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Major city · France

Chartres

Go for one night, not a day trip: the cathedral, the old town and the 22:15 light show need an evening. Two nights if you add the stained-glass museum and a walk on the Eure.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (crowds and heat), mid-August (some local businesses close)
Airports
CDG · ORY
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • France and Monaco ↗France has run temporary identity checks at its internal Schengen land borders since 2015; carry a passport or EU/EEA national ID on trains and buses from Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
  • France and Monaco ↗Nights in France and Monaco draw on the same Schengen 90-in-180-day allowance as the rest of the area; Monaco does not reset or pause it.
  • France ↗France is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors' fingerprints and photo at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
  • France ↗TGV (including the low-cost Ouigo) and Intercités night trains need a seat reservation: a rail pass alone does not let you board.
  • France ↗Paris, Lyon and other large cities run low-emission zones that require a Crit'Air sticker on cars; check before you drive a hire car or your own car into a city.
  • France ↗Carry your passport or national ID card: police can ask for identification, and hotels register foreign guests.

Chartres is a small city of about 39,000 people, an hour by TER train from Paris Montparnasse, built around a 12th-century cathedral that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The old town, the river Eure and the evening light show sit within a 20-minute walk of the station, so a single overnight covers the core and a second night covers the rest.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Chartres, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee at a café€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Street or quick mealCrêpe or sandwich lunch€6–12 (≈ US$7–14)
  • BeerLocal Eurelienne beer, bar or shopcheck€4–7 (≈ US$5–9)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi across the centrecheck€10–15 (≈ US$12–18)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week€10–20 (≈ US$12–25)
  • Budget bedFamily room (up to 4), a night, per room€110 (≈ US$130)
  • Mid-range bedTwo-star double room, a night, per room€85 (≈ US$100)
  • High-end bedTwo-star double room, a night, per room€120 (≈ US$140)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €110 (≈ US$130) · High €200 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Chartres Cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage)Stained glass and the floor labyrinthHalf-timbered houses in the old townEvening light show on the cathedral squareMaison Picassiette
Airports
CDG Paris Charles de Gaulle (TGV or RER into Paris, then TER from Montparnasse; allow 3–4 h door to door) · ORY Paris Orly (Orlyval and metro to Montparnasse, then TER; allow 2.5–3.5 h)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Chartres: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

7°C

1°C

11 rd

Feb

8°C

1°C

10 rd

Mar

12°C

3°C

10 rd

Apr

15°C

5°C

9 rd

May

19°C

8°C

9 rd

Jun

22°C

11°C

8 rd

Jul

25°C

13°C

7 rd

Aug

25°C

13°C

7 rd

Sep

21°C

11°C

8 rd

Oct

16°C

8°C

10 rd

Nov

11°C

4°C

11 rd

Dec

8°C

2°C

11 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable: station to cathedral is about 1 km, 12–15 min uphill. Local buses cover the ring road and the lower town; a car is only useful for the château day trips. Trains from Paris Montparnasse run roughly hourly and continue to Nogent-le-Rotrou and Le Mans.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Maintenon

go

Door to door: About 45 min

TER from Chartres, a few stops, then a short walk

Small château and gardens; pairs well with a half-day back in Chartres.

Nogent-le-Rotrou

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

TER on the Paris–Le Mans line

Quiet town and a hilltop keep; check train times, the service is thin.

Parisgo

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

TER from Chartres to Paris Montparnasse

Fares are the same bought in advance or on the day; peak commuter trains are full.

Orléans

skip

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

Train via a change, or drive the A10

No fast direct link; better done as its own stop, not a day return.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Around the station (avenue Jehan de Beauce)

Cheapest beds and a 10–15 min uphill walk to the cathedral; best for one night with bags.

Place des Épars and the centre

Between station and cathedral, restaurants and bars on the doorstep; mid-range and up.

Lower town by the Eure

Quiet riverside streets, 15–20 min walk up to the cathedral; good for walkers and cyclists.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–90 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
€90–150 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
€150 (≈ US$180)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Two-star double room1 × 1 night × €85€85
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × €110€220
TER Paris Montparnasse → Chartres, one way, 2nd class2 × €16 · check€32
Cathedral tower climb2 × €8 · check€16
Musée du Vitrail entry2 × €7 · check€14
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€40
Trip total≈ €219 per person per day, bed included€437≈ US$550

2026 estimate in euros; travel to Chartres excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee at a café€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
Crêpe or sandwich lunch€6–12 (≈ US$7–14)
Starter, main, dessert and wine in a brasserieLower in the streets away from the station and cathedral square.€30–40 (≈ US$35–50)
Local Eurelienne beer, bar or shopcheck€4–7 (≈ US$5–9)
Taxi across the centrecheck€10–15 (≈ US$12–18)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week€10–20 (≈ US$12–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Chartres is a low-risk small city; the real issues are the uphill walk with bags, uneven old-town pavements and pickpockets only in the obvious tourist spots. Standard French city precautions are enough.
  • Cathedral tower climbs and the labyrinth are sometimes closed for services or restoration: check the cathedral site before you plan the day around them.
  • The light show runs late at night in the warmer months only, and the times shift through the season: confirm the current schedule locally.
  • Chartres has few hotels for its visitor numbers: book ahead, especially weekends and the early-October craft fair.
  • Restaurants near the station and on the cathedral square cost more than the streets behind the town hall.
  • Station toilets are open intermittently; use the cathedral or café facilities instead.

Emergency numbers

European emergency number
112
Ambulance (SAMU)
15
Police
17
Fire
18

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

ChartresChartres

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

À cette adresse, s'il vous plaîtTo this address, please

Emergency

  • European emergency number112
  • Ambulance (SAMU)15
  • Police17
  • Fire18

Embassy

No embassies in Chartres; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian, Irish and New Zealand embassies are in Paris.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Paris Montparnasse → Chartres, TER 2nd class: about €16 (≈ US$19), about 1 h 15 min (check)
  • Chartres → Maintenon, TER: a few euros, about 20 min (check)
  • Taxi station → cathedral square: €10–15 (≈ US$12–18) (check)

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello (bon-ZHOOR)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-SEE)
  • L'addition, s'il vous plaît — The bill, please (la-dee-SYON seel voo pleh)
  • Une table pour deux — A table for two (ewn TAH-bluh poor duh)
  • Je peux payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card? (zhuh puh pay-yay par kart)
  • Où est la cathédrale ? — Where is the cathedral? (oo ay la ka-tay-DRAL)

Cathedral entry is free; the tower climb and the stained-glass museum are ticketed. Confirm current hours and light-show times locally.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Chartres. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (crowds and heat), mid-August (some local businesses close) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for CDG and ORY: last TER from Montparnasse, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: station and avenue Jehan de Beauce, place des Épars, cathedral square, lower town by the Eure.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (cathedral, tower climb, Musée du Vitrail, Maison Picassiette) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Light-show and service-closure fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to France

Sources