INFORMATION ON CHARTRES

Note: Some of this may be a bit dated, but much of it is still current.

INFORMATION ON CHARTRES, FRANCE
Recommendations by Robert Ferré
I receive a lot of inquiries from people going to Chartres, as to where to stay, what to do, etc. So here is a brief summary of information that might be helpful. This was done a few years ago, but most of it is still accurate.

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STAY A WHILE
Stay as long as you can. I have been there more than 40 times and have still barely touched the surface of what I would like to do. I am reminded of the story of Abbe' Bulteau, who was one of the first to write about the history and art of the cathedral after it was "rediscovered" in the 19th century. In 1850 he published a book on the cathedral, but felt it was incomplete. He continued to work on it, but it was still unfinished at the time of his death, 32 years later! That's how I feel. The town itself is marvelous, as well. When I see tour buses pull up, discharge 50 tourists and say, "Be back in two hours so we can go see (whatever)," I laugh.

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GETTING TO CHARTRES
Chartres is about 60 miles southwest of Paris. The closest airport is Orly, as opposed to Charles de Gaulle Airport, which is located on the other side of Paris. Most flights these days go into Charles de Gaulle. Renting a car is not necessary, unless you plan to travel further afield. From Charles de Gaulle take the big white Air France bus to Montparnasse (second stop, the first stop is Gare de Lyon). The train to Chartres leaves from the Montparnasse train station, which is right next to the Air France bus stop. It's not expensive and takes about an hour. Trains leave frequently throughout the day. The train station in Chartres is only a few blocks from the cathedral. You won't miss it. For a more detailed explanation, see: Getting to Chartres.

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ACCOMMODATIONS
Telephoning France: 011 (international operator) + 33 (France country code) plus NINE numbers. Don't dial the first zero unless you are calling within France.

Paris

Perhaps you want to catch up on your sleep and get over jet lag before you go to Chartres. Here's a tip on a great hotel in Paris. It is called Central Hotel. When you get off the Air France bus at Montparnasse, walk to Avenue du Maine (about 30 yards), cross the street, jog slightly to the left and continue down a small street, Rue du Maine. You will pass several decent and inexpensive restaurants before coming to a little square (about 100 yards, maybe less). Facing the square is Hotel Central. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Montparnasse area, here is a quiet spot. The two-star hotel is spotlessly clean. The rooms are small, but then again, not expensive by Paris standards ($65-$75). If you are hungry, go across the square to Tarte Julie. It is a chain in France, selling delicious tartes (quiche) both as main course and dessert, plus salads. Yes, it even has checkered table cloths. If it is a nice day, get the food to go and sit out in the square. The owner of Central Hotel, Monsieur Peron, lived in the United States for 10 years. He knows about customer satisfaction and good service. Tel: 01.43.20.69.15 Fax: 01.43.20.50.09

If you ask a travel agency to find you a room in Paris, they are likely to put you in a Holiday Inn or a Best Western at $175 per night or so. In September, 2000, my wife Ruth and I went to France on our second honeymoon. In Paris we discovered the Terrass Hotel, the only four star hotel in the 18th arrondisement of Paris. It is in a neighborhood setting, a short walk from picturesque Montmartre. Using their Internet special price, we got our room for $155 per night. I'm sure there is no other four star hotel in Paris at that price. In the warm weather, they open their rooftop dining terrace from which you can view much of Paris. From our balcony we could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance, the old Opera, and more. Tel: 01.46.06.72.85 Fax: 01.42.52.29.11

Chartres

The descriptions below cover a wide range of accommodation available in Chartres, along with the telephone numbers. From the U.S., precede all of the numbers by 011 (international operator) and 33 (country code). In the fall of 1996 France added two more digits to all telephone numbers. In the case of Chartres, it is the 02 at the beginning. Again, do not dial the first zero unless calling from within France. In other words, after the "33" you will dial nine more numbers.

Hotel de la Poste Tel: 02.37.21.04.27 -----Fax: 02.37.36.42.17 ** (two stars)
Comfortable, close to the cathedral, has a decent restaurant, and is in the medium price range ($70 per night), good value. Four blocks from the train station (walk out the front of the station and just go straight).One friend reported problems, but I've always had a good time there. individually and with groups.

Jehan de Beauce Tel: 02.37.21.01.41 -----Fax: 02.37.21.59.10 ** (two stars)
Very close to the train station, above the Hard Rock Cafe (pizza, motorcycles, smoke). Very simple. Ask for a room facing the courtyard rather than the street.

