Reims & Epernay: Champagne Day Trip with 7 Tastings

Summary

Champagne tastings, Reims cathedral light, Dom Perignon’s resting place

You’ll start your Champagne day trip in Reims with a friendly guide and small group, visiting two family-run wineries for tastings (seven glasses in total!). Explore Hautvillers’ quiet streets and see Dom Perignon’s tomb before lunch in Epernay. Expect laughter in cool cellars, honest stories from locals, and moments when you just want to linger a little longer among the vines.

What’s the experience like?

You step off the train in Reims and it hits you—the air feels different here, almost sharper. Our guide, Claire, waved us over by the station and I instantly liked her energy. She had this way of weaving little stories about the city as we drove past the old Champagne houses and that gothic cathedral. The bells rang out just as we passed—I swear it made my coffee taste sweeter. Not sure if that’s possible but it happened.

The first family winery was tucked behind low stone walls outside town. The owner’s hands were stained from years of harvests—he poured us our first glass without fuss. I tried to swirl it like I knew what I was doing (Claire noticed and grinned). There was this quiet in the cellar—cool stone underfoot, faint smell of yeast and apples—and then someone laughed and it echoed weirdly off the barrels. We tasted three Champagnes there; honestly, I lost track after the second because I started thinking about how many generations had worked those vines.

Hautvillers felt almost too peaceful. We walked up to Dom Perignon’s tomb—Claire told us how he never actually “invented” Champagne but made it better, which somehow made me like him more. The village smelled like baking bread and wet leaves (it had rained a bit), and a local woman nodded at us from her doorway. Lunch was at this tiny spot in Epernay—main course, dessert, one glass of Champagne (I could’ve used two), and strong coffee that cut right through all those bubbles.

The Avenue de Champagne looked grand even with some construction going on—long rows of mansions hiding cellars below. The last tasting was at another family estate; their dog followed us around the whole time, hoping for scraps at lunch. By then I’d stopped trying to guess tasting notes and just enjoyed each sip. If you’re thinking about a day trip from Reims or Paris to try Champagne where it’s actually made… well, I still think about that view over the vineyards when the clouds broke for a minute.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Reims and Champagne tasting tour

• Sightseeing in Reims city
• Tour and tasting at family grower
• Visit Hautvillers and Dom Perignon Abbey
• Explore Avenue de Champagne
• Lunch at leisure
• Tour and tasting at family estate

Top questions

How do I get to Reims for the Champagne day trip?

You can take a TGV train from Paris-Est station to Reims or Champagne-Ardenne station; recommended trains are listed depending on your travel day.

Is pickup included for this Champagne tour?

Pickup is included on Sundays for certain months if arriving by train; otherwise meet at Reims Tourist Office near the station.

How many Champagne tastings are included?

The tour includes seven Champagne tastings across two family wineries.

Is lunch provided during the day trip?

Yes, lunch is included at a local restaurant with main course, dessert, one glass of Champagne, and coffee.

Can dietary requirements be accommodated?

Please advise any specific dietary needs at booking so they can be accommodated during lunch.

What is the maximum group size?

The tour allows up to 8 people per booking for a small-group experience.

Does the tour operate year-round?

The tour runs throughout most of the year but Avenue de Champagne is not accessible mid-July to late August due to construction works.

Is this suitable for all fitness levels?

Yes, it’s suitable for all physical fitness levels; expect some walking in villages and cellars.

What’s included

Your day includes transport by air-conditioned minivan with a professional driver-guide starting from Reims (pickup available on Sundays for certain dates), guided visits and tastings at two family-run Champagne wineries (seven glasses total), sightseeing stops in Reims and Hautvillers including Dom Perignon’s tomb, strolls along Avenue de Champagne in Epernay (except during summer construction), plus lunch at a local restaurant with main course, dessert, one glass of Champagne and coffee before heading back late afternoon.