Day Trip from Paris - Chartres & Versailles (Gardens only) in one day

Hi from Wisconsin,
Yes, it is physically possible to visit both in one day. Via car or mass transit it is under an hour and half away from each other. This does not include the time consumed getting to the platform/parking lot, waiting for the transport/parking your car, and getting to what you are trying to see. It will also take you well more than hour to get from Paris to versailles.

When I was in college the local ROTC asked me to bolster their Orienteering team. Orienteering is a challenge to see who can read a compass and get through the course fastest. At each identified location you punch you card. I bring this up because I would consider trying to do both in one day would mean spending so little time at either it would be like getting your card punched.

Chartres is a great cathedral, best seen at various times of the day to catch the changes wrought by the differing light of the day. Not only that, the city has quite a nice old town well worth exploring.

Trying to do both is really tempting. I'd say, have a leisurely breakfast in Paris. Catch the train from Gare Montparnasse to Chartres. Get into the cathedral. Then depending on the time of day either walk the labyrinth (the one inside is open on special days, but there is one outside) or get something to eat then revisit the cathedral. Walk around the city stopping in at the two other large churches, look for the farmer's market. Work on a supper in the city. Back into the cathedral. Catch the train back to Paris. A coffee/beer/OJ at an outside cafe should be in this mix.

enjoy what ever you do do.

wayne inWI

A train from Paris Montparnasse to Chartres takes 1h 15m. A train from Chartres to Versailles takes 1h: https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/. The gardens at Versailles closes at 8:30p and the trains will still be operating.

It is not ideal, as you could spend a full day in either location, but since they are on the same railway, it is feasible - at least in summer, with longer days.
I would do it the other way around, though : Gardens, then Chartres. This is because the last access to the Gardens is at 7 (in Summer), so you'd really have to watch the clock in Chartres. And the cathédral is amazing at night - trains run late and allow this.

Chartres was lovely. We went for the church and had no idea that the old town, situated on a river, is quite charming. They also have a light show in the evening on many of the buildings which was super cool.

It sounds exhausting to me to do Chartres and Versailles in one day. I'm usually of the camp that will squeeze more in, but I feel like your plan is just too much.

Frankly unless you are obsessed with the Chartres cathedral skip Chartres. It’s not a nice town. Spend the extra time in Versailles.

We have seen a lot of churches & cathedrals and think Chartres is one of the best - worthy of beaucoup time. We agree with wayner & jules m that the town is interesting, charming and picturesque; had no problem spending a whole day exploring. But maybe we were confused and were in DisneyLand instead. If the famous French sites are worth visiting at all, they worth the time spent to study and enjoy them at one's leisure. That is why they are famous.

Thanks for all of your responses. I think that we will take the train to Chartres and wander the town. We'll skip Versailles this trip and plan for a visit in the future.

Good day! I have never tried to do both in one day but I can say that half a day isn't adequate for me to visit Versailles. The property is so large it just takes a good 6 hours to cover it all (at a decent pace). The first two times I visited Versailles I wasn't able to see and do everything I intended. The next few times I visited I gave myself the entire day and I really enjoyed the slower pace. The hard learned (for me) philosophy is to plan with the knowledge that you will return someday.