Provins or Chartres?

I can only comment on Chartres. I found it very low key, but pleasant. Like many small French cities, there's a nice pedestrian-only shopping and cafe area near the cathedral. The cathedral itself... if you've seen a few of the larger Gothic cathedrals, Chartres won't offer any new revelations. But from a distance as you approach the town, the church towers over the surrounding flat countryside and makes quite a site.

I need to mildly disagree with Tom -- oh hell no, he's lost his pea-picking brain. Chartres is the queen of the notre dame stye cathedrals. I don't care too much for church architecture, but swing by there every chance I get.

He's absolutely correct about the town, however. Kind of blah -- a place to eat after you see the cathedral, and not much more.

Provins is terrific. I'd spend the night just to get a good day and a half in the town.

I know getting a train to Chartres is not a problem, but have no idea how it would work to get to Provins -- figure it out and go there.

Edit: I had no knowledge of shows until Pat mentioned them below. (Not a summer european traveler, if possible.) I just think the place is great.

I just visiting Provins less then a month ago,, and loved it,, could have spent more time there. They run shows ,, and I saw one ( the falcon show) and really wanted to see another one ( the horses and jousting one ) but didn't have enough time , so I will go back. I would however check and see if Provins is shuts down the shows by late October.

If Ed disagrees with me, that's fine. I know from the consistency of his posts that he has actually visited all the places he has written about, and he's not just reflexively posting links of other people's opinions, or mindlessly dittoing everything Rick Steves says. Getting someone's opinion from first-hand experience, even if you might disagree, is a most valuable tool in travel planning.