Champagne
Eurostar to Champagne: a weekend in Reims and Épernay by train
Leave St Pancras after breakfast and you can be in a Reims champagne cellar by mid-afternoon. One change in Paris, a ten-minute walk between stations, and nobody needs to drive.
12 November 20266 min read
Picolo Editorial
In short: Champagne by Eurostar
Take the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord, walk about ten minutes to Gare de l'Est and catch the TGV to Reims, around 45 minutes. Allow about four hours in all. Spend the first night in Reims and the second in Épernay. La Caserne Chanzy, facing Reims Cathedral, is our first choice.
Last checked: November 2026.
Why the train works
Champagne is the rare wine region where a car is more trouble than it is worth. Reims and Épernay both have stations within walking distance of their champagne houses, and the train between them takes about 35 minutes. Everything you came for involves tasting, and whoever drives does not taste.
The one change is simpler than it sounds. Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est are two stations a few hundred metres apart in the 10th arrondissement. You walk out of one, along the street and into the other. No metro, no taxi.
The route
London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord: on the Eurostar, about two and a quarter hours.
Walk to Gare de l'Est: about ten minutes. Leave yourself at least 45 minutes between trains.
Paris Est to Reims: on the TGV, about 45 minutes. Or Paris Est to Épernay on the direct regional train, about an hour and a quarter.
Reims to Épernay: by train, about 35 minutes, when you move on.
Book the Eurostar and the French trains on the same day so the times line up. SNCF Connect sells the French leg.
Day one: Reims
Arrive in time for a late lunch and an afternoon cellar visit. Taittinger is open all year and keeps its bottles in Roman chalk quarries 18 metres down. Pommery and Ruinart are in the same Saint-Nicaise quarter. Book before you travel, as most houses do not take walk-ins.
In the evening, walk to the cathedral, where the kings of France were crowned. The façade turns gold as the sun drops.
Day two: Épernay
Take the morning train to Épernay and walk to the Avenue de Champagne, a few minutes from the station. Moët & Chandon has the longest cellars in the region, around 28 kilometres. Pol Roger receives guests by invitation, so write well ahead if it is the house you want to see.
Two visits a day is enough. A third turns the tasting into work.
Day three: home
Take the train back to Paris Est and walk to Gare du Nord. A morning in the Épernay vineyards or a slow lunch in Reims still gets you to London for the evening.
How much champagne can you bring home?
Travelling into Great Britain, each adult can bring 18 litres of wine, still or sparkling, without paying duty, according to gov.uk. That is 24 standard 75cl bottles per person. The allowance covers personal use and gifts, not resale. Check gov.uk before you travel, as the rules can change.
Eurostar has its own luggage limits, so a case in a sturdy bag is easier than loose bottles. Many houses also ship to the UK.
Where to stay
La Caserne Chanzy, Reims
The hotel faces the cathedral, and some rooms look straight at its façade. Downstairs is a spa with an indoor pool, and there are two restaurants, among them La Grande Georgette for classic French cooking.
Best for a first night in Reims with everything on foot.
Hotel Continental, Reims
A Belle Époque hotel on Place Drouet-d'Erlon, close to the station, with a restaurant, a bar and a terrace. The cathedral is a fifteen-minute walk.
Best for keeping the budget for the tastings.
Hôtel Margaux, Épernay
A former presbytery four minutes' walk from the station and a minute from the Avenue de Champagne, with 27 rooms, a bar and a garden.
Best for the second night.
La Villa Eugène, Épernay
Once the Mercier family's villa, on the Avenue de Champagne itself, with a garden pool, a hot tub and a sauna.
Best for couples who want the champagne houses as neighbours.
Our first choice for a Eurostar weekend
La Caserne Chanzy
Step off the TGV, walk through the centre and the cathedral is waiting outside your hotel. La Caserne Chanzy faces Notre-Dame de Reims, and from some rooms you see the façade without getting up. After the first cellar visit, the spa downstairs has an indoor pool, and dinner in one of the two restaurants means no taxi. The next morning the station is a short walk away.
Frequently asked questions about the Eurostar to Champagne
How long does it take to get from London to Reims by train?
Allow about four hours. The Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord takes around two and a quarter hours. Then you walk about ten minutes to Gare de l'Est for the TGV to Reims, around 45 minutes. Leave at least 45 minutes for the change in Paris.
Is there a direct train from London to Champagne?
No. Every route changes in Paris, from Gare du Nord to Gare de l'Est. The two stations are a few hundred metres apart, so the change is a short walk, with no metro or taxi. From Gare de l'Est, the TGV runs to Reims and a direct regional train to Épernay.
Reims or Épernay: where should you stay?
Spend a night in each. Reims has the cathedral, more of the large houses and a livelier evening. Épernay has the Avenue de Champagne, where the houses stand side by side. The train between them takes about 35 minutes. Starting in Reims makes the most of the faster TGV on day one.
How much champagne can you bring back to the UK?
Each adult arriving in Great Britain can bring 18 litres of wine, still or sparkling, duty-free for personal use, according to gov.uk. That is 24 standard bottles. Above that you must declare it and pay duty. Check gov.uk before you travel, and remember Eurostar's own luggage limits when you pack.
Do you need a car for a champagne weekend?
No, not if you stay in central Reims and Épernay. Both towns have stations within walking distance of the champagne houses, and taxis cover the rest. A car helps only for the wine villages, and the driver cannot taste. Many visitors book a guided day with a driver instead.
Sources
Duty-free allowances come from gov.uk. Journey times are from SNCF and Eurostar. Cellar details come from Taittinger, Moët & Chandon and Épernay Tourisme, and hotel details from Hotels.com.
Santé from Champagne
Picolo Editorial