Food & Wine
Champagne tours: a wine trip to Reims and Épernay, cellars and hotels
Champagne is just a short train ride from Paris but feels like another world: chalk cellars underground, vineyards above the Marne and small growers who open their doors. Here is our guide to a wine trip in Champagne, with the hotels we would stay in.
The stairs lead down into the chalk, and the temperature drops with every step. In the cellar the bottles stand in long rows, neck down, while the guide explains how the sediment slowly gathers in the neck. An hour later you are back in the daylight with a cold glass in your hand. Champagne is one of the world’s most famous wine regions, and surprisingly easy to visit.
The Champagne hillsides, houses and cellars are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region has two main towns, Reims and Épernay, and between them lie villages full of small growers. Here is how to plan your trip, and the hotels we recommend.
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How to plan a trip to the Champagne region
Getting there: the train from Paris to Reims takes under an hour, with local trains on to Épernay.
Choose your base: Reims for the big houses and the cathedral, Épernay for the Avenue de Champagne.
Book your tours: most champagne houses require booking ahead.
Visit a small grower: look for RM on the label, meaning the producer grows their own grapes.
Reims: the cathedral and the great houses
Reims is the largest town in Champagne, home to the Gothic cathedral where French kings were crowned. Several of the great champagne houses are here, many with cellars in old chalk quarries deep beneath the city.
Domaine Les Crayères: the château in the park
Les Crayères is a small château hotel in a park in Reims, next to several of the great champagne houses. Its restaurant is one of the best known in the region.
The hotel for a special occasion, with champagne quite literally next door.
Book your wine trip: See rooms at Domaine Les Crayères
La Caserne Chanzy
By the cathedral in Reims
La Caserne Chanzy: by the cathedral
La Caserne Chanzy stands right by Reims cathedral, with a spa and a bar that puts the region’s champagne centre stage. Restaurants, shops and several champagne houses are within walking distance.
A modern, central choice for exploring the town on foot.
Book your wine trip: See rooms at La Caserne Chanzy
Épernay and the Avenue de Champagne
The Avenue de Champagne in Épernay is the street where many of the famous houses stand in a row, in elegant buildings with kilometres of cellars beneath. Walk the whole avenue and pick one or two houses for a tour.
Hôtel Jean Moët
Central Épernay
Hôtel Jean Moët: by the Avenue de Champagne
Hôtel Jean Moët is in the centre of Épernay, a few minutes from the Avenue de Champagne. It is a charming hotel with a garden and an indoor pool under a glass roof.
A good base for walking between the champagne houses.
Book your wine trip: See rooms at Hôtel Jean Moët
Le 25Bis by Leclerc Briant
A guesthouse in Épernay
Le 25Bis by Leclerc Briant: stay with a champagne house
Le 25Bis is a small guesthouse run by the champagne house Leclerc Briant, close to the Avenue de Champagne. The rooms are personal and elegant.
For a more intimate stay close to the production.
Book your wine trip: See rooms at Le 25Bis
The vineyards and villages
Between Reims and Épernay lie the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. Here you will find villages with small growers selling straight from the estate, and viewpoints over the vineyards.
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa
Views over the Marne valley
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa: views over the vineyards
Royal Champagne sits on the hillside at Champillon, with panoramic views over the vineyards and the Marne valley. It has a spa, a restaurant and terraces made for a glass at sunset.
For staying right in the landscape, between Reims and Épernay.
Book your wine trip: See rooms at Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa
When is the best time to visit Champagne?
The harvest usually takes place in September, when the vineyards are full of life. Spring and early summer are green and calm. The cellars keep a steady, cool temperature all year, so a winter trip works too, although some small growers receive fewer visitors.
When should you book your hotel?
September: harvest time and popular, so book early.
Weekends: lots of day trippers from Paris, especially in summer.
Flexible rates: choose a cancellable room if you are planning far ahead.
Frequently asked questions about Champagne tours
How do you get to the Champagne region?
The train from Paris to Reims takes under an hour, with local trains on to Épernay. Many visitors hire a car or book a tour with a driver to visit the villages.
Should you stay in Reims or Épernay?
Reims has the cathedral, several great champagne houses and more city life. Épernay has the Avenue de Champagne and is closer to the vineyards. With two nights you can combine both.
Do you need to book champagne house tours?
Yes, most champagne houses require booking ahead, especially at weekends and in summer. Book before you travel.
When is the harvest in Champagne?
The harvest usually takes place in September, but the dates vary from year to year depending on the weather.
Where should you stay in Champagne?
Domaine Les Crayères and La Caserne Chanzy are in Reims, Hôtel Jean Moët and Le 25Bis in Épernay, and Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa sits between them with views over the vineyards.