A day trip from Paris to Champagne is a fascinating and relaxing way to spend a day — a breath of fresh air in picturesque villages surrounded by sweeping green hillsides.
The Champagne region of France is rightly famous for its amazing bubbly — it exports over 300 million bottles a year. But it’s well worth the trip to see firsthand the places where this beloved beverage is made. And, as a certified travel expert who specializes in designing custom itineraries, I know that a day trip from Paris to Champagne can seamlessly fit into any Paris itinerary.
Bordering Paris’s northeast corner, the Champagne region has a gentle and unique beauty. Its rolling hillsides and lush woods, jaw-dropping Champagne Houses, and labyrinthine underground chalk cellars have been recognized on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Cassie’s Tip: For those who are curious, the term “champagne” refers to a specific kind of sparkling French wine that only comes from this region and that can only be made using Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes. There are other types of sparkling wine — Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy, Sekt from Austria, and Crémant, another French bubbly that comes from outside the Champagne region — but the French are serious about what gets the official champagne label.
Here are my recommendations for the best ways to experience this exquisite region.
What to know before you go
It’s important to understand that the Champagne maisons don’t operate the same way as wineries in Napa or even Bordeaux, which generally allow walk-ins.
Tasting rooms in this region operate by appointment, and they fill up quickly and run on a tight schedule; if you’re late, you’ll likely forfeit your place. With a custom-designed itinerary, I can pre-book your tour and your tasting so it works smoothly with your preferred schedule and daily itinerary.
While it can be tempting to visit during harvest time (September) for the excitement, it’s actually not the best time of year to visit the region. Other than the biggest operations, many growers will be much too busy to welcome visitors. Early summer is a wonderful time, along with the shoulder season in October-November, where you can catch the changing leaf colors and the vineyard hillsides shine with a red-gold glow.
No matter what time of year you go, comfort and layers are the name of the game for this day trip. You’ll want shoes that are good for walking on cobblestone and uneven surfaces, and given the sometimes-chillier weather and the always-cool cellars, it’s smart to bring a sweater, too.
How to get from Paris to Champagne
One of the great things about this day trip is that Champagne is an easy distance by train from Paris. The two main cities in the region are Reims and Epernay and can be easily visited independently or with a tour (I’ll highlight my favorite below).
Reims is about an hour from Paris, and Epernay is about 90 minutes. You can visit both in a day if you like, or you can choose one and take a more leisurely approach.
What to see on your Champagne day trip
Because Reims is also a university town, it has a busier city center, more amenities, and a more lively nightlife. Epernay has fewer services and a more old-world, small-town vibe — but it also has great dining options, lovely architecture, and some travelers prefer its quieter feel. Both towns have world-class food, including out-of-this-world local fare and a handful of Michelin-rated restaurants.
You can take the train from Paris to Reims – it’ll take less than an hour – to explore the city’s sights and visit a wine cellar. But if you’re going for the Champagne vineyards, you’ll want a guided tour or your own car for driving the Route de la Champagne. This guided small-group tour (affiliate link) meets at the Reims train station, and my clients have raved about how wonderful it is.
If you want to visit independently, the Maison Mumm is just a 15-minute stroll from the train station, perfect for a stretch and fresh air after the train ride. Maison Mumm is rich with history and regal elegance, and has been making champagne for nearly 200 years.
While in Reims, I also recommend visiting Notre-Dame, the gorgeous gothic cathedral in the city center. Constructed from the 13th-15th centuries, it is historically significant as the site of the coronation of 26 French kings. It’s also the cathedral famously taken by Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years’ War that returned control of the city to France and gave the young dauphin Charles the crown in 1429.
If Epernay is calling to you, you’ll definitely want to experience the Avenue de Champagne. As the name suggests, it’s a neighborly collection of maisons in the heart of the city that boasts some of the most famous names in bubbly, like Moët et Chandon, De Castellane, and Mercier.
As with other houses, when you tour, you can get a firsthand glimpse into the wine-making process and see why the unique chalk cellars allow the champagne to ferment and mature at the right temperature and pace.
When you walk the Avenue de Champagne, consider that you’re stepping on one of the wealthiest streets in the world: below your feet, to a depth of up to 100 feet, extend miles and miles of tunnels in every direction, all filled with over 200 million bottles of high-end champagne.
A custom itinerary makes Paris to Champagne a breeze
A day trip to sample the effervescent loveliness of Champagne makes sense for so many reasons. It’s close by and easily accessible. The towns are very walkable. There are so many great places to see, the food is as varied and delicious as the wines, and the generally-cooler weather can provide a nice break from city heat in summer.
With a custom-designed itinerary, all the details down to the last bubble are taken care of: any needed transportation, train and tour tickets, tasting reservations, dinner reservations — so once you know what you want to experience, I’ll take care of the rest, and all you have to do is show up and raise your glass. À votre santé!
Cassie Tetro
Itinerary Designer
& Certified Travel Expert
(Paris, London & Rome)
WHO AM I?
I’m Cassie Tetro, an Itinerary Designer and Certified Travel Expert for Paris, London, and Rome — my three favorite cities!
I help independent travelers like you save time and eliminate confusion with customized point-to-point itineraries crafted to your interests, preferences, travel pace, and style.
I take care of every aspect of your trip before you walk out your front door — tickets, reservations, tours, maps, transportation — so you can relax, soak in the magic, and enjoy a frustration-free vacation with a travel plan that’s as unique as you are.
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