Chatelet Tel: 02.37.21.78.00 -----Fax: 02.37.36.23.01 *** (three stars)
The Chatelet has three stars and private off-street parking for your car. Parking is expensive in Chartres (about $1.50 per hour), so that's a big plus, as they don't charge extra. It is right across the street from Jehan de Beauce in the first block across from the train station.. The rooms are modern and comfortable, but quite small and cramped. Many have a view of the Cathedral. Rooms are $80 and up. The Chatelet serves only breakfast, but there are restaurants near by.

Le Boeuf Couronné Tel: 02.37.18.06.06 -----Fax: 02.37.21.72.13 ** (two stars)
If you arrive by train, there are two less expensive (if a bit shabby around the edges) hotels, closer to the station. ($45-$55 per night). Jehan de Beauce is the first, and this the second. This one is better. Le Boeuf Couronné has a restaurant used a lot by locals, and a great view of the cathedral from the front rooms on the upper floors.

Ibis Centre Tel: 02.37.36.06.36 -----Fax: 02.37.36.17.20 * (one star)
This is a very clean and modern chain hotel with an inexpensive restaurant that has the feeling and decor of a Denny's. The buffet breakfast is nice (you can stock upon hard boiled eggs and bread to make your own picnic lunch). However, the hotel is at the bottom of the hill, a 10-15 minute walk up to the cathedral. On the other hand, it is right next to the Eure River and a very nice park. At $45-$50 per night it's a good value, and offers the professionalism and consistency of a national chain. The street beside it is quite noisy, so it's a mixed bag when you try to open the windows for a bit of air.

Le Grand Monarque Tel: 02.37.21.00.72 -----Fax: 02.37.36.34.18 *** (three stars)
This is reputed to be the best hotel in town. It's restaurant is also highly rated. In my experience, the quality is variable and the price much too high for value received. However, if you want to impress someone (there for business) stay here.

Hotel l'Ecu Tel: 02.37.21.34.59 -----Fax: 02.37.21.26.73 (no stars, lost the one that it previously had)
If you want the least expensive hotel (as I do when I travel alone), there is the Hotel de l'Ecu, which is just around the corner from the Grande Monarque. Once a popular and successful hotel, it hasn't been modernized or updated in the last 30 years. It actually lost its last star. A mom-and-pop operation, the proprietors are as nice as can be. The rooms are simple and clean, starting (with bathroom down the hall) at around $25 per night. The restaurant is forgettable. Don't eat there. I always have breakfast at the hotel, however, as I do at most hotels where I stay, even though six dollars for a continental breakfast (coffee and a croissant, bread and jam) doesn't seem like a bargain. The hotel business is a tough way to make a living, and breakfast is an important profit center for them. I like to help out. The street is very noisy, even at night (rug rats on their mopeds). Ask for a room away from the street.

Le Manoir des Prés du Roy ** (two stars) Tel: 02.37.22.27.27 -----Fax: 02.37.22.24.92
If you have a car, this hotel is located out in the countryside five miles from Chartres in a calm setting. It is a very good value for the price ($75 per night). The restaurant is also a real find. The hotel was taken over a few years ago by someone who has ambitions as a chef. The dining room is spacious, and the meals excellent.

B&B (Thompson) Tel: 02.37.31.41.26 -----Fax: 02.37.31.56.74
This is another one for those with cars. About 15 miles from Chartres (towards Paris) is Le Chateau de Jonvilliers, owned by a French/American couple (Richard and Virginie Thompson). They have redone a whole floor into modern and comfortable rooms that cost around $55 per night. (Remember that includes breakfast that would otherwise cost another $6-$7.) While you can get an inexpensive hotel in Chartres for the same price, staying here will be a memorable experience. The chateau has extensive private grounds. It is listed on several exclusive B&B lists. Their web page has lots of information. You will find it at: www.chateaudejonvilliers.com.

l'Auberge de Jeunesse Tel: 02.37.34.27.64 -----Fax: 02.37.35.75.85
This is a youth hostel. Adults can stay there, too. It is on the neighboring hill from the cathedral, with a spectacular view. (You may want to go there just to take a photo.) Lodging is $10, meals $9, and picnic baskets $5.50. Bring your own linen or rent theirs. It's a bit of a walk to the cathedral.

