Paris To Champagne Day Trip

Stop For Lunch In Charming Pernay

Onto the next stop, and the charming town of Epernay. This pretty town is at the heart of the champagne industry, home to some of the most famous producers. You’ll have free time to explore here, and we recommend a stroll down Avenue de Champagneto grab lunch in one of many restaurants that line the street.

The price of lunch is not included in the cost of this tour.

Unforgettable Champagne Tasting Experience

This was an incredible day trip! A must-do for any champagne lover. The drive to Epernay was scenic and very insightful! Our guide Michael was fantastic and kept up with details and interesting facts during our entire tour. It’s great to have someone drive you there as the champagne tasting pours are very generous. You will most likely be tipsy after visiting multiple champagne houses. We had a small group that came in as strangers and felt a kinship in the end.

The Region Has An Incredible Past So Dont Forget To Indulge In History Too

Because of its geographical position between many different countries, the region has seen a lot of history, particularly in the form of war. The Romans defeated the Huns in Champagne in 451 A.D., many battles of the Hundred Years War took place there, and it was bombed repeatedly during both World Wars. In fact, the caves of Veuve Clicquot were once used as a hospital during World War I and the remnants of a hospital cross are still visible on the cave walls. And Reims is actually the place where Eisenhower and the Allies received the German surrender on May 7, 1945.

Reims is also home to the Notre Dame de Rems Cathedral, where the coronation of every French king has taken place, and the Abbey of Saint Remi, the largest Romanesque pilgrimage church in northern France.

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Champagne Day Trips From Paris

France’s Champagne region is famous the world over for producing sparkling white wines made from chardonnay, pinot noir, and meunier grapes grown in the areas chalky soil. Heres how to tour this beautiful and historic wine region from Paris.

Group Tours

Small-group tours to the Champagne region offer a budget-friendly and convenient way to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and tastes of this historic region, all without the hassle. Depending on the tour you choose, you might visit underground cellars, learn about the winemaking process, enjoy a multi-course lunch, or taste several varieties of Champagne. Typically limited to 10 people or less, these tours maintain a personal feel.

Private Tours

Popular among families, couples, and groups of friends, private tours to the Champagne region give you the full attention of your own guide and a flexible itinerary to suit your interests. Visit major producers such as Moët & Chandon and Dom Perignon, or opt for smaller, lesser-known houses of Champagne.

Things to Know

• With a guided tour, you can leave the driving to someone else and indulge without worry.

• The Champagne region lies 80 miles east of Paris.

• Day trips to Champagne from Paris last upwards of 8 hours.

• Most tours include hotel pickup and drop-off in Paris.

Research What Champagne Houses You Want To Visit Beforehand

There are a ton of Champagne Houses in the region, so have an idea which ones you want to visit before you go. This will help decide if to go Reims, Épernay or both. Épernay is home to Mercier, Moët & Chandon who also owns Dom Pérignon while Reims hosts Veuve Clicquot , Mumm and Tattinger . Wikipedia has a helpful list of houses here or Reims Tourism lists houses. Reservations can be made at most Champagne houses online beforehand.

Bonus tip: With good food comes good wine. In the case of Champagne, its the opposite: with good wine, comes good food. Champagne is home to a dozen Michelin-rated restaurants, so make reservations for those before heading there, too.

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Champagne Area Small Group Day Trip

This tour is perfect for a girls day-out excursion or for anyone looking for a smaller group tour to Champagne. If youre traveling solo, you can use it as an excuse to meet other people in the area.

The tour group is small, with eight people for a more intimate experience as you explore world-famous Champagne houses like Moët & Chandon, Taittinger, and Veuve Clicquot. This is a full-day tour, so youll want to pack comfortable shoes. You even get to enjoy lunch at a family-run winery in the area.

Grab your spot on the all day tour, !

Champagne Is Made Up Of 5 Small Areas But Stick To Reims And/or Pernay

All five regions of Champagne produce sparkling wine, but the towns of Reims and Épernay are the centers of the area. A note of caution: Reims and Épernay are not that close together! We made the mistake of taking a cab from Reims to Epernay and it cost us around 100!

If you want to see both regions, jump back on the train. Its an inexpensive 9 and is much quicker than taking a cab or the bus.

For train passes throughout Europe check out Eurail.

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Moet & Chandon Champagne Excursion

“I am drinking stars,” exclaimed Dom Pérignon, the legendary monk who may have discovered champagne. On this lively day tour from Paris, you visit Moët & Chandon to learn about the growing, harvesting, making, and tasting of champagne. You’ll also visit the monk’s final resting spot, set amongst the vineyards. Finally, you’ll stop at a small, family champagne house to taste even more bubbles!

