Chartres cathedral is a short 45-minute ride from Paris on SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français), France's national railway.  A quick jaunt via the Metro brings us to Gare Montparnasse where we buy our tickets, board the train, and relax as SNCF whisks us away to Chartres.

Once there, we stroll through the town.  On our way to the cathedral, we stop and have lunch at a little place that proudly announces:  "Come on in!  We speak fluent English!"  (and they did).

At the cathedral we went on a tour with Malcolm Miller who has been guiding tours here for 50 years.  He is the resident expert on all things related to Chartres cathedral.