Please sign in to post.

BnB in Chartres

Hi. We’re 3 seniors looking to stay a couple of nights in Chartres in early October
and looking for a reasonably priced BnB. Anyone have suggestions. We’re familiar with booking most of Europe’s BnBs but haven’t been to France in over 50 years.

Posted by
112 posts

A BnB in France is called a chambre d'hôtes and though I know you are looking for specific recommendations I doubt with such a specific request as yours for Chartres that anyone will have firsthand experience. If you don't get a specific recommendation then google "chambre d'hôtes chartres" or even in English "B&B chartres" or some similar phrase. You should also check the tourist office website:

https://www.chartres-tourisme.com/en

https://www.chartres-tourisme.com/en/get-prepared/where-to-stay

If you'll have a car and will be staying in Chartres for a few days and need recommendations of places to visit/things to do then I know that area pretty well and would be happy to make some suggestions.

Posted by
13 posts

Thanks. I’ve booked a small hotel near the train station, Hôtel Les Poèmes, which should work fine. I’ve noticed that breakfast is expensive in France but maybe when I get there, all food will be. We’re only staying two nights (day and 1/2 there) but would appreciate your recommendations for seeing after the cathedral.
Cheers

Posted by
112 posts

France is not a breakfast country so if you're paying more than €15 for continental breakfast in your hotel and you want to eat on the cheap then just go to a boulangerie and get the same stuff they'll serve you in your hotel for half the price. Plus, they may also have quiches or other savory things you may not get with the standard continental breakfast most French hotels offer. I've been living in France for years (from the U.S.) and I find food much cheaper in France than the U.S., restaurants included (especially since there is no need to tip and unlike Mass. where I'm from they don't add the tax on top of the price shown).

With such a short amount of time you should spend time researching the Chartres tourist office website. I misunderstood and thought you might be spending a few days in Chartres but you've really only got 1-1/2 days. Obviously you'll see the cathedral but were you aware of the cathedral tours offered:

https://www.chartres-tourisme.com/en/do-not-miss/the-chartres-cathedral/visiting-the-cathedral

Wander the old medieval downtown following the tourist trail (get a map from the tourist office) and maybe visit something unusual like the Maison Picassiette:

https://www.chartres-tourisme.com/explorez/maisons-remarquables/maison-picassiette

Not far off you can visit the Château de Maintenon:

http://www.chateaudemaintenon.fr/en

On the way to the Château de Maintenon you can stop (it only takes a few minutes) and visit the pre-historic site of the Dolmen de Changé:

https://www.megalithesdechange.fr/

That's not an incredibly scenic region in terms of landscapes since it mostly consists of flat fields of wheat/barley as far as the eye can see so on the way to Maintenon and the dolmens drive along the Eure river. The town of Rambouillet and it's château/forest are not far away:

https://www.rambouillet-tourisme.fr/en/

And of course Versailles, Maintenon and Rambouillet can all be accessed via train from Chartres (with walking involved from the train stations) or more easily with a car:

https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/

The Vallée de Chevreuse has many options:

https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/regional-natural-park-of-the-haute-vallee-de-chevreuse

https://www.parc-naturel-chevreuse.fr/voir-faire/visites-accompagnees/offices-du-tourisme-et-points-dinformation/office-de-tourisme-de

If you want to drive/explore in the area then get Michelin map #311 (Eure-et-Loir, Paris, Yvelines).

Posted by
13 posts

Thanks a bunch. Chartres is a fill-in after 3 weeks in the Cotswold, Is. of Jersey (our ancestral home) and the Loire Valley before heading to CDG and home to Alberta & Mass.
Cheers

Posted by
1329 posts

Hotel le Boeuf Couronne is also a good choice. Has a nice view of the cathedral if you get one of those rooms and they also have one of the best restaurants in the city.