About The Champagne Wine Region

The historical region of Champagne is located in the French region of Grand Est, close to Belgium and Luxembourg.

The presence of vineyards in the region could be older than in Roman times. As in all wine-growing regions, the monks contributed a lot to the work of the land and to the development and perfection of this wine.

Today, the wine region of Champagne is spread around five French departments and there are five main regions or zones: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne and Côte des Bars.

The region of Champagne is Frances coldest winemaking region, often subject to violent weather conditions. These hazards have forced the winegrowers to adopt certain methods that would be considered doubtful in other French wine regions .

The mix of several wines to constitute a cuvée is also part of the history of Champagne. The dominant white grape is chardonnay, while the red grapes are pinot noir and meunier. Other allowed grapes for champagne wines are arbane, petit meslier, pinot blanc, and pinot gris.

The Champagne region produces champagne wine, the only sparkling wine that can use this name, made according to specific standards. It also has good white wines, which tend to be lighter, crisper, and less fruity than other wine areas in France.

DID YOU KNOW? The word champagne is the second most used French word worldwide!

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Cathedral In Reims Tour

Before we get some bubbles in you, visit the Reims Cathedral in the capital city of the Champagne region. The site of dozens of coronations, the Notre Dame de Reims has even witnessed a crowning in 1429 that Joan of Arc attended. Take some time to enjoy the phenomenal architecture and learn about the important role it played in the history of the French royals. Regarded as one of the greatest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe, the interior features stained glass that ranges from the 13th to the 20th century.

Tips For A Day Trip To Champagne From Paris

Champagne is synonymous with France. After all, the bubbly glasses of goodness originated in northern France and only sparkling wine from that region can bear the prestigious title of Champagne. Visiting the home of one of the most famous drinks in the world was at the top of my life long list of dreams, so on our last day in Parisand the final day of our trip to Spain and France we took a day trip to Champagne from Paris.

I had visions of sipping fizzy Champagne all day and wandering around the historical region without a care in the world, but the reality was much different. We didnt realize the region was divided into two cities , among other bumps in the road. So learn from our mistakes!

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Guided Tours To The Champagne Region From Paris

The most common type of tour from Paris to the Champagne Region will be a guided day trip excursion. Meet your group at a pickup point in the city and enjoy transport in an airconditioned bus. Youll spend the day with 20-30 other tourists and will visit several wineries. Lunch is usually not included.

Renting A Car In Paris

If you dont want to deal with timing the trains correctly, consider renting a car in Paris and driving to Champagne yourself. Not only will this allow you to see more places in Champagne, but will also give you the freedom to explore at your own pace. Cruising through the French countryside is an experience in and of itself! The roads in France are in great condition and finding your way around is efficient and simple.

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Exclusive Champagne Tasting In The Champagne Region

See All 4 Reviews 10.00h customParis,

Take a trip outside of Paris to one of the world’s sparkling wine capitals. Drink bubbly at incredible Champagne houses in a serene countryside setting.

• A Trip to Champagne Country

Celebrate your arrival in France on this private round-trip Paris day trip to Champagne. Take in the region’s rolling hills of productive vineyards and visit two of the area’s major cities. See the Reims Cathedral, and taste bubbly at two different Champagne houses. Plus, pay homage to Dom Pérignon at the Abbey of Hautvillers.

Take In The City Of Light From The Glittering Eiffel Tower

Catch the Metro Line 6 to the Eiffel Tower in time for the most romantic time to visit. After sunset, 20,000 glittering lights make the tower sparkle on the hour, making the citys monikers of City of Light and City of Love all the more meaningful. Arriving at this time has the added advantage of being less crowded . Skip the long ticket lines by booking a ticket to go to the top with a host who will help you spot the landmarks on the expansive cityscape. A visit to the top floors champagne bar only adds to the romantic mood.

Extra option

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Sip Your Way Through The French Countryside And Visit Local Champagne Houses Reims And Pernay

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Want to taste authentic champagne directly from the source? Then join this day trip from Paris and explore the beautiful countryside of the Champagne region! Youll visit two expert champagne makers to try the finest local varieties, as well as the charming cites of Reims and Épernay, and the Abbey of Hautvillersthought to be the birthplace of champagne. With a small group and friendly local guide, its the perfect way to escape the city and really get to know Frances iconic sparkling wine.

Tour Details

• Small group tour from Paris
• Drive through the French countryside
• See the famous cathedral of Riems

• Learn the secrets of champagne
• Explore Épernay and Abbey of Hautvillers
• Tastings at two renowned champagne houses
• Return to Paris for the evening

After meeting your local guide and small group in central Paris, you’ll board a comfortable vehicle for the scenic drive into the idyllic French countryside. Your first stop in the Champagne Region is the important city of Reimshome to a magnificent cathedral that you’ll explore. Later the tour will take you to see the Abbey of Hautvillers and beautiful Épernay, where you’ll have free time to explore and buy lunch.

