Champagne, France · 2 Days
A Champagne Weekend: Reims, Épernay & the Grande Marque
Champagne is the world's most celebrated sparkling wine region — a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of chalk hills, cathedral cities, and legendary Maisons producing the finest bubbles on earth. This two-day itinerary takes you from Reims' Gothic caves to Épernay's gilded Avenue de Champagne and the village where Dom Pérignon changed wine history forever.
What to Expect
This weekend focuses on the Grande Marque Champagne houses — the legendary brands whose cellars run deep beneath Reims and Épernay. Cave tours typically cost €20–50 per person and include tastings. Book key visits (Taittinger, Moët) at least two weeks in advance, especially in autumn.
Day 1 — Reims: Gothic Caves & Great Maisons
Taittinger
Reims · Non-Vintage Brut, Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs
Begin your weekend at one of the most visually spectacular cellars in Champagne. Taittinger is housed in former Gothic chalk crypts beneath a 13th-century abbey — the arched stone galleries descend 18 metres and hold 15 million bottles in various stages of ageing. The house is family-owned, which is increasingly rare among Champagne's grandes marques. Their Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is among the finest prestige cuvées made anywhere.
Veuve Clicquot
Reims · Yellow Label Brut, La Grande Dame
The House of Veuve Clicquot was founded in 1772 and revolutionised Champagne production when the Widow Clicquot invented riddling — the technique that clarifies Champagne in the bottle. Their cellars beneath Reims span 24 kilometres of chalk galleries carved by the Romans. The Yellow Label Brut remains one of the world's best-selling Champagnes; their prestige cuvée La Grande Dame is a benchmark of elegance and precision.
Lunch in Reims
Reims is a proper French city with excellent restaurants. Le Foch (one Michelin star) offers refined cuisine with an exceptional Champagne cellar. For something more casual, Le Bocal near the cathedral does excellent charcuterie and cheese boards designed to pair with bubbles.
Pommery
Reims · Brut Royal, Louise Pommery
Pommery's crayères are a UNESCO World Heritage Site — 18 Gallo-Roman chalk pits connected by tunnels descending to 30 metres below ground. The cellars feel like an underground cathedral, and the house hosts contemporary art installations throughout the galleries each year. Pommery also invented the first commercially successful Brut Champagne in 1874, changing the style of the entire region.
Champagne Bar & Dinner in Reims
The Reims old town has a cluster of wine bars specialising in grower Champagnes — the smaller, independent producers from the villages who make wines of remarkable character. Pair with a traditional Champenois dinner: andouillette, pied de porc, and ratafia-soaked desserts. Stay the night in Reims — central and walkable.
Day 2 — Épernay & Hautvillers
Moët & Chandon
Épernay · Impérial Brut, Dom Pérignon
The world's largest Champagne house sits in magnificent château buildings on the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay. Moët produces 30 million bottles annually and holds 28 kilometres of cellars beneath the city. Their cellar tour is one of the most polished in the region. The house also owns the Dom Pérignon label — their flagship prestige cuvée, named after the monk who cellared wine in this very region three centuries ago.
Perrier-Jouët
Épernay · Grand Brut, Belle Époque
A short walk along the Avenue de Champagne brings you to Perrier-Jouët, renowned for their Belle Époque prestige cuvée — the iconic Art Nouveau bottle hand-painted with white anemones is one of the most recognisable in the wine world. The house's cellars are smaller and more intimate than Moët, giving a different perspective on how artisanal Champagne production operates at scale.
Lunch in Épernay
The Avenue de Champagne itself has several brasseries and wine bars. La Cave à Champagne on Rue Gambetta is a local institution — simple French food, strong Champagne list, and a relaxed atmosphere before the afternoon drive.
Hautvillers Village & the Dom Pérignon Abbey
Hautvillers · 15 min drive from Épernay
Drive up into the Montagne de Reims to the hilltop village of Hautvillers — the birthplace of Champagne as a style. Dom Pierre Pérignon, the Benedictine monk who pioneered many techniques of Champagne production, is buried in the abbey church here. The village itself is beautifully preserved with hand-wrought iron signs marking every winery and artisan. The views over the Marne Valley from the village square are exceptional.
Depart or Extend into the Côte des Blancs
Reims is 45 minutes from Paris by TGV — convenient for a weekend trip. If you have more time, extend south into the Côte des Blancs (the heartland of Chardonnay Champagne) to visit Cramant, Avize, and the prestigious Salon and Delamotte houses.
Where to Stay
Reims makes the best base for a Champagne weekend — it has more hotels across all price ranges, better restaurants, and excellent transport links to Paris. The Les Crayères hotel is the region's grande dame (two Michelin stars, in a castle-like mansion). For more accessible options, the city centre has a wide range of comfortable hotels within walking distance of Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot.
Find Hotels in Reims →Best Time to Visit
The Champagne harvest is one of Europe's great agricultural spectacles — thousands of hand-pickers work the steep chalk slopes simultaneously over three to four weeks. The air is electric and many houses offer harvest experiences. Book accommodation very early; the region fills completely.
Spring visits offer lighter crowds, pleasant temperatures, and the vineyards in fresh green leaf. Cave temperatures stay at 10–12°C year-round — bring a layer regardless of when you visit.
Month-by-Month
Practical Tips
- 1
Book cave tours in advance. Taittinger and Moët fill weeks ahead during summer and harvest. Booking directly via house websites is usually the most reliable method.
- 2
Dress warmly underground. Cave cellars stay at a constant 10°C — a cool jacket is essential regardless of the outdoor temperature.
- 3
Explore grower Champagnes. Beyond the grandes marques, Champagne's village growers (récoltants- manipulants) produce remarkable wines at a fraction of the price. Ask at any wine bar for recommendations.
Trip Summary
- Duration
- 2 days
- Maison visits
- 6+
- Focus style
- Sparkling / Brut
- Base
- Reims
- Budget/day
- €80–180
- Currency
- EUR
- From Paris
- 45 min by TGV
Want the full insider guide to the Champagne wine region?
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