Day trip from Paris Chartres
A small town built around a 13th-century cathedral with its original stained glass, about one hour by regional train from Montparnasse.
Is Chartres worth a day trip from Paris?
Half a day. Cathedral and lunch.
Go for the cathedral, and plan half a day. The building and its glass take 1 to 1.5 hours, the old town and the river another hour, and then you are done. People who book a whole day here end up waiting for a train. The numbers help: 34 trains a day, 58 minutes on the fastest, and the cathedral is free and open every day from 8:30 to 19:30. Fares start at € 10 each way if you book a specific train, and the regional full fare is about € 21. Go in daylight, the windows need sun.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 58 minAverage 1 h 13 min · one way · SNCF Connect
- Transport
- Regional train
- Self-guided cost
- € 20–42Train return (€ 10-21 each way); entry to the cathedral is free · SNCF Connect
- Tour price
- –
- Time needed
- 2–4 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- None
- Best time
- A sunny morning, for the glass; any seasonDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth half a dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Chartres
- 01
Stained glass
More than 150 windows, most from the 12th and 13th centuries, including the Blue Virgin window. Bring binoculars or use your phone zoom: the scenes read from bottom to top.
- 02
The labyrinth
A 13th-century floor labyrinth, 12.9 metres across, set in the nave. Chairs cover it most days. It is cleared for walking on most Fridays from Lent to All Saints.
- 03
West front and towers
Two mismatched spires, one Romanesque from the 1140s and one Flamboyant from the 1500s, stand above the carved Royal Portal. The north tower can be climbed on a paid guided visit of about 300 steps.
- 04
The crypt
The largest crypt in France, running the length of the building. Entry is by guided visit only, about 45 minutes, at fixed times posted at the cathedral shop.
- 05
Lower town and the Eure
Steep lanes and stairways lead from the cathedral down to the river, with old wash houses, humpback bridges and half-timbered houses. The loop takes about an hour.
Good forChurches and monasteriesOld towns and villagesArt and museums
How to spend the day
Take a train from Montparnasse around 9:00 and arrive about 10:10. The cathedral is a short walk uphill from the station and you can see its spires as you arrive. Visit until 11:45, have lunch in the old town, walk down to the Eure river and back by 14:00. Trains around 14:30 put you in Paris before 16:00, with the evening free. If you stay longer, there are departures until late evening.
Chartres in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustSummer is when Chartres justifies a longer stay. From April to early January, Chartres en Lumières projects light shows on the cathedral and some 20 other sites from nightfall, every evening and free. In June that means after 22:30, so take a late train back or stay over. By day the cathedral is cool inside and the windows are brightest between 10:00 and 15:00.
Winter
December to FebruaryThe cathedral is open every day in winter, but light is the problem: on an overcast December afternoon the glass looks dull, and it is dark by 17:00. Go on a clear day and arrive before 11:00. Until early January the evening light shows start at nightfall, early enough to see them and still catch a train. Inside is cold. Dress for it.
How crowded it gets
Quiet- Busiest
- Jul-Aug; Saturday evenings during the light shows; Pentecost weekend
- Quietest
- Weekday mornings all year
Queues are not an issue here. The only crush is the Pentecost weekend, when a pilgrimage of several thousand walkers arrives from Paris. Avoid Sunday mornings if you want to walk around freely, because Mass closes parts of the nave.
How do you get to Chartres from Paris?
- Travel time
- 58 min to 1 h 19 min
- Frequency
- 34 trains a day
- Cost
- € 10-21 each way
- Departs from
- Paris Montparnasse
Regional TER trains leave from Montparnasse halls 1 and 2 and need no seat reservation, so you can take any of them with a full-fare ticket. A few cheaper OUIGO trains leave from Paris Austerlitz instead, check the station on your ticket.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Shoes that can handle cobbles and the steep stairs down to the river. The cathedral is unheated, so add a layer in any season outside July and August. It is a working church: shoulders covered, hats off.
What to eat
Eat in the old town between the cathedral and Place Marceau, or by the covered market on Place Billard, busy on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Local items: pâté de Chartres, a game pâté baked in pastry, and Mentchikoffs, chocolates in a meringue shell.
What you will spend
The train is nearly the whole cost: € 10-21 each way. The cathedral is free. The crypt, the tower and the stained-glass centre charge small fees, and the evening light shows are free. With a packed lunch this is one of the cheapest days out of Paris.
How to get the most out of the day
- The International Stained Glass Centre, a few steps from the north door, explains how the windows were made and takes 45 minutes.
- Pick a Friday between Lent and All Saints if you want to walk the labyrinth, and confirm the date: it stays covered on Good Friday.
- For the best outside view, walk to the bishop's garden behind the apse. It overlooks the lower town and is free.
How long do you need in Chartres?
Plan 2–4 h on site, plus 58 min of travel each way from Paris.
When is Chartres closed?
None. Best time: A sunny morning, for the glass; any season.