Day trip · 46 minutes by TGV
The easiest great day trip from Paris: a 46-minute TGV to Reims, then cellars, a cathedral, and as many tastings as you can handle. Here is when a tour is worth it, and when to just take the train.
Updated October 19, 2026 · Prices checked October 19, 2026 · Tour prices refresh daily
Photo: Sue Winston / Unsplash
Champagne is the day trip least worth overthinking. The fastest TGV from Paris-Est reaches Reims in 46 minutes, the cathedral where French kings were crowned is free to enter, and the chalk cellars of the great houses lie a short walk or taxi ride away. Épernay, home of the Avenue de Champagne, is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Paris by direct train.
What a tour adds is the countryside: the vineyard villages and small family growers that are hard to reach without a car, plus someone else at the wheel. If you want the big-name cellars, go on your own by train. If you want vineyards and growers, book a small group. Both are covered below.
N° 01Short on time
1erSmall groupBest overall
Blue Fox Travel
Eight people at most, three glasses at Nicolas Feuillatte and three at a family grower, plus Reims Cathedral and Dom Pérignon’s tomb at Hautvillers. Lunch is on your own.
Free cancellation
From$263.20
per person
2eSmall groupBest with lunch
My Winedays
The most generous tasting day: a well-known house, two small producers, eight or more cuvées and a lunch paired with at least three Champagnes, with hotel pickup. Which big house you visit depends on availability.
Free cancellation
From$371.91
per person
3eSmall groupBest for wine lovers
Champagne Tasting Tours
An owner-led, unscripted day with a Champagne specialist, visiting cellars at a small grower and a larger house, with five tastings at least and usually seven or more. Lunch is not included.
Free cancellation
From$433.71
per person
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N° 02Les caves
Most tours run about 11 hours and pair one well-known house with a smaller producer. On most, the big house depends on availability, so book a guaranteed-house tour if a particular name matters. Tastings are for adults 18 and over. Prices are the lowest listed option.
| Tour | Format | Length | Reviews | From | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champagne Day Trip: Reims, a Family Winery & 6 TastingsBlue Fox TravelFirst-timers who want a well-reviewed small group mixing a big house and a grower Free cancellation | Minivan · small group | 11 hours | 4.831,032 reviews | $263.20 | Check |
| Champagne Day Trip with 8 Tastings & LunchMy WinedaysFood-and-wine lovers who want lunch and the most tastings included Free cancellation | Minivan · small group | 11 hours | 4.76690 reviews | $371.91 | Check |
| Champagne Day Trip with Cathedral, Lunch & Hotel PickupGo Go ToursTravelers who want an all-in day with pickup, lunch and Reims Cathedral Free cancellation | Minivan · small group | 10–12 hours | 4.79437 reviews | $399.38 | Check |
| Champagne Tasting Tour: Small Growers & a Bigger HouseChampagne Tasting ToursWine enthusiasts who want an expert, unscripted day Free cancellation | Minivan · small group | 10–11 hours | 5.0092 reviews | $433.71 | Check |
| Champagne Day Trip: Reims, Cellars & 4 TastingsFrance TourismeBudget travelers, and visitors in late Nov–Dec who want the Reims Christmas market Free cancellation | Coach · group | 11 hours | 4.1632 reviews | $211.70 | Check |
| Private Épernay & Reims Champagne DayGalaxytourCouples or small families who want a private car and big-name house visits Free cancellation | Car · private | 8–10 hours | 5.0047 reviews | $680.88lowest listed option | Check |
| Private Champagne: Moët & Chandon and Veuve ClicquotClewel TravelTravelers set on the two most famous Champagne houses Free cancellation | Car · private | 12 hours | 4.4823 reviews | $715.22lowest listed option | Check |
| Private Champagne Day with a Vineyard-Owner GuideWithlocalsSpecial occasions and travelers who want a private expert guide Free cancellation | Car · private | 11 hours | 4.8843 reviews | $964.68lowest listed option | Check |
N° 03Sans guide
Reims is one of the few great day trips from Paris that is genuinely easy without a tour. Here is a day that works.
Take a TGV from Paris-Est. The fastest trains take 46 minutes, but some services involve a change and take longer, so pick a direct one. Champagne is outside the Île-de-France region, so you need an SNCF ticket (book on SNCF Connect) rather than a Paris métro ticket. In Reims, start at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame: entry is free, and it is open daily from 8am to 7:30pm (7:15pm on Sundays). On Sunday mornings visitors can only enter the narthex until noon. Tower visits are sold separately, and the Palais du Tau museum next door is closed for renovation.
Several of the great houses sit on or near the Saint-Nicaise hill, whose chalk-pit cellars are part of the UNESCO listing: Taittinger, Pommery, and Ruinart. Veuve Clicquot is also in Reims. Book a timed visit ahead; prices and booking details are in the table below.
