Chartres tourism and travel guide

Visit Chartres: highlights and tourist information

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France This Way comment: Although most famous for its cathedral, you will also find plenty to explore elsewhere in the town of Chartres

Chartres is situated in the Eure-et-Loir department and Loire Valley region (now part of the Centre-Loire Valley region), in the eastern-center of France - it is the prefecture (capital) of the Eure-et-Loir department (general information: Chartres is 78 kilometres from Paris).

Tourist classifications for Chartres include "heritage site", "secteur sauvegarde" and "ville fleurie 4*". It is unusual for a town to have 3 awards, which indicates how important Chartres is as a tourist destination!

Popular places to visit nearby include Chateau de Rambouillet at 33 km and Chateaudun at 43 km. For more places to visit and local tourist attractions see the map and listings below.

You can also Book Chartres hotels

Chartres, France: places to visit and attractions

Some of the places that we have visited and reviewed and can recommend when you are sightseeing close to Chartres in Centre-Loire Valley.

Note that all distances below are 'direct' and real driving distances will be greater!

... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Eure-et-Loir

Map of places to visit near Chartres

Markets in and near Chartres

Market days in Chartres: weekly market: Saturday;

• Chartres: market Saturday (0km)
• Luce: market Sunday (3km)
• Maintenon: market Thursday (18km)
• Courville-sur-Eure: market Thursday (18km)
• Auneau: market Friday (21km)
• Voves: market Tuesday (22km)
• Nogent-le-Roi: market Saturday (23km)
• Bonneval: market Monday (30km)
• Dreux: market Wednesday & Sunday & Monday all day & Friday (34km)
• La Loupe: market Tuesday (35km)

More information about Chartres, Loire Valley

Tourist attractions near Chartres, France

What to do at Chartres? Some places with official tourist classifications and other places of interest to visit nearby that should provide inspiration if you are visiting Chartres.

National Monuments

• Rambouillet Chateau (34km)

Recommended detour towns (fr: plus beau détour)

• Chateaudun (43km)

Regional Natural Parcs

• Haute Vallee de Chevreuse (44km)

Churches and religious monuments

• Cathédrale de Chartres (Chartres) (1km)
• Abbaye Notre Dame des Vaulx de Cernay (Cernay-la-Ville) (42km)
• Notre Dame de Port Royal des Champs (Magny-les-Hameaux) (54km)

Remarkable gardens

• Le pré Catelan (24km)
• Domaine national de Rambouillet (33km)
• Parc du château de Groussay (45km)
• Parc du château de Breteuil (47km)

Sites of natural beauty

• Château de Sauvage (24km)
• Forêt de Rambouillet (37km)
• Vaux de Cernay (42km)
• Vallée de Chevreuse (49km)

Towns of Art and history

• Rambouillet (33km)

Villages in bloom 4* (fr: ville fleurie)

• Moutiers (27km)

Geography and distances

Getting here

Chartres is in the eastern-center of France. Most visitors fly into Paris CDG or Orly airport and hire a car. The drive from the channel ferry ports such as Caen or Le Havre takes around 3 hours. For driving distances to Chartres from anywhere in France see driving distances and route planner.

We have 13 other places listed as being close (less than kilometres from ): Barjouville, Champhol, Chartres Cathedral, Fontenay-sur-Eure, Gasville-Oiseme, Gellainville, Le Coudray, Leves, Luce, Luisant, Mainvilliers, Morancez and Saint-Prest.

This page in French: Visiter Chartres