What to do in Reims and Champagne: the complete travel guide (2026)
What is there to do in Reims and Champagne? Two to three days is enough for Reims and its surroundings: the UNESCO-listed cathedral, one big champagne house for the chalk cellars, and then the wine villages around the city. Épernay adds the Avenue de Champagne. The best visits are with the growers of the Vallée de la Marne, the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims.
We go there several times a year to visit the champagne houses whose champagne we import. This page is the short version of our Champagne Guide, a free 45-page PDF in Dutch with addresses, routes and tips for each area.
Free download · The Champagne Guide
45 pages with every address by area, three ready-made routes, where to sleep and eat, and what to know before you leave. The guide is written in Dutch. No email address needed.
Last updated: 14 August 2026. Prices and opening hours are a 2026 indication, so check them with the house itself shortly before you leave.
Ten tips that really make your trip better
This is what ten years of Champagne have taught us, and what we would have liked to know on our first trip.
1Start early. Yes, early.
A first tasting at half past nine is perfectly normal in Champagne. And honestly, it is the best moment of the day. The cellars are cool, the grower still has time, and you taste with a fresh palate. Give in and enjoy it.
2Cluster by village and watch the travel time
Do two or three visits in the same village instead of zigzagging across the region. Champagne is bigger than you think, but the villages are close together. One area per day is the golden rule.
3Pay attention to the steps in between
Does a house make a lot of its own choices, such as working plot by plot, using oak, adding little sugar or bottling separate cuvées? Then there is often better champagne in the bottle. If a house does exactly the same thing everywhere, even in exceptional years, it is usually less exciting. But above all, taste what you yourself enjoy.
4Combine one big house with a few growers
Do one big house for the story and the impressive cellars, and spend the rest of your time with growers. That is where the excitement is, and often the finer champagne too. Alternate a morning at Pommery with an afternoon at a grower in the Montagne de Reims, and you will really see the contrast.
5Email ahead, even the family estates
Have you spotted a house that looks great to you? Just email to ask whether they can receive you, at least a week in advance. Half of the best visits start with a simple email like that. Turning up unannounced rarely works, because growers spend their days in the vineyard or the cellar.
6Show interest, not knowledge
Growers would rather share their passion than test you. Ask "how was this year?" instead of asking about the dosage. If you don't speak French, Google Translate will get you a long way, and the effort alone is appreciated.
7Book lunch, it really is a must
Good restaurants are full at lunchtime, and between half past twelve and two the grower is having lunch too. Plan your lunch ahead instead of driving around looking for something that is open.
8Plan nothing on Sunday and Monday
Almost everything is closed then, especially at the growers. It is the most common planning mistake in the region.
9Buy straight away if you like it
"I'll think about it" doesn't work with a grower who makes ten thousand bottles a year. Many cuvées sell out within weeks. A case is usually the minimum, and then the tasting is often on the house.
10Avoid the harvest
From late August to late September the growers are busy picking and pressing, and often don't open their doors. May to July and late September into October are the sweet spots.
The three wine areas in brief
Reims and Épernay are the towns where you sleep. The wine areas lie around them like a clover leaf, and all three are within half an hour. They differ strongly in grape, soil and atmosphere.
- Vallée de la Marne. Pinot Meunier, clay soils, the most growers. Round, fruity and approachable.
- Côte des Blancs. Chardonnay on almost pure chalk. Taut, mineral and the home of Blanc de Blancs.
- Montagne de Reims. Pinot Noir and many Grand Cru villages. Powerful in the south, more elegant in the cooler north.
What to do in Reims
For most travellers Reims is the starting point. A real city of 180,000 people, with a cathedral where French kings were crowned and the headquarters of the biggest champagne houses. Beneath the streets lie kilometres of chalk caves full of ageing bottles. Reims itself is not a wine village but a city on chalk: the vineyards start just outside the gates.
Five things not to miss in Reims
- Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims. UNESCO World Heritage, free entry. Charles VII was crowned here in 1429, with Joan of Arc at his side. Some of the stained-glass windows are by Chagall.
- One cellar visit at a big house. In Reims the cellars are the museum. The city has no separate wine museum.
