There are a great number of trains between Paris and Chartres each day. Depending on which one you catch it can take a little less or a little more than an hour. For more information: http://www.ter-sncf.com/centre/index.asp. Telephone in France: 0 891 70 55 55. This phone is staffed Monday to Friday from 6h30 to 19h00. I use http://www.voyages-sncf.comto order tickets ahead of time, but you need a credit card with a french chip to do this. If ordering on-line, you will need to use PARIS MONTPARNASSE 1 ET 2 (75) as the name of your departure station.

American credit cards will NOT work on-line or in the machines that are found in French train stations. You will need to go to the "buy in person" area to purchase your ticket. If you don't speak French, look for the window with the British flag in it. American credit cards work perfectly in this area.

The ticket costs around E 12,40 each way . For a slightly more expensive ticket, you can buy tickets ahead of time at http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm.

You can buy a round trip ticket for a bit of a discount. Tickets are valid forabout two months (check for the exact details with an agent) and do not need to be used for the time that you "reserve." They will need you to pick a specific time for your return trip, but they don't hold you to it (again check and makes sure about this before buying your ticket).

If you are buying a ticket for the day you are traveling, look for the "Depart Aujourd'hui" sign over the window. If you don't speak French, look for the ticket window that has an American or British flag in it. If there are only French speaking windows, it might help to know, "Aller simple" means you want a one way ticket. "Allez-retour" means a round trip ticket. Write down the days you want to go and come back and hand it to the person selling the tickets. The French write the day first, then the month, then the year. (Example: Say you want to go on December 4, 2009, returning on December 10th. Write: Allez 4 12 09. Retour 10 12 09.)

After buying your ticket and before getting on the train, you need to “COMPOSTE” it—in other words, you need to get a time stamped on the back of it. Look for the orange machines in the station. You stick it in and it does the rest. This lets the conductor know that you aren’t trying to ride for free.

You will be taking a train on the Paris-Chartres-Nogent-Le Mans Route. When you look for the train track, the train may be listed as “Le Mans”.

When you are in the train station in Paris or Chartres, you can pick up a small brochure that lists all the current times. It will be SNCF, Region Centre brochure #17: Le Mans/Nogent-le-Retour/Chartres/Paris. If you find #16 it gives the times just for Paris-Chartres.

Before getting on the train, I always try to get some treat from Chez Paul, the wonderful bakery. They have a vending area in the train station that is worth visiting!

All trains going to Chartres leave from Gare Montparnasse. (Not Gare du Nord.) This is listed as PARIS MONTPARNASSE 1 ET 2 (75)on-line.

There are many (but less) trains returning from Chartres to Paris. Check for time on a flyer that you can pick up at either train station for exact times. The first leaves Chartres at 4h45 (M-F; 6h33 for Saturday and Sunday). The last leaves at 19h35 (except on Sundays the last leaves 22h27.