Day Trip from Paris to Champagne Region
The Champagne region in Eastern France is a beautiful area to explore on a Champagne day trip from Paris. Best known for its sparkling wine, the Champagne region also has an interesting history and beautiful heritage.
There’s the Reims Cathedral, the place chosen by the French Kings to be sacred under the eyes of the world and God. Near Epernay, the Abbey of Hautvillers is Dom Perignon’s final resting place. Troyes was an important fair town in medieval times, and it outstands for its beautiful architecture of half-timbered houses.
Paris to Champagne is one of the most popular day trips from Paris. Click here for the list of the best day trips from Paris.
Visiting Champagne from Paris is very easy, and there are many possible day trips from Paris to Champagne, public and private. In this post, we will focus on Reims, the region’s capital, and Epernay, the capital of champagne wine. Then, we will go underground to explore the secrets of the champagne wine and, of course, do some tastings!
Here are some things to know and our best tips to plan a memorable day trip to Champagne from Paris.
If you know already that you will end up buying champagne wine, bring a wine bag to ensure your wine makes it home.
Paris to Champagne Day Trip Planning
How far is Champagne from Paris?
The region of Champagne is big, so it depends on where you want to go. Reims is 142 km from Paris, Epernay is 141 km from Paris, and Troyes is 177 km from Paris.
Best Time to Visit Champagne
Generally speaking, May to October is a good time to visit the region of Champagne. The harvest begins in late September, and that’s when the champagne houses are at their busiest, both on the production and tourism sides.
For your Paris day trip to Champagne, avoid harvest time if you want to see the smaller, independent vineyards rather than just the big-name brands.
We prefer to visit Champagne in the fall to see the rolling hills and the vines with the fall colors. The pictures in this article correspond to a Paris to Champagne day trip that we took at the beginning of October.
Where to Go on a Champagne Day Trip from Paris?
Go to Reims for sightseeing (it is a beautiful and historical city) and champagne tastings. Go to Epernay with a short visit to the village of Hautvillers to enjoy the countryside and champagne tastings.
Main champagne houses near Reims: Champagne Pol Couronne, Champagne Mumm (1km), Champagne Lanson (2km), Chamagne G.H. Martel (2km), Champagne Taittinger (2km), Champagne Vranken-Pommery (2km), Champagne Veuve Clicquot (2km).
Main champagne houses near Epernay: Champagne Moët & Chandon, Champagne Mercier, Champagne Nicolas Feuilllatte (3km)
How to Get to Champagne from Paris
If possible, travel by train. A Paris to Champagne train trip is easy to organize, and you can buy your train tickets online now. We give more details by destination below.
Want to Extend your Champagne Experience?
Take a multi-day Champagne road trip, perhaps with a stay in one of the stunning château-hotels in Champagne!
Don’t Forget your Travel Insurance!
SafetyWing offers travelers insurance that combines medical and travel-related coverage for long and short trips (minimum of 5 days)
Epernay – Champagne Day Trip from Paris
Paris to Epernay Day Trip by Car
Time: 1,5 hours (one way)
A Paris to Epernay day trip by car is a good option that allows you to stop and enjoy the landscapes of Champagne whenever you want.
This is an easy 141-kilometer scenic drive, but finding a parking place in the town of Epernay can be challenging.
The downside of a day trip Paris to Champagne by car is that car + champagne wine was never a good combination. Get a taste of champagne wine during lunch and buy your favorite bottles for when you are back at your hotel in Paris.
Don’t you have a car? Use DiscoverCars.com to find the best deals. The site covers the major and local brands and makes a price comparison for you. This helps to ensure that you get a great price – Click here to rent your car to Champagne
Champagne Tours from Paris to Epernay
Champagne tours from Paris to Epernay are the most comfortable way to visit the region, plus you can drink that verre de plus without being a danger on the road for anyone. Learn all about one of the most famous drinks in France and the whole world with a knowledgeable guide.
The classic day tours from Paris to Epernay include a visit to the Abbey of Hautvillers (where Dom Perignon is buried) and a tour of a champagne house with tastings.
This champagne small-group tour with an English-speaking guide always has excellent reviews and visits Epernay, Hautvillers, and the cellars of one of the famous champagne houses for wine tastings – Click here to book your day tour to Champagne
Day Trip to Epernay from Paris by Train
Time: 1,5 – 2 hours (depending on the train)
A self-guided day trip to Epernay from Paris is easy to plan. Trains to Epernay leave from Paris Gare de l’Est. Whilst there are some direct trains from Paris to Epernay, most of the time, you need to change trains at Reims – Click here to book your train tickets to Epernay
Epernay train station is very central. From there, it is a 5-minute walk to Avenue de Champagne, Epernay’s most famous street.
