Reims is the one champagne town you can reach from Paris without a car, and it repays the effort on foot. The TGV takes about 45 minutes. You can join a growers' tour at the station, book the houses yourself, or skip the train with a small group champagne tour from paris that collects you in the city.
By TGV from Gare de l'Est you are in Reims in about 45 minutes, the Reims tourist office says. The fast trains use two stations: Reims-Centre, in the town, and Champagne-Ardenne TGV at Bezannes, just outside it. A tram links the two.
Reims-Centre is the one you want for a day on foot. Most tours that start in Reims meet on its forecourt, at the tourist office's station desk. The France Intense growers' day is timed for the 8:28 TGV from Paris, which reaches Reims at 9:14 from Monday to Saturday.
| What you need | The answer |
|---|---|
| Paris station | Gare de l'Est |
| TGV journey | About 45 minutes to Reims |
| Reims stations | Reims-Centre, in the town; Champagne-Ardenne TGV, at Bezannes; a tram links the two |
| On to Épernay | The TER line the region calls the Ligne des Bulles |
| By car | The A4 motorway from Paris; part of Reims is a low-emission zone that needs a Crit'Air 1, 2 or 3 sticker |
| Where tours meet | The tourist office on the Reims-Centre station forecourt, Cour de la Gare |
If you drive, Reims sits on the A4 from Paris. Part of the city is a low-emission zone, so check you have the Crit'Air sticker before you set off.
The coronation began with a legend. Clovis was baptised in Reims, and Saint Remi anointed him with holy oil that, the story goes, a dove brought down in a small flask, the ampulla. From then on, a king was made in Reims.
Thirty-three kings were crowned here. The last was Charles X, in 1825. The cathedral is free and opens every day from 8:00; the details are on things to do in Champagne.
The archbishop's palace next door, the Palais du Tau, housed the king on coronation day, and the feast was held there. It is closed for works until 2027. Across town, the Basilica of Saint-Remi holds the tomb of the bishop who baptised Clovis, and it is free to visit.
The big Reims houses age their wine in crayères, old underground chalk quarries the champagne trade reused as cellars. About 25 km of them run under the Saint-Nicaise hill, which UNESCO lists with the houses above it.
Down there it is 10 to 12 °C, at 90 to 100% humidity, whatever the month. Bring a layer and shoes with grip. Taittinger's cellars are 18 metres down, in chalk quarries from Gallo-Roman times.
Every house sells its own visits. Here is the cheapest each one publishes, so you can book one around your train.
| House in Reims | Cheapest visit on its own site | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| G.H. Mumm | €30, 1 hour 30 minutes, one glass | A €19 rate was for one heritage weekend only |
| Lanson | €32 adult; €20 aged 13–17; €15 aged 7–12 | Free under 7 |
| Veuve Clicquot | €36, 1 hour, cellars and tasting | Wednesday to Sunday from 4 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 |
| Pommery | €48, 2 hours with the tasting | The tour tells the story of Madame Pommery |
| Ruinart | €90 adult; €50 aged 7–17 | Free under 7; the visit goes into the crayères |
| Taittinger | Check its own site | 18 metres down, in Gallo-Roman chalk quarries under the old Saint-Nicaise abbey |
Veuve Clicquot closes for part of each winter. Last winter it shut on 28 December 2025 and reopened on 7 April 2026, so check its calendar before you plan a January trip. What each house's visit includes, and which tours take you there, is on champagne houses and growers.
A shared day from Reims costs $152 to $286 per person, against $268 to $443 for a shared day from Paris, and you skip the four hours on the road. You buy your own train, meet the group at the station, and give the whole day to the vineyards.
| Day | Meets | When | Who pours | Lunch | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reims afternoon with two family growers | Station tourist office | 2:00 pm, back 6:30 pm | Family growers only | Not included | From $152 per person |
| Growers' day from Reims with lunch | Station tourist office (some Sundays: Champagne-Ardenne TGV) | 9:30 am | Family growers only | Included | From $286 per person |
| Three growers and lunch, from Reims station | Station tourist office | 9:30 am | Family growers only | Included | From $280 per person |
| Two estates, from the cathedral to Épernay | Cathedral, left-hand gate | 9:30 am, ends about 5 pm in Épernay | Producers by availability | Not included | From $245 per person |
| Private day with three growers | The station, or your Reims or Épernay hotel | Set with the operator | Family growers only | Included | From $579 per person |
| Private Veuve Clicquot day from Reims | Your Reims hotel or the station | Set with the operator | A big house and growers | A paid option | From $631 per person |
The growers' days pour at family estates, not at the big houses. The Sparkling Tour small group is for adults only. The France Intense private day adds Veuve Clicquot, subject to availability, and the Wine Tours Paris day ends on the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, so plan your way home from there.
Compare the Reims-station days with the Paris pickups by who pours, lunch and the fare.
You can do Reims without a tour. This is the order that works on foot, with one house visit booked ahead. Sunday mornings are the one gap: until noon, the cathedral lets visitors into the entrance area only, so go in the afternoon.
About 45 minutes from Gare de l'Est. Get off at Reims-Centre.
The tourist office is at 6 rue Rockefeller, on the cathedral square.
Free, every day from 8:00. The towers are a €9 guided visit.
A house visit you book on its own site: €30 at Mumm, €48 at Pommery.
The basilica is free. City buses 4, 6, 11 and 40 stop at St Remi.
The Reims Christmas market fills the Promenades Jean-Louis Schneiter, a minute's walk from Reims-Centre station. In 2025 it ran from 26 November to 28 December with 150 chalets. The tourist office has not yet published the 2026 dates.
Train, station and tourist-office details come from Reims Tourisme, the cathedral's from its parish and the Centre des monuments nationaux, and each house's price from its own site.
Meets at the Reims station tourist office at 2 pm: two family wineries, six glasses and Hautvillers, back at the station by 6:30 pm. The train from Paris is yours.
From $152 per person
Check Availability
Meets at 9:30 by Reims Cathedral's left gate: two estates, Hautvillers and the hillsides, ending about 5 pm on the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay. Lunch is yours.
From $245 per person
Check Availability
A private driver-guide from your Reims hotel or the station: the cathedral, Veuve Clicquot when it has room, and a family estate. Lunch is a paid option.
From $631 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: compare Reims with Épernay and the Avenue de Champagne, plan the day in visiting Champagne from Paris, or compare every day out on Paris Champagne Tours.