What a cab costs
Most articles on this subject never state a price. Here are ours. They're flat rates, quoted before you book, and they don't move on a Notre Dame Saturday or in a snowstorm.
| Destination | One passenger | Each additional |
|---|---|---|
| South Bend International (SBN) | $20 | $12 each |
| Chicago O'Hare (ORD) | $350 | +$25 |
| Chicago Midway (MDW) | $350 | +$25 |
| Elkhart Municipal (EKM), Fort Wayne (FWA), Indianapolis (IND) airports | Quoted | — |
Full list on the rates page.
Comparing it against driving yourself
We can quote our own fares with confidence. We can't quote the airports' parking rates, because they change and we don't set them. So rather than guess, here's what to add up. It takes about five minutes and it's the only comparison that reflects your actual trip.
Parking for the full duration. Look up the current daily and weekly rates at flysbn.com for South Bend, or the relevant airport's own site for O'Hare and Midway. Multiply by nights away, not days.
Fuel and tolls. O'Hare and Midway are roughly 95 miles each way, so about 190 miles round trip, plus the Indiana Toll Road and possibly the Skyway.
The lot shuttle. At the Chicago airports, economy parking means a bus ride to the terminal at both ends, with luggage.
Your time. Around four hours of driving for a Chicago round trip, two of them after you land.
Then compare against the fare above. Doubled, if you need the ride both ways.
When driving yourself is the better answer
We'd rather you booked with us, but a comparison that always concludes "hire a cab" isn't much use. Drive yourself when:
It's a short trip out of South Bend. For a couple of nights, parking at SBN will usually come in under two cab fares. Check the current rate and see. The maths only turns as the trip gets longer.
You're travelling alone, light, at a civilised hour. No coordination needed, and the car is waiting when you land.
Someone is genuinely available to drop you. Free beats everything, if the offer is firm.
When a booked ride wins clearly
Long trips. Parking is charged per day; a cab is charged twice. At some point the lines cross, and on a two-week trip they cross comfortably.
Chicago. Four hours of driving across both ends, tolls, big-airport parking, and a shuttle from the lot. Driving two hours home after a transatlantic flight is the part people regret.
Very early or very late. A 5am pickup and a midnight arrival are exactly when app coverage in Michiana thins out and surge pricing appears. A booked cab is a commitment, not an auction. More on that in local taxi versus rideshare.
Groups and luggage. A car that seats four doesn't hold four people plus a week of suitcases. Our shuttle vans do, and the per-person fare drops.
Weather. Lake-effect snow closes the argument on its own.
By traveller
Students
Demand spikes at fall break, Thanksgiving, winter break and end of semester. Book weeks ahead, not the night before. Notre Dame students pay $5 per person on local rides; airport runs are the flat rate above.
Families
Give the passenger count, bag count, and anything awkward — pushchair, car seat, golf clubs — when you book. It determines which vehicle turns up.
Business travellers
A monthly account removes the payment step from every trip and gives you priority booking. Worth setting up if you fly more than occasionally.
Older travellers
Door to door, help with bags, and no long-term lot shuttle at either end. Mention mobility needs when booking and we'll send the right vehicle.
The other options, briefly
Rideshare works for a single traveller with light bags during normal hours. It's less dependable at 5am, on a Notre Dame home weekend, or in a storm, and a driver can decline a Chicago run after accepting it, which is a bad discovery to make on the kerb.
The South Shore Line runs from South Bend International into Chicago's Millennium Station. Genuinely worth considering if your destination is downtown Chicago, but it doesn't serve O'Hare or Midway, so flying means a transfer at the far end with your luggage.
Hotel shuttles only help if you're staying overnight near the airport, and rarely run early enough for a first departure. Confirm hours and whether booking is required. There is a fuller breakdown in do you have to pay for an airport shuttle.
Rental cars make sense when you need a vehicle at your destination, not for a one-way transfer.
Booking without surprises
Whoever you use, give the full details: pickup address, airline, flight number, departure time, passenger count and luggage. The flight number matters, because it's how we know your inbound is late before you do.
Work backwards from departure, not from boarding. South Bend recommends arriving two hours before departure; for O'Hare or Midway add the drive, traffic on the Toll Road, and the walk or shuttle from wherever you're dropped. The full timing table is in how airport shuttles work.
Confirm the price structure before travel day. Ask whether the quote covers tolls, extra passengers and waiting time. And on the day: charge your phone and be ready at the door on time. A driver can plan around traffic; nobody can recover a late start at your own front door.
Ready to book your airport ride? Reserve online or call 574-233-9599. United Cab South Bend runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.