Chartres travel guide
Medieval stained glass, a pilgrims' labyrinth and riverside lanes
A small town near Paris built around one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Europe, with most of its 13th-century glass intact and a quiet old quarter running down to the river. Come between April and October; a day trip works, but staying overnight lets you see the evening light shows. Prices are high, and Schengen rules give many nationalities 90 days.
Chartres is a market town about 90 km southwest of Paris, and you see its cathedral long before you arrive, rising above the wheat fields of the Beauce. Built mostly between 1193 and 1250, it is one of the best-preserved Gothic cathedrals anywhere, and most of its original stained glass is still in place.
Inside, the glass is the reason to linger: deep blues and reds telling Bible stories window after window. Bring binoculars if you have them. The labyrinth set into the nave floor is about 800 years old and was walked by pilgrims; it is usually covered by chairs, so check which days it is cleared. On a clear day the north tower climb gives a view all the way to the Eiffel Tower.
After the cathedral, walk downhill. The lanes of the old town drop to the Eure, where old washhouses line the river and timber-framed houses lean over the streets. The Maison du Saumon, with its carved posts, is the best of them. Out in a residential street, Maison Picassiette is a house covered inside and out in broken china mosaic.
The Centre International du Vitrail, on Rue du Cardinal Pie just north of the cathedral, explains how the cathedral windows were made. Try the Eurelienne beer brewed just outside town. Hotels are scarce, so book ahead or treat Chartres as a day trip from Paris.
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Top things to do in Chartres
A great cathedral and its glass, a stained-glass museum, timber-framed lanes and the river at the foot of the hill.
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Best time to visit Chartres
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Longer days, open tower and evening illuminations on the monuments.
Quiet and cold; the glass glows on bright winter mornings, but days are short.
The Chartres arts and crafts fair takes place in early October.
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Getting there
Montparnasse trains towards Le Mans
Nearly everyone comes by rail from Paris Montparnasse, on the regional line that runs on to Nogent-le-Rotrou and Le Mans, so check that the board shows one of those three names. The fastest trains stop only at Épernon and Maintenon and take about an hour; the stopping services run fast to Rambouillet, then call everywhere and need about 1 hour 15 minutes. The handful of non-stop trains run at commuter times and are packed, so a mid-morning departure is more pleasant. Paris-Orly is the nearest airport, but there is no direct link: ride Orlybus or metro line 14 into the city, then change for Montparnasse. From Charles de Gaulle, take RER B to Denfert-Rochereau and metro line 4 three stops to Montparnasse. Drivers have a choice of the A10 and A11 motorways or the toll-free RN10 through Rambouillet, which takes about as long; both reach the town after roughly 90 km.
- Semi-fast TER via Épernon and Maintenon
- About 1 hour from Montparnasse
- Stopping TER via Rambouillet
- About 1 hour 15 minutes
- From Charles de Gaulle
- RER B to Denfert-Rochereau, then metro 4 to Montparnasse
- RN10 or A11 by car
- About 90 km from central Paris
- Pick the double-decker trains when you can; the upper deck gives a long view over the Beauce wheat fields as the spires appear.
Where to stay
Cathedral close, Place des Épars or the Eure
Rooms are in short supply for a town this visited, and coach groups book much of the centre in summer, so reserve early. Staying at least one night is the only way to see the evening light shows.
- Around the cathedral
- Guesthouses and small hotels a few steps from the portals; best for early visits and the light shows, though the bells start early
- Place des Épars
- The main square on the boulevard ring, with the old Grand Monarque and a newer central Mercure; handy for the station and for restaurants, with more traffic noise
- Basse-ville by the Eure
- Rented rooms and holiday flats in the lower quarter; quiet and atmospheric, but the walk back up to the cathedral is steep
- Ring road and outskirts
- Chain hotels with easy parking for drivers, though you need a car or a bus to reach the old town
Getting around
From the station to the Eure washhouses
Walking covers everything that matters. From the station, Rue Jehan de Beauce leads straight uphill to the cathedral square in about ten minutes, and the tourist office sits on the north side of that square with free maps. The interesting part of town lies below the cathedral, where stepped lanes such as the Tertre Saint-Nicolas drop to the River Eure, and a riverside path follows the old washhouses and mill bridges. That descent is easy; the climb back is steep enough to slow anyone with a pushchair. The Filibus network covers the suburbs and the ring road hotels, with tickets sold by the driver, but visitors rarely need it except to reach Maison Picassiette on Rue du Repos, a walk of about 25 minutes from the centre. Cyclists can ride the Eure valley path out of town.