- Basilique Saint-Remi. Also UNESCO-listed, Romanesque and Gothic. Plainer, more beautiful and much quieter than the cathedral. The Musée Saint-Remi is right next to it.
- Place du Forum and the Halles du Boulingrin. The prettiest little square in town plus the Art Deco market hall from 1927. This is also where the best wine bars are.
- Les Caves du Forum. The best champagne shop in town, 16th-century cellars and more than 4,000 bottles, with a strong selection of growers.
The Palais du Tau, the coronation palace next to the cathedral, is closed for a major renovation. It is expected to reopen in the winter of 2026/2027 as the new Musée des Sacres. For now, you admire it from the outside.
Which champagne house should you visit in Reims?
- Pommery. The most spectacular chalk pits of all: 18 kilometres of Gallo-Roman galleries, a monumental staircase and modern art in between. From about 30 euros, and often still bookable at the last minute.
- Taittinger. Reopened after a year and a half of renovation. Chalk caves plus the remains of the 13th-century abbey of Saint-Nicaise. Tours from about 27 euros.
- Ruinart. The oldest champagne house, founded in 1729, with UNESCO-listed crayères. From 90 euros per person as of 2026, and capacity is small, so book weeks ahead.
- Veuve Clicquot and G.H. Mumm are good alternatives. Clicquot only by reservation and well in advance, Mumm is often the easiest at the last minute.
Where can you taste grower champagne in Reims?
In a good wine bar, simply ask for grower or cult champagnes. You don't need to know anything about them yourself, that is what the staff are there for. There are few places in the world where you can taste and buy bottles of this quality so easily.
- Trésors de Champagne, La Boutique. The bar and boutique of the Special Club, with some 200 cuvées made exclusively by its 25-plus member growers. A glass costs 8 to 15 euros, and the selection changes every week.
- Le Wine Bar by Le Vintage. On Place du Forum, more than 500 wines and some 200 champagnes. In 2026 it won the award for the best sparkling wine list in France.
- Le Parvis. Champagne bar right opposite the cathedral, with a terrace on the square.
Where to eat in Reims?
| Price range | Address | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Affordable | Le Bocal | Tiny fish restaurant behind the fishmonger's. Oysters and fruits de mer, few seats, so book ahead. |
| Affordable | Brasserie du Boulingrin | Art Deco brasserie from 1925, traditional French, lively and full of locals. |
| Mid-range | Le Crypto | Bistronomic cooking on Place du Forum, with really fine bottles on the list. |
| Mid-range | Brasserie Le Jardin, Les Crayères | Bib Gourmand. The affordable way to get a taste of Les Crayères. |
| Luxury | L'Assiette Champenoise | Three stars in Tinqueux. Book one to three months ahead. |
| Luxury | Le Parc, Les Crayères | Two stars in the most beautiful hotel in Reims, with almost 900 champagnes on the list. |
What to do in Épernay
Épernay is the second hub and the beating heart of the big houses. Beneath the Avenue de Champagne lie more than a hundred kilometres of cellars and billions' worth of ageing bottles. Everything is within walking distance. Épernay also sits at the crossroads of three terroirs, all three within half an hour's drive.
- Mercier. A panoramic lift takes you 30 metres down, then a little train runs through 18 kilometres of cellars. The most fun and most accessible cellar experience, also with children.
- Moët & Chandon. The iconic house, with 28 kilometres of cellars. In high season, book two to three months ahead.
- De Castellane. The tower is open, 237 steps and a glass of Brut, and gives the best view over Épernay. The cellars were temporarily closed in 2026, so check beforehand.
- C. Comme. Here you taste flights from six different growers, out of a selection of some 350 cuvées. There is a good chance you will meet a winegrower at the bar.
- Château Perrier, Musée du vin de Champagne. A restored château with more than 2,000 objects, set up interactively. It gives your walk along the Avenue real substance, in about an hour and a half.
Note: Taittinger and Pommery are not in Épernay but in Reims, a 45-minute drive away. Almost everyone mixes that up at some point.