During the day, you’ll also visit two beloved local champagne houses, where you’ll learn about the champagne making process and sample some their fine varieties, along with some light snacks.

Organized Tours Or Do It Yourself

Given Champagnes fame, you can expect a ton of organized tours that pick you up from Paris for the day. Given its popularity, these tours can book months in advance, especially for the summer months when the vineyards are their most vibrant right before the harvest. These tours are also quite expensive at 200-300 euros per person or so for just the day trip.

I was actually planning to visit The Palace of Versailles until I realized they were closed on Mondays. We decided to visit Champagne the night before so obviously booking a tour was out of the question. This is Europe however, and the transport is fantastic all over so there is absolutely no need to book a tour to visit Champagne. Doing this tour on our own was incredibly easy and this was easily one of the highlights of my time in France. Of course I would always recommend to rent a car and properly explore the region over the course of a few days like I did while visiting the Tuscany wine region of Italy but it just wasnt in the cards for this trip.

As I planned this trip last minute, I did everything on my own. The rest of this post will be for those looking to plan this trip on their own, or just to have a general idea of what the Champagne region is like.

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A Day Trip To Champagne From Paris

By Jennifer Dombrowski

France is synonymous with luxury, and theres hardly anything as le luxe as sipping a glass of bubbly. Were speaking of champagne, if you hadnt already guessed, the French product most obviously associated with luxury. Walks, one of our favorite small group tour operators, makes it easy to live out your champagne wishes and caviar dreams on a day trip to Champagne from Paris.

Located just a little over an hour from Paris, the French wine producing region of Champagne is an easy trip to make from the French capital and we thought it was about high time we did just that. While our years of living in Bordeaux have been like attending a mega WSET focused solely on the 65 appellations of the World Capital of Wine, we knew very little about champagne. But with Walks expert guides, we knew wed be in for a bubbly-filled day learning all about the worlds most famous sparkling wine.

Our Walks day trip from Paris to Champagne took us to the birthplace of champagne where Dom Pérignon lived and worked, before introducing us to both ends of the spectrum when it comes to champagne producers. Visits to a small fifth generation family-run producer and the worlds largest champagne house were punctuated with five glasses of different champagnes, making for a fabulous jaunt outside of Paris and an excellent introduction to the world of champagne.

How Far Is Champagne From Paris

The exact distance youll be traveling depends on which part of the Champagne region you plan to visit. Reims, one of the towns in Champagne, is about 142 km from Paris. Yet Troyes, another Champagne town, is about 171 km away.

Generally, you can expect to travel between 120-150 km, which also varies depending on your transportation method, with driving being a longer distance.

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Epernay Champagne Day Tour Faqs

• Champagne tastings at Moet & Chandon, during lunch, and at a family vineyard after lunch.
• Transportation in Epernay and Reims.

We offer a variety of ways to experience the Champagne from Paris.

Among our most popular tours is the Veuve Clicquot tour. Other options include a dedicated visit to Mumm or Moet and Moet and Taittinger in one day.

Day Trip to Epernay from Paris Rail Information

Occasionally, last minute or high season rail prices will be higher than the prices listed above. We will always contact you before confirming your booking if this is the case. If not booking rail through LinkParis.com, please do not book your train until instructed by us as to times.

Best Champagne Tour From Paris

Champagne tours from Paris are another great way to get to the area without worrying about transportation. Most tours include taking you from Paris to Champagne and back with your ticket. This way, you dont have to try to figure out the train system or drive in an unfamiliar place .

Here are some of our favorite Champagne Day Trips from Paris tours make sure you reserve a spot before they sell out!

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Reims Cathedral And The Local Winemaker

Take a small group day trip from Paris to the beautiful Champagne region of France! Meet your guide at the Place Saint-Michel and enjoy a comfortable, 90 minute, drive out to the Champagne region. Our minibus has large leather seats and fresh air-conditioning so that you can enjoy the scenic drive through the French countryside.

The first stop on this tour will be the impressive Cathedral of Reims. Youll hear the fascinating history behind the coronation traditions of the French Kings, and learn about some of the 2,000 statues on the Cathedrals facade. Youll also have free time to explore the serenity that is on the inside of this gothic masterpiece.

Then youll be off to meet a highly regarded local vintner, a 3rd generation winemaker of Champagne. The local winemaker will take you on an intimate tour of his property. Youll discover all of the delicate details of making Champagne. Youll learn exactly what happens every step of the way from pressing the fresh cut grapes to corking the bottles.