- Station to cathedral
- About 10 minutes on foot up Rue Jehan de Beauce
- Cathedral to the Eure
- Five to ten minutes downhill by stepped lanes
- Filibus
- Town buses for Maison Picassiette and the outer hotels
- Riverside path
- Flat walking and cycling along the Eure
Know before you go
What makes Chartres worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The cathedral's blue glass on a sunny afternoon.
- Climbing the north tower for views over the Beauce, as far as Paris on clear days.
- Walking the labyrinth on one of the days the chairs are cleared.
- The lanes down to the Eure, with washhouses and half-timbered houses.
Good to know
- Hotels are scarce; book ahead or come as a day trip.
- Direct trains at commuter times are packed; slower trains are often more comfortable.
- Station facilities are basic; toilets are open only some of the time.
- Check when the organ or choir is playing; the sound in the nave is remarkable.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Chartres, month by month
On the Beauce plain around Chartres, rain is spread evenly at 45 to 60 mm a month, summer highs reach about 25C and winters are raw. Month-by-month averages are below.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Chartres (Meteociel, via Wikipedia).
Getting to Chartres from Paris Montparnasse for a day
Chartres makes a full day trip by train from Paris Montparnasse. Give the cathedral two hours for the rose windows, the 12th-century west-front glass and the carved choir screen, then climb the north tower and visit the Centre International du Vitrail. In the afternoon, walk the lower town along the Eure, and stay for Chartres en Lumières after dark.
Morning. Aim for a train around 8am so you are inside the cathedral by mid-morning, when the low sun starts to light the southern windows. Give it two hours. Start with the three great rose windows, then the twelfth-century glass of the west front, which survived the fire of 1194, including the deep blue Notre-Dame de la Belle Verrière in the south ambulatory. Walk around the carved choir screen, whose scenes took sculptors about two centuries to finish. If you came on a Friday between spring and autumn, the chairs may be cleared from the labyrinth in the nave.
Late morning. Climb the north tower, then take Rue du Cardinal Pie to the Centre International du Vitrail to see how the panels were made and restored.
Afternoon. After lunch, head down through the lanes to the basse-ville, past the carved posts of the Maison du Saumon, and follow the Eure past the washhouses to the Collégiale Saint-André and the Église Saint-Pierre, whose own medieval glass sees a fraction of the cathedral's crowds. Climb back by the steps behind the apse and rest in the gardens of the old bishop's palace, which now holds the fine arts museum.
Evening. From spring to early January, Chartres en Lumières projects colour onto the cathedral and two dozen other buildings after dark. If you can stay the night, it is worth it.
Pâté de Chartres, mentchikoff sweets and Eurelienne beer
Chartres has two specialities of its own: pâté de Chartres, a decorated pie of game and foie gras, and the mentchikoff, a praline chocolate wrapped in Italian meringue. The Saturday market at Place Billard sells Beauce produce. For better cooking, walk down towards Place des Épars, and drink Eurelienne beer from nearby Chandres.
The town has two specialities you will not find elsewhere. Pâté de Chartres is a raised pie with a decorated crust and a filling of game and foie gras, traditionally partridge, sold sliced at charcuteries and served as a starter in the older restaurants. The mentchikoff is a small confection of praline chocolate wrapped in Italian meringue, made by a few local chocolatiers; buy a box to take home.
The Beauce plain around the town is France's bread basket, so bakeries are good and the Saturday market at Place Billard, in its iron-and-glass pavilion and the streets around it, is the best place for local cheese, poultry and vegetables.
