- ~90 km south-west of Paris — roughly 1 h 15 door-to-door.
- Half-day or full-day hire with a dedicated chauffeur who waits for you.
- Family vans for groups of up to 7 passengers with luggage.
- Fixed price confirmed at booking — no meter, no surprises.
Chauffeur to Chartres — Gothic Cathedral
One of the world's greatest cathedrals, an hour from Paris. A private chauffeur takes you door-to-door to Chartres — its famous stained glass, the old town and the evening light shows — at your own pace.
Book a Chartres day trip ↗South-west of Paris, Chartres is home to a cathedral that has drawn pilgrims for eight centuries — a masterpiece of Gothic architecture famous for its almost-complete medieval stained glass and the unique "Chartres blue". Below it, a picturesque old town winds down to the river Eure. With a private chauffeur you arrive relaxed and skip the station transfers — we collect you at your Paris hotel or address and bring you straight to the cathedral square.
The Cathedral
Direct transfer to Notre-Dame de Chartres, its stained glass, crypt and labyrinth.
Old Town & Eure
The lanes, watermills and footbridges of the medieval quarter along the river.
Chartres en Lumières
Evening light shows in season, with a relaxed late drive back to Paris.
Your day in Chartres, effortless
Explore the cathedral's soaring nave and its windows — including the celebrated Blue Virgin — walk the labyrinth, then wind down through the old town to the mills and footbridges of the Eure. In season, stay into the evening for Chartres en Lumières, when the cathedral and monuments are bathed in light.
Chartres pairs well with Versailles on the way back, or folds into a wider hourly chauffeur itinerary — see all our day trips from Paris. You travel in a quiet, air-conditioned Mercedes with a professional, English-speaking driver.
Chartres Chauffeur FAQ
How far is Chartres from Paris?
Chartres is about 90 km south-west of Paris — roughly 1 h 15 by car door-to-door, depending on your pick-up point and traffic.
What is Chartres famous for?
Its UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral — one of the best preserved in Europe — renowned for its 12th- and 13th-century stained glass and the deep 'Chartres blue', plus the labyrinth and the charming old town along the Eure.
What is Chartres en Lumières?
From spring to autumn, monuments across the city are illuminated with spectacular light shows after dark. A chauffeur lets you stay for the evening and return to Paris in comfort.
Can the chauffeur wait during the visit?
Yes — with hourly or day hire your chauffeur stays available throughout the visit and drives you back whenever you wish.
Inside Chartres Cathedral and its stained glass
Consecrated in 1260, Chartres Cathedral is the benchmark of French High Gothic — and, almost uniquely, it came through war, revolution and fire with its medieval fabric intact. Around 176 stained-glass windows, most from the 12th and 13th centuries, cover some 2,600 square metres and glow with the cobalt tone known the world over as Chartres blue; the Blue Virgin and the great rose windows are the highlights. On the nave floor lies the famous labyrinth, a medieval pilgrimage path still walked by visitors today. A recent restoration has returned the interior to a luminous near-white that transforms how the glass reads. Pair the cathedral with the flexibility of an hourly chauffeur and you can also take in the crypt and treasury without watching the clock.
Chartres sits about an hour and a quarter south-west of Paris, and while trains run from Montparnasse, a private chauffeur to Chartres lets you leave when you like and return after dark — which matters here, because in season the city stages Chartres en Lumières, projecting light onto the cathedral and dozens of monuments across the old town. Below the cathedral, the medieval quarter tumbles down to the river Eure past washhouses, watermills and stone footbridges, ideal for an unhurried stroll and lunch. With your driver waiting nearby, you can stay for the illuminations and step straight into a warm, quiet car for the ride home, rather than racing for the last evening train.
Why is the stained glass at Chartres so famous?
Because so much of it is original medieval glass — around 176 windows from the 12th and 13th centuries — and for its unique deep blue, the celebrated 'Chartres blue', best seen in the Blue Virgin and the great rose windows.
How long do you need at Chartres?
Allow around two hours for the cathedral and its windows, and half a day to add the labyrinth, crypt and the old town along the Eure; a chauffeur lets you extend into the evening if you wish.
Can I visit Chartres in the evening?
Yes — from spring to autumn the city is lit for Chartres en Lumières after dusk, and with a private chauffeur you can enjoy the illuminations and drive back to Paris in comfort.
The chauffeur's view
Twenty minutes out, we always tell our passengers to look up from their phones. The two spires rise out of the flat wheat plain of the Beauce long before the town does — in morning haze they seem to float on the horizon, exactly as pilgrims saw them on foot. We like to leave Paris around 8:30: you step into the cathedral about an hour ahead of the coach groups, while it is still hushed and cool. Our regulars break for a long lunch at the Grand Monarque on place des Épars, then walk it off downhill to the Eure. In season we simply shift the whole day later — dinner in the old town, the illuminations, and a quiet A11 home while you doze. No timetable to chase; the evening decides when we leave.
Your Chartres day trip
All-inclusive private price: chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, tolls and waiting.
Business Class
from 569€up to 3 passengers · half to full day
Business Van
from 715€up to 7 passengers · half to full day
Indicative from-price for a private day trip; the final quote depends on your exact itinerary, dates and group size. First Class and larger groups on request.
Visit Chartres in Comfort
Book a private chauffeur from Paris to the cathedral city today.
Book now ↗