From Epernay, you can take a taxi to Hautvillers to visit the village and the abbey where Dom Perignon is buried. This is a 6-min drive by taxi, and it usually costs between 15 to 18€ one way.
Things to Do in Epernay
- Visit the Avenue de Champagne, Epernay’s main avenue
- Epernay sightseeing
- Champagne wine tasting.
- Champagne tasting and shopping at the small producers
- Moored hot-air balloon over the Epernay vineyards
- Visit Hautvillers and its abbey
- A picnic with a view (behind the Abbey of Hautvillers).
Best Champagne Houses in Epernay
- Champagne de Venonge (shop, tours, and tastings)
- Champagne Moët & Chandon (shop, tours, and tastings)
- Champagne Mercier -1km away from Epernay (shop, tours, and tastings)
- Champagne Comtesse Lafond – 1km away from Epernay (shop, tours, and tastings)
- Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte – 2km away from Epernay (sho, tours, and tastings)
Reims – Champagne Day Trip from Paris
Reims Day Trip from Paris by Car
Time: 1,5 hours (one way)
Paris to Reims by train is so straightforward that we recommend taking the car only if Reims is part of a multi-day Champagne road trip. Leaving Paris by car is always crazy, plus finding a parking spot in Reims, near the top sights, is challenging and expensive.
On the other side, Reims by car will allow you to buy as many boxes of good champagne as you want!
Don’t you have a car? Use DiscoverCars.com to find the best deals. The site covers the major and local brands and makes a price comparison for you. This helps to ensure that you get a great price – Click here to rent your car to Champagne
Champagne Tours from Paris to Reims
Champagne tours from Paris to Reims are the most comfortable way to visit the city’s main sights and do some tastings. A Reims Champagne tour usually comes with a knowledgeable guide expert in history, which is always a plus in a historical city like Reims.
This Reims and champagne tasting full day from Paris is always top-rated. See the unique Reims Cathedral, visit the vineyards of the Champagne region, and taste its sparkling wines – Click here to book your day tour to Reims – Champagne
Paris to Champagne-Reims by Train
Time: 45 minutes
A self-guided day trip to Reims from Paris is easy to plan. Trains to Reims leave from Paris Gare de l’Est, and they are direct – Click here to book your train tickets to Reims
From Reims train station, it’s a 15min walk to the Reims Cathedral. You can also take the tram (5min ride + 5min walk).
Things to Do in Reims
- Visit Notre Dame de Reims Cathedral
- Visit the best champagne houses in Reims for champagne tasting & shopping
- Visit Place Royale and stroll around Palais de Tau
- Sample Reims’ biscuit rose and other local specialties
- Read the full list of things to do in Reims
Best Champagne Houses in Reims
- Champagne Veuve Clicquot – 1km away from Reims (shop, tours, and tastings)
- Champagne Pol Couronne – 1km away from Reims (shop, tours, and tastings)
- Champagne Taittinger – 2km away from Reims (shop, tours, and tastings)
- Champagne Mumm – 2km away from Reims (shop, tours, and tastings)
- Champagne Lanson – 2km away from Reims (shop, tours, and tastings)
Day Trip to Champagne from Paris – Reims + Epernay
The best and most effective way to explore the best of Champagne on a day trip from Paris is by guided tour with transportation. Book a Champagne region day trip from Paris, and avoid wasting your precious time waiting for trains or trying to find where to park.
In a typical Reims+Epernay Champagne tour from Paris, you will learn about the Reims Cathedral and its place in French history as the traditional coronation place for the kings of France. Marvel at its fine French Gothic architecture and hear about some of the treasures contained within its walls.
In Epernay, you will learn about the growing, harvesting, and bottling of champagne wine at one of the famous champagne houses and enjoy champagne tastings.
Finally, you will visit the lovely Hautvillers Abbey, where Dom Perignon is buried, and learn about the champagnisation method that he perfected to get sparkling wine – Click here to book your Champagne region day trip from Paris
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 France’s 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 (but there, it works!).
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!
Wine Tasting and Shopping at the Small Producers
Not all winegrowers have big names or big budgets for marketing, but this does not mean that they don’t produce good champagne wines. Quite the opposite!
Because they work on smaller parcels, at a human scale, the Champagne winegrowers are more successful in respecting the vines and, therefore, in harvesting grapes at the proper maturity. They generally use less of the various chemicals found in viticulture and produce vintages without makeup.
Be adventurous and go beyond the main marquees. Chat with the winegrowers, and do some tastings. Only good surprises are guaranteed.
- Visit sustainable winegrowers in Champagne, near Epernay
- Visit sustainable winegrowers in Champagne, near Reims
