Day Trip from Paris: Reims or Chartres?

You're welcome, Nick.

The palace opens at 09:00 and the first fountain display is 11:00-12:00. Since everyone's pace is different, I don't know how rushed you'll feel trying to see both the palace and Marie Antoinette's home in two hours. However, you could go back after the fountain display to see what you missed and still get to Chartres in time to visit the cathedral. Visiting hours end at 19:30. Guided lectures in English by Malcolm Miller are at 12:00 and 14:45. If you want to visit the crypt, beginning on 1 April the scheduled times are 11:00, 14:15, 15:30, and 16:30.

On Saturdays there is once-an-hour train service from Versailles-Chantiers to Chartres. Trains depart at 47 minutes after the hour.

I've never been to Reims, so I can't compare it to Chartres. But here's some things I liked about Chartres:

-The way the cathedral suddenly appears on the flat horizon and appears to hover over the town is simply magical. Thanks to Wikipedia, you can see what I mean:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chartres_1987.jpg

• I don't want to overuse the term "magical", but... I had a delicious dinner at an outdoor table facing the cathedral. Watching the light of the setting sun dance on the surface of this awe-inspiring building was... well, you get the idea.

-Like many small cities in France, Chartres has a very pleasant pedestrian-only area, filled with cafes and delightful shops. Not particularly unique, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Hi Nick, I am going to Paris for the first time in May. We are planning to combine the two into a whirlwind one day trip. We are going to leave from Paris as early in the am as possible and go to Chartres. We are only going to look at the cathedral so probably will just spend about 2 hours there. Then we are going to take a train to Reims (which connects back through paris) but takes about 2.5 hours. We are hoping to get to Reims around 2 in the afternoon and see Reims cathedral and then spend the night in Reims drinking some good champagne while we do. We know it will be a long day but we want to see as much as possible and we are young so have the stamina haha.

Hi Dina,

I am also young (26) but wow! I'm tired just thinking about that trip. Have you ever been to Europe before? I ask because I have done a fair amount of travel and cannot emphasize enough the beauty of simply lingering in a town. I don't know the rest of your itinerary, so I am not going to assume that the rest of your trip will be such a whirlwind. I think as long as the majority of your trip doesn't feel like a 50-yard dash, then having the one crazy day should be fine.

Have an awesome trip!

Nick - Like you, I truly enjoy lingering when I travel. However, for your consideration I'll throw out a way you could see everything on your list--without being rushed to the max. For your first day trip you could visit Versailles in the morning, eat a picnic lunch on the one-hour direct train ride from Versailles to Chartres, visit the cathedral in the afternoon, and then linger in Chartres into the evening. For your second day trip spend the whole day in Reims.

Wow, Tim! I'm not sure how I missed the 1 hour ride from Versailles to Chartres. I was considering Versailles on a Saturday so we could see the fountain display in the garden. Do you think we could tour the interior of the palace, as well as Marie A's home and the fountains before buzzing over to Chartres?

Thanks for the info.

I can't speak for Chartres, but I had a very enjoyable day trip in Reims, taking the TGV from Paris for the day.

I loved the cathedral in Reims; the Chagall stained glass is amazing.

Of course, the highlight of the trip is the Champagne! Make sure you get appointments for the tours at the champagne houses - you only get to taste if you take the tour. I made my appointments by stopping at the visitor's center, right across the street from the cathedral; they called the champagne houses and made the appointments for me.

I went to Pommery and Mumm; I enjoyed them both, but the Pommery tour was better, in my opinion. If I had budgeted my time better, I could have fit a third house in, but I spent too much time wandering around the city and didn't make it to Tattinger in time for their tour.

One other recommendation, if you really like champagne - pay for all the tasting options! At Mumm, I was one of three people who had paid to taste all their champagnes, from their "regular" nonvintage to the special vintage releases; a large group of people who came in with a tour weren't able to taste the good stuff. I felt sorry for them...but not sorry enough to share my one glass with a dozen people!

I have been to europe several times. The last time i went i spent 7 weeks just in Italy so i certainly have enjoyed just lingering in towns and seeing all there is to see. For this trip we have less time and are trying to see more. So yeah that will be a whirlwind day but we are okay with that.

If you choose to visit Chartres, there is a tour guide in the cathedral who has been giving tours for over 50 years. He is English, I think his name is Malcom Campbell. He is located in the cathedral and the tour was fantastic. The town is beautiful and a fun one to explore. One hour train from Paris. Which ever you choose to visit, you will have a good time.

Sorry, Nick the name of the guide in the Cathedral at Chartres is Malcom Miller. If you go there it is worth seeing if he is still giving tours. It was one of the best one hour tours I have been on.

Tim,

Do you know anyone else who has visited both Versailles and Chartres in the same day? Everywhere else I look, people are saying that's impossible.

Thanks,

Nick