Maison Saint Yves Tel: 02.37.88.37.40 Fax: 02.37.88.37.49
This is not a hotel, nor is it operated like one. You can't just walk in and get a room. Rather, it is a facility operated by the church for pilgrims. Chartres is, as it has been for a thousand years, a big pilgrimage destination. Appropriate groups can stay here. It is located in a restored seminary building just 50 yards from the cathedral. Meals can be arranged. I mention it here because it might be possible for an individual or couple who may be going to Chartres on a sincere pilgrimage to make arrangements to stay here. It is simple but new and clean. See their website at www.diocesechartres.com

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RESTAURANTS
If you go to your local Barnes and Noble or Borders bookstore, as I do, take a few travel guides from the shelf, read them over a cappuccino in the cafe (taking notes, of course), and then put them back, you will find a number of good restaurants recommended for Chartres. I have tried them and they are great. But anyone can find the expensive places. In fact, there are numerous quaint little restaurants close to the cathedral which offer traditional meals at a low cost. It's hard to go wrong.

Very popular in France are pizza restaurants, which are OK in a pinch, even if they the pizzas aren't thick with ingredients as we are used to here in the U.S. For $10 or so you can get a very tasty pizza at Pizza Romain, which is right in front of the cathedral. (They have an extra charge if you split a pizza.)

Right on the corner next to the cathedral, in the most prominent place, is Cafe Serpente. They have assured business being right next to the cathedral. We call it the "Surly Serpent" because they don't have the American attitude towards business. Here, the customer isn't always right. They do as they wish, and if you are lucky, they will serve you. At any tiime of the day and well into the night it is possible to get just an omelette, salad, onion soup or fries, which is quick. However, are a bit pricey. Onion soup and french fries will set you back $15. If you don't want a real meal, go to the pedestrian shopping area and just buy a sandwich offered at one of the boulangeries (bakeries) for $3 and save your money to splurge on a good dinner ($20-$40).

Now located where Restaurant le Change used to be is the new and glitzy Cafe des Artistes. The owners has been very friendly and helpful to us. A block further down the street, by the open market place, there are two established worth mentioning. On the left is a place with quiche and salads which is reasonably priced and tasty. On the right is a place with pastries and ice cream. It is pricy, but they have air conditioning. On a hot day, it's a great place to go. On Saturday mornings, go to the market and get tasty delights for a picnic.

Now let's get to more traditional restaurants. There are numerous ones within a few blocks of the cathedral, with competitive prices and good menus. I have had numerous good meals at le Tripot (11 Plce Jean Moulin, 02.37.36.60.11). The fireplace tokes the chill off a cool evening. Service is polite and friendly. $25. Incidentally, "menu" in French refers to a fixed price meal. The folder on which the various dishes are listed is called "la carte." That's why, when you buy individual dishes rather than a fixed-menu, you are ordering "a la carte." Fixed price meals are always a much better deal unless you really want to create your own combinations.

Hotel de la Poste has a decent restaurant. If you are also staying there, ask for "demi-pension," a price per person that includes room, breakfast, and one other meal (lunch or dinner). Should be around $70, and may require a stay of several days. If you are at the Hotel l'Ecu, walk half a block to Place des Epars and turn right. There is a restaurant there which has only five or six tables, called Restaurant des Epars, or something like that. I had a nice meal there. Dad cooked, mom served, and the kid played in the hallway.

A local resident invited me to dinner at another great restaurant called P'tit Morard (25, rue de la Porte Morard, in the lower town, not far from Mrs. Borreye's B&B. Tel: 02.37.15.89). Most tourists don't find this place. The food is great, not expensive, with a lot of little extras and pizzaz. We had a glorious meal for $25.

For a superb buy and an authentic French brasserie, go to the Brasserie Chatelet. There are a few tables outside, and more inside, where it will be smoky. The portions are huge, the prices reasonable, and the service French (slow). It is located right next to the Hotel du Boeuf Couronne. Walking up from the train station it is a great place to stop. Try the moules frites (mussels and French fries).

Want a late-night snack? Several times I have gone at 11 pm or later to Cafe de la Ouest, right across from the train station. It looks intimidating from the front, because the front room will be noisy and smoky, with people playing pinball and standing around the bar. But in the back are two dining rooms and the food is quite decent. You might try the salade nicoise, or do what I do -- have several deserts. The people around you will be French. If you want a classy night cap, go to the bar of the Grande Monarch instead.

