Chartres tourism and travel guide

Visit Chartres: highlights and tourist information

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 Centre-Loire Valley region.

Attractions in Chartres

The 13th century cathedral in Chartres is generally considered to be one of the most beautiful gothic cathedrals in the world: Chartres Cathedral

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 sites to visit and local tourist attractions see the map and listings below.

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!

Chartres Cathedral

Cathedral less than one km (direction north-north-west)

The 13th century cathedral in Chartres is generally considered to...

See Chartres Cathedral guide

Chateau de Rambouillet

Castle at 33 km (direction east-north-east), in the Yvelines department

Once a Royal castle, the Chateau de Rambouillet is now the summer...

See Chateau de Rambouillet guide

Chateaudun

National Monument at 43 km (direction south-south-west)

Both the castle and the town along the Loir River...

See Chateaudun guide

Nogent-le-Rotrou

at 51 km (direction west)

Within the Perche Regional Natural Park, in Nogent-le-Rotrou you...

See Nogent-le-Rotrou guide

Versailles Palace

Castle at 61 km (direction east-north-east), in the Yvelines department

A short distance outside central Paris, the Palais de...

See Versailles Palace guide

Chateau de Chamerolles

Castle at 66 km (direction east-south-east), in the Loiret department

The chateau de Chamerolles is an attractive chateau with...

See Chateau de Chamerolles guide

... 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

Chartres is 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).

Getting here

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