Champagne Day Trip from Reims including 9 Champagne Tastings

The best part of this Champagne day is its focus on small family growers, not only famous labels. From Reims, you visit three estates, walk through cellars, hear how Champagne is made, and taste about nine wines in settings where the people making the bottles are often close at hand.

I like the small eight-person minivan, which keeps the day friendly and gives you room to ask questions. I also like the balance between working vineyards, cellar visits, Reims sights, Hautvillers, and Épernay’s grand Avenue de Champagne. The main drawback is the price, $290.36 per person, especially since lunch includes a main course but not every extra cost.

Key points to know

• Three family estates: Taste artisan Champagne at three small producers rather than spending the day inside only the biggest houses.
• Nine tastings: The schedule gives you a serious introduction to different styles and producers.
• Hautvillers and Dom Pérignon: Visit the village and church connected with the monk linked to Champagne’s finished production method.
• Reims to Épernay: See the cathedral and major houses in Reims, then walk the famous Avenue de Champagne.
• Small-group transport: The air-conditioned minivan holds no more than eight people.
• Reims is the starting point: You must arrange your own train from Paris and book it early.

Why the family growers make this day worthwhile

Champagne is often sold through grand names such as Veuve Clicquot, Mumm, Perrier-Jouët, and Mercier. Those houses matter, and you will see them from the outside, but this tour spends its tasting time with smaller family domains.

That choice gives the day a more personal feel. At the estates, you are not simply sampling a famous label in a polished tasting room. You may see the cellars, production tools, vineyards, and the practical work behind each bottle. The visits also help explain why two Champagnes made in the same region can taste quite different.

The tour includes tastings at three family growers, with nine Champagne samples in all. That is enough wine to make the day feel substantial, but it also means you should eat breakfast, pace yourself, and use the spit buckets provided at tastings when appropriate. You do not need to finish every pour to learn from it.

The strongest guides named in the feedback include Radames, Pierre, Victor, and Emmanuel. Radames is often praised for clear English, humor, and strong explanations of the Champagne process. Pierre is noted for his easy manner and good relationships with producers. Guide quality can vary, though. One booking had a newer guide whose English was harder to follow, so if detailed commentary matters greatly to you, keep that possibility in mind.

Meeting at Reims station at 9:30

The day begins at the Office de Tourisme du Grand Reims, at the train station in central Reims. The scheduled start is 9:30 a.m., and the tour returns to the same meeting point after roughly eight hours.

This meeting point is convenient if you are staying in Reims. It is also practical for a day trip from Paris, but the train connection requires planning. From Monday through Saturday, the suggested TGV leaves Paris Est at 8:28 a.m. and arrives at Reims at 9:14 a.m. On Sundays from March through June and September through October, the guide can meet Paris arrivals at 9:00 a.m. outside Champagne-Ardenne station instead.

Sunday travel changes in July and August. No suitable Sunday morning train is available, so you should arrive in Reims the previous day. Do not assume you can sort out the train at the last minute. The tour company does not accept responsibility for a delay or cancellation, and the day trip cannot pick you up in Paris.

The minivan holds up to eight people and has air conditioning. That small size matters on a full day of driving and tasting. You spend less time loading a large coach and more time with the guide, although seating and conversation naturally depend on the group you join.

Reims sights before the vineyards

The first part of the day is a sightseeing drive through Reims. You pass major Champagne houses, Roman ruins, and Notre Dame Cathedral.

This is an overview rather than a long guided visit inside each sight. The big houses give you a sense of the commercial side of Champagne, while the cathedral and Roman remains place Reims in a much wider story. If you want extensive time inside Notre Dame or a full city walking tour, add that separately on another day.

The quick city introduction works well because the main purpose here is to reach the growers and villages beyond Reims. You get your bearings without using up the morning in an urban sightseeing loop.

Rilly-la-Montagne and the first cellar visit

The first estate stop is in Rilly-la-Montagne, a village in the Montagne de Reims area. You spend about an hour and a half touring a family grower and tasting Champagne.

This is where the tour’s approach becomes clear. Rather than presenting Champagne as a luxury product with a distant corporate identity, the visit connects the bottle to a family business and a working cellar. Your guide can explain the production stages, while the producer adds the local point of view.

A family cellar may feel less theatrical than one of the grand Reims houses. That is part of the appeal, but it also means you should not expect an elaborate museum-style attraction. You are paying for access, explanation, and tasting rather than a large visitor complex.

The tastings are generous enough to make the stop worthwhile, according to the detailed feedback supplied for this tour. You are also not expected to buy bottles. That is useful if you want to taste carefully without feeling that every sample comes with a sales pitch.

Hautvillers and the Dom Pérignon connection

The route continues to Hautvillers, the village associated with Dom Pérignon. You visit the church where the 17th-century Benedictine monk is buried.

This stop adds context to the wine. Dom Pérignon did not invent every part of Champagne production, but he is closely linked with the methods that helped shape the drink as we know it. Seeing the church and village gives the story a real place rather than leaving it as a name on an expensive bottle.

Do not expect a long independent visit with hours to wander. Hautvillers is one part of a tightly timed day, and the schedule must still allow for three tastings and lunch. Bring a camera, though, because this is one of the more atmospheric stops and a welcome change from the cellar visits.

Épernay lunch and the Avenue de Champagne

Around midday, the minivan reaches Épernay. You have about an hour and a half for lunch and time in town. A local restaurant meal is included, with a main course covered in the tour price.

The food is a practical advantage on a day built around alcohol. You do not have to search for a restaurant while watching the clock, and the included main course keeps the schedule moving. The restaurant is described as modern rather than traditionally French, so set your expectations accordingly. If you want an old-fashioned bistro setting, this may not match your ideal lunch.

