Chole – Travel To and From Peoria

03/09/2020 1:04 AM

Hi guys! I am loving seeing all of your posts and cannot wait to see you guys on campus next fall! I have noticed quite a few of you are from out of state, or somewhat far away to the point that transportation to and from Bradley is a potential concern, so I wanted to touch on travel since that was one of my biggest fear being out of state. 

Peoria is an easy place to travel to whether you are flying or driving it is more accessible than I ever even imagined when I first applied. So I wanted to fill you guys in on what that is like to put things into perspective.

When it comes to flying out of Peoria, it is a treatment unlike any I have ever experienced before. I am from Seattle, so flying is a whole ordeal, you have to pay for parking in a big parking lot that it takes forever to find a space in and then get in the security lines where it takes a minimum of 45 minutes to get through that and then you have to walk a treacherous distance just to get to your gate. It is exhausting and expensive, to say the least. Peoria has an airport that could not be any less like that. The Peoria airport has free long term parking, I kid you not, I left my car parked there for the entirety of winter break last year for free, a total of 42 days with no charge whatsoever. On top of the free aspect (which everyone loves because who doesn’t like free things?), my car was less than a 3-minute walk away from the actual building. Once you actually get inside the airport the convenience of Peoria doesn’t stop, whether you are TSA pre-check or just a normal person like me, the security line is non-existent and it takes you a maximum of 8 minutes to get through it (believe me I timed it once). After that, there are 12 gates at the airport so you will be there in no time. I am the type that likes to plan ahead so I get there extra early, but I rarely get there more than an hour and a half before my flight and typically only an hour. 

As for driving, that’s another great route to get to the wonderful city of Peoria. With driving there are a couple of options, find a friend, drive yourself or take the Peoria Charter, so lets touch on those. 

Finding a friend to get you where you need to go is always a great travel method. There are tons of people on campus that have cars and once you start to get involved you will figure out who they are. They can take you on grocery runs and off-campus when you need so make sure you find them, but they can also take you on larger trips. During my freshman year, I did not have a car and I was always able to catch a ride back to the Chicago suburbs to visit extended family, for both big breaks or even just a weekend trip. People who have cars love helping out and love the extra company on the ride across the state. Chip in for gas and I can almost guarantee you will be able to find a ride. Now that I am a junior I have a car on campus and love it.  I am always willing to take anyone who needs anywhere so there is always a ride option right there.

The second option is to have a car on campus. Bradley has no policies stating that freshman can’t have cars on campus unlike lots of other campuses, so if that is the way to go for you, bring your car. Be prepared to make lots of trips to the grocery store for your friends and have some tagalongs on your trips around too though. 

The final option that I have taken advantage of is the Peoria Charter. The Peoria Charter is a coach bus that picks up a couple of times a day at Bradley and drops off at Bradley a couple as well. The coach takes people to and from Bradley and Peoria in general to and from the Chicago suburbs. The charter stops in lots of different locations including Woodfield and the airport. The Charter is fairly priced and has wifi on it, so you can continue to do your homework or watch that movie that you have been dying to watch on Netflix but it is not downloadable yet. I have attached the schedule below for you guys to see just how often the charter is. The charter picks up right outside the Student Center (in the center of campus) and can take you to any of these stops. 

Whatever option is best for you to get places, just know that there are lots of options no matter where you are headed. I have been able to go to Seattle, Chicago, San Diego, and even Mexico from Peoria in one fashion or another, so it is possible. Choose the option that is best for you but just know the options exist. Feel free to hit me up with travel & transportation questions. 

Keep being awesome and get excited Class of 2024.

Chloe