The short version
- Direct trains from Paris Montparnasse run about 31 times a day. The fastest takes 58 minutes, most about an hour and 10, and the full fare is €21 each way.
- The cathedral is free and open every day from 8:30 to 19:30. It is a 10-minute walk from the station.
- A guided visit takes you up 200 steps to the roof, the flying buttresses and part of the north tower. It costs €7 and is free under 26.
- The labyrinth on the cathedral floor is open to walk on Fridays, from the first Friday of Lent to the last Friday of October.
- Every evening at dusk until January 3, 2027, Chartres en Lumières lights 21 buildings around town, free.
- Maison Picassiette, a house covered in mosaics of broken china, is closed for the season after October 31.
What to see
Start with the stained glass. Most of it is about 800 years old, famous for its deep “Chartres blue,” and the cathedral calls it the largest collection of its kind in the world. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Book the guided visit of the upper parts, about an hour: up a spiral staircase to the north transept, out by the flying buttresses, and into the attic under the roof. French visits run several times a day. One official page lists English visits on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings and another says French only, so check when you book. The treasury, in the Saint-Piat chapel, is open in timed slots.
The crypt, the largest in France, is kept for prayer and pilgrimage groups. There is no regular public tour.
Walk down to the lower town along the Eure: old bridges, wash houses and the Église Saint-Pierre, which has 13th-century stained glass too. The Pont Neuf here was blown up in August 1944 and rebuilt to the same design.
Maison Picassiette, Raymond Isidore’s house covered inside and out with mosaics, is open from mid-February to the end of October and costs €9 to €12. The Musée des Beaux-Arts, in the old bishop’s palace behind the cathedral, is closed on Monday.
Getting there and around
Trains leave Paris Montparnasse for Chartres all day, from 5:33 to after 23:00, and every one is direct. Some stop at Versailles-Chantiers on the way.
The regional train fares drop to as little as €7 with a Rémi Liberté Plus card, which anyone can use on weekends and public holidays.
The historic center is pedestrian. A free shuttle loops the boulevards around it, and the walk from the station to the cathedral takes 10 minutes.
When to go
Chartres en Lumières runs every evening from April to early January, until 1:00 through October 24 and until 23:00 from October 25. The 2026 season ends January 3, 2027.
In July and August the cathedral stays open until 22:00 on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.
From November, Maison Picassiette closes and the labyrinth is no longer open to walk until Lent. The guided climb closes at 17:00 in winter, and both it and the treasury are closed on Sunday mornings.
Come on a Saturday morning for the market on Place Billard, 8:00 to 14:00.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get from Paris to Chartres?
Take the train from Paris Montparnasse. Every train is direct, the fastest takes 58 minutes, and the full fare is €21 each way. The cathedral is a 10-minute walk from Chartres station.
Is Chartres Cathedral free?
Yes. Entry is free every day from 8:30 to 19:30. You pay €7 only for the guided visit to the upper parts or for the treasury, both free under 26.
Can you walk the Chartres labyrinth?
On Fridays from 10:30 to 16:45, from the first Friday of Lent to the last Friday of October. The hours change when there is a service.
Can you visit the crypt?
Only for prayer or as part of a pilgrimage, arranged by phone with the cathedral. There is no regular public tour of the crypt.
Can I combine Chartres with Versailles?
Yes. Some Chartres trains stop at Versailles-Chantiers. Or let us take you: our private Versailles trip picks you up at your Paris hotel in a private van, with a licensed guide in the palace and gardens and priority entry, about four and a half hours, every day except Monday.
Our Most Popular Day Trips From Paris
Vaux le Vicomte & Fontainebleau
Vaux le Vicomte and Fontainebleau in one day, without the Versailles crowds.
Louvre, Montmartre and Notre Dame in eight hours with a private driver-guide.