Our tip · Royal Champagne in Champillon
Ten minutes above Épernay lies Royal Champagne, a hotel that hangs above the vineyards like an amphitheatre, with an infinity pool, a large spa and the starred restaurant Le Royal. If you want to splash out once in the region, do it here. The view over the UNESCO-listed slopes is truly spectacular.
What to keep in mind: at weekends the restaurant serves only the five-course menu, at lunch and in the evening alike. So expect a long, unhurried sitting. Don't plan a visit afterwards and really take your time, because that is exactly what you come for.
Want the same panorama without the full menu? The hotel's brasserie Le Bellevue looks out over the same slopes and is a lot more accessible.
For the rest of Épernay: La Cave à Champagne and Le Théâtre (Bib Gourmand) for affordable food, La Banque in the former Banque de France building for a brasserie with a wide choice of champagne by the glass, and Les Berceaux for a starred evening in town.
A little moment that makes the difference: walk up to the Pierre Cheval belvedere on Mont Bernon around sunset, a quarter of an hour from the centre, and look out over the Avenue and the vineyards.
Vallée de la Marne · Pinot Meunier and growers
Along the river Marne, from Hautvillers to beyond Dormans. Picturesque villages and the largest number of family growers. The soil here is more clayey and more varied than elsewhere: clay, marl and sand over a limestone subsoil. That suits Pinot Meunier perfectly, the supple, early-ripening grape that copes well with the damp valley soil. Meunier gives the area its round, fruity signature.
Start in Hautvillers, the village where the monk Dom Pérignon worked. Not the inventor of champagne, but a master of blending. His tombstone lies in the abbey church of Saint-Sindulphe, just in front of the altar, free to visit. Do expect crowds here.
Quieter and at least as beautiful: the 33-metre statue of Urbain II near Châtillon-sur-Marne, with a view over 22 wine villages, and the waymarked Sentier du Vigneron through the UNESCO-listed slopes near Hautvillers, a walk of about an hour and a half.
Two houses whose champagne we import welcome visitors here by appointment: Champagne William Saintot in Avenay Val d'Or, a family business since 1918 and now in its fifth generation, and Champagne La Villesenière in Boursault, certified organic since the 2023 harvest. Feel free to email them a week or more in advance.
Where to eat: skip the touristy terrace restaurant on the little square in Hautvillers and settle in at Clotaire (bistronomy, set up by a winegrowing family) or Le Beau Lieu, with a champagne list that runs from 20 to 300 euros.
Côte des Blancs · Chardonnay and Blanc de Blancs
South of Épernay lies the realm of Chardonnay. The villages of Cuis, Cramant, Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger are full of champagne growers. The subsoil here is almost pure chalk, sometimes with only a thin layer of earth on top. Chardonnay thrives here like nowhere else: taut, mineral and with a chalky, salty edge. Hence Blanc de Blancs, champagne made from 100% Chardonnay and the freshest style of the region.
In this area almost everything is by appointment. Walking in unannounced rarely works here, so book your visits ahead. Champagne Henry de Vaugency in Oger, a Grand Cru house whose champagne we import, receives visitors by reservation: a family business since 1732, now in its eighth generation, with a unique wedding museum and an old Coquard wooden press. Voirin-Jumel in Cramant and Michel Gonet in Avize are also well set up for visits.
Without an appointment: the panorama from Mont Aimé, the 8.6-metre giant bottle at the entrance to Cramant, and the gate of the Clos du Mesnil, the walled vineyard that belongs to Krug alone. La Champagnothèque in Cramant pours grower champagnes by the glass on a sunny terrace, and there you don't need to book.
Montagne de Reims · Pinot Noir and Grand Crus
Between Reims and Épernay lies a wooded ridge full of Grand Cru villages. In the north Rilly, Chigny-les-Roses, Verzy and Verzenay, in the south Bouzy, Ambonnay and Aÿ. Pinot Noir is king here: on the warmer southern slopes it gives powerful, structured champagne, in the cooler north more elegant ones. Because many villages are Grand Cru, there is less tourism. That makes it quieter and more authentic.
This area is perfect for driving from village to village. Take the D26, the Route des Grands Crus, from Villers-Marmery via Verzy, Verzenay and Mailly to Ludes and Chigny. It is the most beautiful vineyard road on the northern side.
