get around the city.

Get Accommodations

8. To book accommodations, contact Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at [phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources below).

9. Choose between hotels and motels, campgrounds and bed-and-breakfast inns.

10. Choose a bed-and-breakfast inn for more ambience than a hotel provides. If you're willing to spend a little more, you can book rooms that feature waterfront views.

11. Choose a mid-priced hotel. Most of the accommodations providers in Rockford are mid-priced hotels, many of them chains. Room rates vary from around $70 a night to more than $100 a night.

12. Choose one of the area's seven campgrounds if you have an RV or want to enjoy the forest ambience of the local area. Weather permitting, you can enjoy fishing, swimming, canoeing and hiking in the local state parks and forest preserves.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't look for super-cheap bargain hotels in Rockford, as they're hard to find. There is a Super 8 Motel in town with rates that go as low as $40 a night.