Chartres

Chartres is one of the easiest and most rewarding cultural day trips from Paris. Its cathedral, Notre-Dame de Chartres, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for more than 2,500 square metres of 12th- and 13th-century stained glass — including the famous deep “Chartres blue” — and a rare architectural unity, rebuilt in under 30 years after the fire of 1194. Beyond the cathedral, the old town rewards a slow wander: half-timbered houses along Rue des Écuyers and Rue Chantault, quiet lanes down to the lower town, and old washhouses and stone bridges along the River Eure. The extraordinary Maison Picassiette, a house covered inside and out in mosaic by Raymond Isidore, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in the former bishop’s palace beside the cathedral round out a full day.

Chartres combines one of France's great Gothic cathedrals and its stained glass with a walkable old town descending to the River Eure and its washhouses. A full day can also include Raymond Isidore's mosaic-covered Maison Picassiette, the Musée des Beaux-Arts or the Centre International du Vitrail. During Chartres en Lumières, 21 monuments are illuminated free of charge every evening from nightfall.

• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres

  The cathedral is open every day of the year, continuously from 08:30 to 19:30, with last access at 19:15. Entry to the nave is free. It does not close at midday: the 12:45–14:00 gap belongs to the separate paid Treasury visit. Circulation in the nave and transepts is interrupted during masses and services, so check service times. From June to August the cathedral stays open until 22:00 on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The labyrinth can be walked on Fridays from Lent to All Saints' Day.

  Official site

• Treasury and tower climb

  The Treasury and tower climb are separate visits run by the Centre des monuments nationaux. Admission is €7, €5.50 reduced and free for under-26s. The Treasury opens 10:00–12:45 and 14:00–17:00 from 5 September to 30 April, and 10:00–12:45 and 14:00–18:00 from 2 May to 4 September; last entry is 16:45. It is closed on Sunday mornings and on 1 January, 1 May, 25 May and 25 December. The tower climb runs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:30, takes about an hour, involves 200 steps and is available in English.

  Official site

• Maison Picassiette

  Raymond Isidore's mosaic house is at 22 rue du Repos. It is open from 14 February to 29 November 2026 only and is therefore shut in deep winter. It is closed Mondays year-round and also Tuesdays in February, March and November. Adult admission is €9–€12 depending on the visit, reduced admission €5–€7, and entry is free for under-6s.

  Official site

• Musée des Beaux-Arts

  At 29 cloître Notre-Dame, the museum opens Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–18:00, Thursday until 20:00, and Sunday 14:00–18:00. It is closed Mondays. Entry is free except for temporary exhibitions, which cost €7 or €3.50 reduced.

  Official site

• Centre International du Vitrail

  The stained-glass centre is at 5 rue du Cardinal Pie. It opens Monday to Friday 10:15–12:15 and 14:00–17:30; on weekends and public holidays it opens afternoons only, 14:00–17:30. Admission is €7 or €5.50 reduced.

  Official site

• Old town and the River Eure

  Walk from the cathedral quarter through the old town to the River Eure, its stone bridges and historic washhouses.

  Official site

1. Morning

   Arrive by mid-morning and walk about 10 minutes from the station to the cathedral. Explore the free nave and its stained glass, remembering that circulation in the nave and transepts pauses during masses and services; on eligible Fridays, the labyrinth can be walked.

2. Midday

   Have lunch in the cathedral quarter, then descend through the old town to the River Eure. Follow the riverside past the washhouses and stone bridges before returning towards the centre.

3. Afternoon

   Choose Maison Picassiette when it is in season, or the Musée des Beaux-Arts beside the cathedral. Maison Picassiette is shut in deep winter and closes Mondays, while the Beaux-Arts is closed Mondays and has split daytime hours on most opening days.

4. Evening (seasonal)

   During Chartres en Lumières, stay after nightfall to see 21 monuments illuminated free of charge. The event runs from 11 April 2026 to 3 January 2027; consult the official calendar because start and end times shift with the season.

Direct TER Centre-Val de Loire trains, branded Rémi, run from Paris Montparnasse to Chartres in under an hour, with 33 trains a day. The full fare is €21. Chartres is outside the Île-de-France zones, so Navigo and the €2.55 Paris ticket are not valid. You need a separate SNCF ticket. Chartres station is a 10-minute walk from the cathedral. The free Relais des Portes shuttles run around the centre Monday to Saturday only, not Sundays.

Timetables and fares change: always confirm on the operator's official site before travelling.

The Saturday market at Place Billard and Place de la Poissonnerie runs from 08:00 to 14:00 and is the one most worth a visitor's time. A separate food market takes place on Boulevard Chasles on Wednesday mornings from 08:00 to 13:00. For lunch or a break, Le Café Bleu faces the cathedral, Le Georges offers Michelin-starred dining at Le Grand Monarque, and La Chocolaterie is the place to try mentchikoffs, the local chocolate-covered meringue speciality.

• Le Café Bleu

  Brasserie · Starters €7–€15; mains €17–€25; weekday lunch €21.90 for two courses or €27 for three

  1 Cloître Notre-Dame, Chartres

  A brasserie with a terrace looking straight at the cathedral, open every day from 08:00 to 22:30 with continuous service.

• Le Georges at Le Grand Monarque

  Michelin-starred restaurant

  22 Place des Épars, Chartres

  One Michelin star, led by chef Thomas Parnaud and using around 90 percent local produce. Its Grand Marnier soufflé has been on the menu for over a century. Closed Sunday and Monday.

• La Chocolaterie

  Tea room

  14 place Marceau, Chartres

  A tea room about five minutes from the cathedral and the place to try mentchikoffs, the local chocolate-covered meringue speciality.

Menus, prices and closing days change — we link each restaurant's own website so you can confirm before you set off. We do not take payment from any restaurant listed here.

The cathedral is open continuously from 08:30 to 19:30 every day of the year, with last access at 19:15 and free entry to the nave. It does not close at midday. Circulation in the nave and transepts is interrupted during masses and services, so check service times. The Treasury is a separate paid visit with a midday closure, and the tower climb runs only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:30. Chartres is outside the Île-de-France zones, so buy a separate SNCF ticket rather than relying on Navigo or the €2.55 Paris ticket. The station is a 10-minute walk from the cathedral. Free Relais des Portes shuttles circulate around the centre Monday to Saturday, but not Sundays.

Chartres en Lumières runs from 11 April 2026 to 3 January 2027. It is free and illuminates 21 monuments every evening from nightfall. Start and end times shift with the season, so consult the official calendar rather than relying on fixed hours. Maison Picassiette is open from 14 February to 29 November 2026 only and is shut in deep winter. It is closed Mondays year-round and also Tuesdays in February, March and November.