- Phare de Verzenay. A real lighthouse in the middle of the vineyards, 101 steps up to the panorama. Stay until after closing time, because then the evening sun falls exactly across the slopes towards Reims.
- Moulin de Verzenay. The Mumm windmill, the photo stop of the Montagne.
- Faux de Verzy. The forest with the largest concentration of twisted dwarf beeches in the world, an easy walk of about three kilometres.
- Le Perching Bar. A champagne bar six metres up in the treetops, reached by rope bridges through the forest. Opening hours vary by season, so check beforehand.
Easy to visit: Mailly Grand Cru, a cooperative with exclusively Grand Cru vineyards, and Stéphane Herbert in Rilly-la-Montagne, a family estate that is often open. In the Petite Montagne, at Courmas, you will find Champagne Simon Rion, another house whose champagne we import. For food, go to Couvert de Vignes in Chigny-les-Roses or Le Relais de Sillery.
Routes: what to do in one, two or three days?
Three full days is more than enough for a first trip. Pick one hub as your base and travel around from there.
One day from Reims
At half past nine the cathedral, at half past ten a cellar tour at Pommery or Taittinger, a light lunch at Le Parvis or Le Crypto. From half past one the D26 loop across the Montagne, with a photo stop at the Phare de Verzenay and one tasting booked in advance. Back around five for a drink at Trésors de Champagne.
Three days, first time
Day 1 · Reims. Morning at the cathedral and Place du Forum, afternoon at one big house, drinks at Trésors de Champagne, dinner at Le Bocal.
Day 2 · Montagne de Reims. Drive the D26, the Phare for the view, a grower visit in Rilly or Chigny, lunch at Couvert de Vignes, then on to Épernay.
Day 3 · Épernay and Aÿ. Morning at Mercier or Moët, lunch at La Cave à Champagne, afternoon the Avenue walk with a grower flight at C. Comme, or Pressoria in Aÿ.
Three days, enthusiast
Day 1 · Vallée de la Marne. Appointments with the houses around Avenay Val d'Or and Boursault, lunch in Hautvillers, a night with a winegrower.
Day 2 · Montagne de Reims south. Bouzy and Ambonnay, with appointments at the Grand Cru growers. In the afternoon on to Aÿ or Mareuil-sur-Aÿ.
Day 3 · Côte des Blancs. Morning appointment at a biodynamic house in Vertus or Avize, lunch at Les Avisés, afternoon in Oger and Cramant.
The full routes, with addresses, opening hours and alternatives, are in the PDF.
Practical: what should you know before you go?
When is the best time to visit Champagne?
The best months are May to July, and late September into October. It is quiet then, everything is open, and in October the vineyards turn gold. Summer can be very hot, but the cellars are pleasantly cool at around 12 degrees, so bring an extra layer. December is a surprisingly good alternative, with Habits de Lumière in Épernay and the big Christmas market in Reims.
Do you need a car, and what is that Crit'Air sticker?
Yes, a car is practically indispensable here. The villages are spread out and public transport won't take you to the growers. From the Netherlands, Reims is about a four to five hour drive. Don't want to do both the driving and the tasting? Hire a driver or book a private tour.
Mind the low-emission zone in Reims
It also applies on the through route across the city, so even if you only drive through Reims. Foreign cars need a Crit'Air sticker on the windscreen too. Almost every petrol car from 2011 onwards may simply enter the zone, but without a sticker you risk a fine. Order it only through the official website certificat-air.gouv.fr, where it costs just under four euros, and not through more expensive intermediary sites. Delivery takes one to two weeks, so arrange it two to three weeks before you leave. The A4 and A26 ring road around Reims is outside the zone, and Épernay has no low-emission zone. The French rules on low-emission zones are in flux, so check the current situation shortly before you go.
How do you book a visit to a champagne house?
Many houses can be booked directly online through Winalist or Rue des Vignerons. It is free, usually gives instant confirmation, and you can cancel at no cost. For family estates a personal email works best, at least a week in advance. Book restaurants and hotels at least two weeks ahead, the big houses two to four weeks ahead, and double that in high season.
How much champagne can you take home?