With Le Pichet, I have saved my favorite until the end. Once when I stayed a month in Chartres, I had lunch here almost every day. The owner is personable, the food good French home-cooking, the prices reasonable ($10 for lunch), and there is a no-smoking room! It backs up to the Tourist Office. The owner also has some furnished rooms upstairs which can be rented by the week or longer for shockingly low prices. Tel: 02.37.21.08.35 Fax: 02.37.36.24.79

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IT'S JUST MONEY
Don't limit your trip by pinching pennies and missing out on memorable meals and experiences. I find that cheap food doesn't exist in many places in France. In the U.S. one can get a compete meal at Denny's for $6. Not in France. On the other hand, a really good meal at a continental restaurant in

the US can cost $60 and more. In France, for the same price, you can get a real feast. And for half that price, you still get a great four- or five-course meal. I enjoy little luxuries, such as buying descriptive guide books in the places I visit, even though they cost $10 for a little 40-page booklet. Even if you don't have much money, don't spent your time worrying about prices. I have seen people get very disturbed by receiving a poor exchange rate, which, compared to a good rate, might have cost them $5 extra. Or maybe they were ripped off for a few dollars by someone. Hey, folks, let it go. Don't let it spoil your trip.

Most people who report that the French hate Americans and are unfriendly aren't actually such great ambassadors themselves. They go to the cheapest places in their travel-on-next-to-nothing guidebook, trying to save a buck, where the proprietor is working 18 hours a day trying to eek out a living, and then get disturbed if they aren't treated like royalty. Do you want to be treated well? It's simple. Spend lots of money; everyone will love you. I'm being a bit facetious, but the point I'm making is this: Pay what it costs, absorb your losses, keep smiling, and have a great time.

I remember a taxi driver in Paris who took me on a needlessly long route to my destination, not knowing that I am familiar with the city. He felt like he needed to run up the bill, believing that his "salvation" was in ripping me off for a little extra fare. When we got to our destination, I gave him a big tip and wished him a good life. No problem. Another time, I gave ten-franc piece ($2) to a street person who was panhandling near my hotel. I wished him a good day, whereupon, hearing my strong American accent, he struck up a conversation and even tried out a few words of English. The next day, he was in the same spot, so I wished him a good day (no money this time). He growled, "Get fucked." It was a great lesson. I thought that my $2 should buy his eternal appreciation and respect. Wrong. France is a great place. Enjoy it.

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THE INTERNET
After a slow start, France is now getting up to speed in cyberspace. You can spend hours investigating the following links, as well as the links that they lead to. I haven't updated this page for a long time. There are lots of other great pages out there.

Bonjour Paris: www.bonjourparis.com
For an online ezine about Paris, you can go to the ever-expanding Bonjour Paris. There are some excellent published authors who contribute articles.

Paris Pages: www.paris.org
Les Pages de Paris" is loaded with information about Paris, including details on thousands of restaurants, hotels, cultural events, places to visit, subway, buses, and more. All you need for Paris, plus links to other tourism sites.

French Tourist Office: www.franceguide.com
La Maison de France is the official tourist office. They are trying to improve their image with a cheerful "Bonjour" campaign.

Anglophones: www.paris-anglo.com
Connections to the Paris Free Voice, a list of thousands of commercial establishments of all kinds that speak English, articles to read, book reviews and more.

French Government Tourist Office USA: www.francetourism.com
Comprehensive. Lots of information. A big improvement over their previous effort.

General Information: www.tourisme.fr
You can tell foreign URLs because they end with the country code, not "com" or "net" as we do it. I didn't spell tourism wrong, that's the French spelling.

Francophile Organizations: www.info-france-usa.org
Lists of Alliance Française chapters, cultural things. Quite extensive.

Products: www.france.com
A commercial site with very helpful information, including restaurant etiquette, exchange rates, weather, french lessons, and chat rooms.

Pariscope: www.pariscope.fr
Pariscope is the weekly magazine of happenings in Paris. They have lists of churches, theaters, cabarets, jazz clubs, anything you can think of.

Eurostar: www.eurostar.com
Eurostar is the fast train between London and Paris that goes through the tunnel under the English Channel ("the "chunnel").

SNCF: www.sncf.com
The French national railroads. If you speak some French, you might enjoy some of their very inexpensive tour packages.

RailEurope: www.raileurope.com
Located in this country, probably easier to deal with than sncf, although I have found their pages and telephone menus very frustrating.

Chartres

By searching under "Chartres" you will find numerous items. I haven't found a good site for Chartres that gives updated tourist information. If you find one, let me know. The site for the cathedral is www.diocesechartres.com

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TOURIST OFFICE (Tel:02.37.21.55.00 Fax: 02.37.21.51.91)
I have found the tourist office in Chartres to be very helpful. They fax information, or send brochures by mail. Once you are in Chartres, you can find lots of helpful things there. The tourist office is just in front of the cathedral. The Little Train stops there, which will take you on a 40-minute ride through Chartres. You can also get self-guided cassette tape walking tours, which allow you to go at your own speed.