After eating, you stroll along the Avenue de Champagne. This broad avenue is lined with grand Champagne houses, including Perrier-Jouët and Mercier. Beneath it are enormous cellars holding vast collections of bottles.

The avenue helps you understand the difference between the family estates and the famous Maisons. The large houses operate on a huge scale, with impressive cellars and international reach. The family growers offer a smaller, more personal view of the same region. Having both sides in one day gives you a better sense of Champagne’s range.

One practical warning: the Avenue de Champagne is not accessible from July 15 through August 22, 2025. If your date falls in that period, check what replacement arrangement applies before booking, since this is a stated change to the normal route.

Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire and the strongest cellar stop

One of the most consistently praised estate visits is Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire. The tour includes a guided visit and tasting, with about an hour and a half at the family estate.

This stop is especially useful if you want to see how a smaller producer works. You can expect an explanation of the winemaking process, a look at the cellar, and several tastings rather than a quick sip and departure. The personal scale makes it easier to ask about grapes, production, aging, and the differences between cuvées.

The family producers are also part of the cultural value here. Champagne is not just a beverage served at celebrations. It is an agricultural product shaped by vineyard work, cellar decisions, family knowledge, and local conditions. A visit such as this helps you understand the labor behind a bottle that may otherwise seem effortless.

If you have only visited major Champagne houses before, this may be the stop that gives you the most new information. If you prefer polished visitor centers with multimedia displays and large gift shops, the smaller estate format may feel modest.

The third grower and the final tasting round

The last scheduled estate is another family grower in the Champagne-Ardenne area. You spend roughly an hour and a half on a tour and tasting.

The precise producer may vary, so you should not book this expecting a fixed brand lineup. That flexibility allows the operator to work with local estates, but it also means the exact character of the final visit is not guaranteed in advance.

By this point, the third tasting can be both rewarding and demanding. You will have already visited two growers, eaten lunch, and sampled several wines. Pay attention to the way the final producer differs from the earlier ones rather than judging each bottle in isolation. The point is comparison: production choices, house style, and the effect of the producer’s scale.

The day ends with transport back to Reims station. If you are catching a train to Paris, the recommended departure is after 5:45 p.m. Leave extra time if your onward connection is important, since the tour runs for about eight hours and road conditions can affect the return.

What $290.36 buys you

At $290.36 per person, this is not a cheap sightseeing outing. The price includes an English-speaking professional driver-guide, air-conditioned transport, three family estate visits, nine tastings, and lunch with a main course.

The value depends on what you want from Champagne. If you only want to see the cathedral and sample one or two wines, this is too much. You can explore Reims more cheaply on your own. If you want a full day outside the city, do not want to drive after tasting, and value access to smaller producers, the price becomes easier to defend.

You are also paying for logistics. Reims, Hautvillers, Épernay, Rilly-la-Montagne, and the estates are spread across the region. Arranging three cellar visits, transport, lunch, and a safe return independently would take time and would be awkward if you are tasting throughout the day.

The value is weaker for someone mainly interested in scenery and photographs. One detailed assessment found the day more focused on Champagne tasting than on extended photo stops. The tour passes attractive countryside, but it is not a slow scenic drive with long pauses at every viewpoint.

Who should book this Champagne day?

You should consider this tour if you want:

• A full introduction to Champagne in one day
• Small producers instead of only internationally famous houses
• Nine tastings with explanations of the wines and production
• A guide who can adjust explanations for beginners or more experienced drinkers
• Transport between Reims, Épernay, Hautvillers, and the countryside
• A small group with no more than eight people

It suits a first visit particularly well. You get the famous names, the cathedral, Dom Pérignon’s village, the Avenue de Champagne, family cellars, and a meal without having to solve each transfer yourself.

It may not suit you if you want a slow day, a traditional long lunch, or lots of independent time in each town. It also may not suit you if your budget is tight or you are uncomfortable with a day that includes several tastings.

Tell the operator about dietary needs when you book. The tour runs in all weather, so dress for a full day moving between a minivan, villages, cellars, and outdoor sights. Cellars can feel cool, while the weather outside may be warm.

Should you book the Reims Champagne day trip?

I would book it for a first Champagne visit when you want both famous regional sights and genuine contact with family growers. The combination of three estates, nine tastings, lunch, and a small minivan gives you more substance than a quick tasting excursion.

Before booking, check the train timetable, confirm the date of the Avenue de Champagne closure if relevant, and decide if $290.36 fits your priorities. If you do that planning and arrive with realistic expectations, this is a strong choice for learning how Champagne is made, tasting broadly, and seeing the region without driving yourself.

FAQ

Where does the Champagne day trip start?

The tour starts at the Office de Tourisme du Grand Reims at the central Reims train station, Cours de la Gare, 51100 Reims. The normal start time is 9:30 a.m., and the tour returns to the same meeting point.

Can I take the tour from Paris?

Yes, but you must arrange and pay for your own train to Reims. Suggested trains are provided for Monday through Saturday and for some Sunday periods. There are no suitable Sunday morning trains in July and August, so you should arrive in Reims the day before.

How many people are in the group?

The tour uses an air-conditioned minivan and allows a maximum of eight people. The small group gives you more opportunity to speak with the guide and ask questions at the estates.

How many Champagne tastings are included?

The experience includes tastings at three family Champagne wineries, with nine Champagne tastings advertised for the full day. Other tastings and personal purchases are not included.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch is at a local restaurant in Épernay, and the tour includes a main course. Personal expenses and any additional food or drinks are not included.

What happens if I need to cancel?

You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before departure are not accepted for a refund.