Within the EU you can take plenty home for personal use. Customs use a guideline of 90 litres of wine, of which at most 60 litres of sparkling wine. That comes to about 80 bottles of champagne, so a normal full boot stays well below it.
Don't transport the bottles in full sun and avoid heat in the car, especially in summer. Growers often give you polystyrene boxes for free. And don't expect champagne to be dirt cheap at the source: in the Netherlands you often don't even pay much more, depending on the importer.
Frequently asked questions
Is Reims or Épernay the better base?
Reims if the city, restaurants and nights out matter to you. Épernay if you mainly want to visit wine villages, because you are closer to the three wine areas and everything on the Avenue de Champagne is within walking distance. For a first three-day trip the combination works best: two nights in Reims, one night in Épernay.
How many days do you need in Champagne?
Three full days is enough for a complete first trip: one day for the city and a big house, one day for the Montagne de Reims, one day for Épernay or the Côte des Blancs. With one day, do Reims plus a loop along the D26. If you have more time, add a day in the Côte des Blancs.
Can you taste champagne without an appointment?
At the big houses in Reims and Épernay it sometimes works at the last minute, especially outside high season. At the growers almost never: they receive visitors by appointment because they spend the day in the vineyard or the cellar. The champagne bars in Reims and Épernay you can simply walk into, and that is often where you taste the most interesting bottles.
What does a visit to a champagne house cost?
At a grower's a tasting often costs 15 to 25 euros, and that fee is regularly waived if you buy a case. A tour at a big house cost between 25 and 50 euros in 2026, with higher peaks at the prestige houses. Ruinart has charged 90 euros per person since 2026.
Is Champagne fun for people who don't want to taste wine all day?
Yes. Reims has two UNESCO monuments, the cathedral and the Basilique Saint-Remi, plus museums and a lively centre. In the wine areas there are walking routes through the UNESCO-listed slopes, the dwarf beech forest of Faux de Verzy, viewpoints such as Mont Aimé and the Phare de Verzenay, and castles such as Château de Boursault. Pressoria in Aÿ is a sensory museum where children get juice instead of champagne.
What can you bring home besides champagne?
Biscuits Roses de Reims, the pink biscuit you dip in champagne, is the classic souvenir. It also pays to buy at the wine shops in the towns rather than only at the growers: Les Caves du Forum in Reims and Le 520 or C. Comme in Épernay have allocations from cult houses that you rarely see in the Netherlands.
Take the guide with you
The full guide is a 45-page PDF in Dutch. For each area you will find the houses to visit, split into a track for your first time and a track for the enthusiast, plus restaurants in three price ranges, hotels from budget to luxury, places to stay with a winegrower, sights, three complete routes and an address directory at the back.
The Champagne Guide · free PDF in Dutch
Compiled by Jim Dronk, who is in the region several times a year to visit the champagne houses.
About Selected by Dronk
Selected by Dronk imports the champagnes of eight champagne houses to the Netherlands. No mass brands, but houses with a face and a story. It started with a champagne label of our own, made together with a grower in the region, where we were allowed to help decide on the taste. That taught us how much craftsmanship goes into a single bottle, from the grape to the cork and the label.
If you come across one of these villages on your way, there is a house there whose champagne we import: Avenay Val d'Or, Boursault, Cuchery, Baslieux-sous-Châtillon, Oger, Courmas and Bassuet.
Browse the whole champagne range, or read more about grower champagne, reading a champagne label and Grand Cru and Premier Cru. Want to taste properly at home? Take a look at our champagne glasses.
Written by Jim Dronk, Selected by Dronk. Last updated on 14 August 2026. Prices, opening hours and rates are a 2026 indication and may change, so check them with the house or restaurant itself.
Photo credits (via Wikimedia Commons): header of this article and Phare de Verzenay © Pline, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cathedral of Reims © Leon Petrosyan, CC BY-SA 4.0. Avenue de Champagne © Michal Osmenda, CC BY 2.0. Vallée de la Marne from Hautvillers © INRA DIST / J. Weber, CC BY 2.0. Côte des Blancs near Oger © Szeder László, CC BY-SA 4.0. Map: our own design, Selected by Dronk.