Sit-down meals divide neatly. Brasseries facing the cathedral serve tourists at tourist prices but are fine for a hot chocolate on a cold day. Better cooking is found on the streets running down towards Place des Épars and in the lower town near the river, where small bistros change menus with the season. The restaurant of Le Grand Monarque on Place des Épars is the town's long-standing formal address.
To drink, ask for Eurelienne, brewed by a farmer in nearby Chandres in white, blonde, red and brown styles; the brewery opens to visitors on the first weekend of each month.
Chartres en Lumières, pilgrimages and the weather by season
October suits Chartres well: highs around 16C, short queues for the north tower and the Chartres en Lumières projections starting early in the evening. The light show runs from about April into early January. Rain falls evenly all year, and July and August are the warmest and busiest months at about 25C.
The weather here is mild and evenly damp, with roughly 45 to 60 mm of rain in every month of the year, so there is no truly dry season. July and August average highs of about 25C and are the warmest and busiest months. Winters are raw on the open Beauce plain, with December and January highs of about 7C and nights near freezing; the cathedral itself is unheated, so a coat matters inside as much as out.
For most visitors the deciding factor is the light show. Chartres en Lumières runs from about April into early January, and the projections start after dark, which means after 10pm in June and as early as 6pm in late autumn. October is the sweet spot: highs around 16C, short queues for the north tower, and the illuminations beginning at a civilised hour. Early October also brings Les Artisanales, a large crafts fair.
Pilgrims are part of the calendar too. Every spring, around Pentecost, thousands of walkers finish the three-day pilgrimage from Paris at the cathedral, filling the town for a weekend. In August the cathedral hosts an international organ festival; with the building's acoustics, even a short recital makes the visit.
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How we research our Chartres travel guide
Chartres town details are checked on chartres.fr and France.fr. Entry rules follow the EU's travel-europe.europa.eu portal, with climate averages from Meteociel.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Chartres.
General
The semi-fast TERs that stop only at Épernon and Maintenon take about an hour; trains stopping at every station after Rambouillet take about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Yes. With an early train you have time for two hours in the cathedral, the north tower and an afternoon walk along the Eure before an evening train back.
The cathedral was built mostly between 1193 and 1250 and keeps most of its original windows, which gives it one of the most complete sets of medieval glass anywhere.
Usually on Fridays from spring to autumn, when the chairs are moved aside. Confirm with the cathedral before planning around it.
On an exceptionally clear day, yes, about 90 km away across the flat Beauce.
A house whose walls, furniture and garden were covered in broken crockery mosaic by its owner, Raymond Isidore, over several decades. It is about 25 minutes on foot from the centre.
A Chartres sweet made of praline chocolate enclosed in Italian meringue, sold by local chocolatiers.
Walking covers everything that matters. From the station, Rue Jehan de Beauce leads straight uphill to the cathedral square in about ten minutes, and the tourist office sits on the north side of that square with free maps. The interesting part of town lies below the cathedral, where stepped lanes such as the Tertre Saint-Nicolas drop to the River Eure, and a riverside path follows the old washhouses and mill bridges.
Timing & weather
From about April to early January, every evening after dark, with projections on the cathedral and around two dozen other buildings.
The best time to visit Chartres is Apr to Oct. Long days for the cathedral glass and evening illuminations across the town.
- Best overall: April - October (Longer days, open tower and evening illuminations on the monuments)
- Winter: November - March (Quiet and cold; the glass glows on bright winter mornings, but days are short)
July is the warmest month in Chartres, with average highs of 25°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 2°C. December is the wettest month, at about 61 mm of rain; February is the driest. On the Beauce plain around Chartres, rain is spread evenly at 45 to 60 mm a month, summer highs reach about 25C and winters are raw.
Stay & facilities
Not in summer. The centre has only a few hotels, so book well ahead, or stay on the ring road if you are driving.
Getting there
There is no direct link. Head into Paris (RER B from CDG, or Orlybus or metro 14 from Orly), then take a train from Montparnasse.
Visa & documents
France belongs to the Schengen area. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Crime against visitors to France is mostly petty. Pickpocketing is common in Paris on the Metro, especially line 1, and around the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and Gare du Nord. Rail and air strikes and street demonstrations can disrupt transport, so check before travel days and keep away from protests.