If Moët & Chandon is the name on your list, go to Épernay instead, or as well. Its Avenue de Champagne, about 1.5 km long and lined with houses above miles of cellars, is part of the same UNESCO listing. Reims and Épernay are linked by a local line nicknamed the “Ligne des Bulles,” and Épernay has direct trains back to Paris (about 1 hour 20 minutes).
The one thing the train cannot do is take you into the vineyards. For the hillside villages and small growers, a small-group tour is the easy answer. Or stay the night in Reims or Épernay and see both at an unhurried pace.
N° 04Les maisons
Every major house sells timed visits online. In practice, treat advance booking as required, and essential on weekends and in summer. These are entry-level visits; each house sells longer, pricier tastings too.
| House | Town | Entry-level visit | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moët & Chandon | Épernay | €48 · Impérial tour, about 1h30 | Book online, months ahead for summer weekends. Cellars kept at 10–12°C. |
| Veuve Clicquot | Reims | €36 · Brut Yellow Label tour, 1 hour | Bookable online; opening days vary by season. |
| Taittinger | Reims | From about €30 | Open daily April 13 to December 31, 2026. Cellars 18 m down, in Gallo-Roman chalk quarries. No minimum age. |
| Pommery | Reims | €30 · self-guided, 1 tasting | Guided Brut Royal visit €36. Chalk cellars 30 m underground. |
| Ruinart | Reims | €90 · Crayères visit, 2 hours | At most 12 people per visit; ages 7–17 €50. |
Checked October 19, 2026. Several house websites could not be opened directly that day, so treat these prices as indicative and confirm when you book. Under-18s can join the visits but are not served alcohol. Source: Taittinger visits, and each house’s official visit page.
N° 05Choosing
Take the train if you want the famous houses, the cathedral, and your own pace. You pay for an SNCF ticket and your cellar visits, and you can linger over lunch in Reims without watching the clock.
Book a small group if you want the vineyards: hillside villages like Hautvillers, where Dom Pérignon is buried, and small family growers that are hard to reach by public transport. Everyone gets to taste, because someone else is driving. Most small groups pair one big house with one or two growers.
Go private if a specific house matters. On most tours the big house is chosen by availability, but one private day guarantees both Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot. Note that it comes with a chauffeur, not a guide; a live guide costs extra.
PrivateClewel Travel
Free cancellation
From$715.22
lowest listed option
For a special occasion, the most expert option is a private day with a guide who owns a vineyard: Reims Cathedral, an artisan winery, Pommery or Veuve Clicquot, and lunch in Reims. It is for adults 18 and over only.
PrivateWithlocals
Free cancellation
From$964.68
lowest listed option
N° 06Bon à savoir
01
Every house runs timed visits, and weekend and summer slots go first. Moët & Chandon advises booking several months ahead for summer weekends.
02
The cellars stay cold all year: Taittinger’s are kept at 8–12°C and Moët & Chandon’s at 10–12°C. Wear comfortable shoes.
03
Tour operators note that Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot close to visitors in January and February. Plan a winter trip around other houses, or check before you book.
04
From late November to late December, one budget tour runs a Christmas version with free time at the Reims Christmas market. Check opening days for the houses you want, since they change with the season.
05
Tastings are 18+, but under-18s can join visits. Some tours set their own limits: one has a minimum age of 7, one charges the adult price from 16, and the vineyard-owner private day is adults only.
06
Reims Cathedral is free and open daily, but on Sunday mornings visitors can only enter the narthex until noon. Plan the cellars first on a Sunday.
N° 07Good to know
It is one of the best, because it is so close. The fastest TGV reaches Reims in 46 minutes, and Reims has a free UNESCO-listed cathedral and several of the great Champagne houses within easy reach of the station.
The fastest TGV from Paris-Est takes 46 minutes. Some services involve a change and take longer, so choose a direct train. You need an SNCF ticket; the Paris métro ticket does not cover Champagne.
Reims has the cathedral and houses like Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, Pommery, and Ruinart. Épernay has the Avenue de Champagne and Moët & Chandon. You can do both by train in a long day, and many tours take in both.
Yes, in practice. Every major house sells timed visits online, and weekends and summer fill first. Moët & Chandon recommends booking several months ahead for summer weekends.
Entry-level visits at the big houses start around €30 (Taittinger, or Pommery’s self-guided visit) and run to €48 at Moët & Chandon and €90 for Ruinart’s two-hour Crayères visit. Treat these as indicative and confirm when you book.
Usually, yes. Under-18s can join house visits but are not served alcohol. Some tours set their own rules: one has a minimum age of 7, and the vineyard-owner private day is adults only.
Yes. It is open daily from 8am to 7:30pm (7:15pm on Sundays), with narthex-only access on Sunday mornings until noon. Tower visits are paid and sold separately.
N° 08Booking.com
Search live prices for the areas that make this trip easiest.
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