Champagne & Reims region

Ah la Champagne…. say no more!

Taittinger, Dom Perignon, Laurent Perrier, Mumm, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Moët & Chandon... more, you say? In that case, we warmly invite you to browse our self-drive tours in Champagne, so you can come and visit yourself!

A stay in the vineyards of the Champagne region or in its capital city Reims is the opportunity of a lifetime to see where the famous bubbly is made so at the next big occasion when you open a bottle of Champagne, it will have a very special taste and hold many memories of your Champagne tour!

Reims is a nice historic town, which was relatively preserved during the wars. The majestic Cathedral has a very important role in French history as it is the place where most of the Kings of France where crowned, or “sacré” in French meaning to be blessed by God. Therefore, Reims is often referred to as La Cité des Sacres.

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Martina & Simon from the UK
A fantastic well-planned self-drive tour We had the most amazing time on our 6 week self-drive tour designed by Laura, travelling through Brittany, Loire, Dordogne, Medoc, Basque …

Our Self-Guided Tours in Champagne

Champagne won't taste the same when you enjoy it in La Champagne !

Duration
16 days
Price
US$ 4680
Region
in Champagne, Burgundy, Loire Valley & Normandy

Exploring by the back roads is the best way to experience France and immerse yourself in the culture. Get a real feel for the authentic France, and enjoy at your own pace.

Heritage & History
Towns & Villages
Countryside
Duration
13 days
Price
US$ 4780
Region
in Champagne, Verdun, Burgundy & Paris

Explore North-Eastern France and jump into French wines & history! Starting in Reims, capital of the Champagne region, you will learn many stories starring Joan of Arc, Marie-Antoinette and a famous widow . . . Clicquot. A private guide will make World War I history come alive, allowing you to get a comprehensive overview of the Verdun battlefields. You will bike and taste wines in Burgundy and finish your journey with flourish in Paris.

Wine Tasting
WWI & WWII Battlefields
Duration
13 days
Price
US$ 4720
Region
in Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Burgundy & Champagne

This itinerary is designed for gourmet travelers who aim at discovering and learning more about French wines. Our tours also mix heritage, culture, nice walks, gardens, etc. In this tour, you will stay in wineries, by vineyards & in wine towns. An absolute must for wine lovers !

Wine Tasting
Gourmet Food
Countryside
Duration
16 days
Price
US$ 6700
Region
in Champagne, Verdun, Somme, Normandy & Paris

Many of us are related in some way to the World Wars' history : a father, uncle, grandfather, family friend, or a famous soldier we admire, who fought amongst the Allied troops on French soil. We are very happy and proud to plan itineraries for you to learn more about the history of the two World Wars of the 20th century. The below tour is a sample and we will craft your own trip based on any information you may have available or are willing to discover.

WWI & WWII Battlefields
Towns & Villages
Duration
10 days
Price
US$ 3980
Region
in Burgundy, Alsace & Champagne

On this itinerary, you'll go North-East ! Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne are all located East of Paris and near the Swiss and German borders. Quite unknown, these regions have a lot to discover !

Wine Tasting
Towns & Villages
Champagne

How to Get to Reims & the Champagne region?

Reims is only a 1hr30 drive east from Paris or CDG Airport. This is a great first or last stop on a French self-drive tour. We do recommend driving to Reims, as this is faster and more convenient than other transportation options.

There is a high-speed train (TGV) that goes there, and although we do not think this to be the best option, it can also be considered. Please be aware however that the TGV station is far outside of town and the car rental agencies are at the downtown train station (regular trains, no TGV). This makes the connections a bit complicated, but manageable with time.

 

Geography of the Champagne Region

The Champagne vineyards are mostly between Reims and Epernay, which is located 35 minutes south of Reims, so the area is quite small and can be visited in 2 days, including some Champagne winery visits.

Between the 2 cities is the « Montagne de Reims » which culminates at 286 meters and is thus only a « mountain » by name. However, it provides nice slopes for the vineyards and a lovely countryside to drive around.

The whole area was once under the sea and for fossil lovers, we will recommend a place you will always remember.

 

Hautvillers - ©S. Millot - ADT Marne
Hautvillers in Montagne de Reims - ©S. Millot ADT Marne

 

 

Let’s drink Champagne!

Champagne & Reims Wine Tours

One thing you need to learn in French: if you say « Je suis interessé par LA Champagne » and « Je suis intéressé par LE Champagne » - you mean something totally different! In the first case, you are talking about the Champagne region and in the second, the sparkling wine... so make sure to brush up on your French a little. In our opinion, both are great to talk about!

What do you eat with Champagne? Biscuits Roses of course!

Of course, it is cheaper to buy Champagne wines right in the production area: you will find good quality bottles starting 20€ - or even around 15-18€ at smaller, less internationally famous wineries.

For those who just want to taste a few Champagnes and get a general overview of the region, we will be happy to recommend a self-drive itinerary where you can get a « bit of everything » and book a visit and tasting in a famous Maison de Champagne such as Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot or Moët & Chandon.

For the Champagne lovers on our self drive tours in Champagne, we can organize for one of our private guides to take you from the vineyards to the wineries. You'll probably taste more Champagnes in a day than you ever have. On this Champagne tours, you will learn about the soils, the vintages, the making process and also visit smaller family wineries where you could not go on your own. We can also plan for you to enjoy several wine regions in France including Champagne. 

Telmont Champagne tasting
Champagne Tasting - ©Champagne J. De Telmont

 

Champagne; oui... but also...

In the Champagne area, you will also wander in the Faux magical forest, taste the famous pink biscuits from Reims and… visit the Cathedral! This immense building dating back to the beginning of the 13th century is a real jewel and travelers often feel hypnotized by its majesty and immensity.

smiling angel in reims cathedral
The Smiling Angel of Reims Cathedral - ©FJFY

 

Did you know that the German surrender of World War II was signed in Reims, in the school housing General Eisenhower’s headquarters for the final months of the war? The Musée de la Reddition is fascinating, and you will see the untouched map room and table where the surrender signature took place.

Roman ruins are still visible also, such as the Mars door near the very lively covered market of the lively Boulingrin neighborhood in Reims!

Reims has also one of the biggest Christmas markets in France. 

 

Where to stay in the Champagne region

The answer is quite simple: between Reims and Epernay. On a Champagne tour, you don’t want to stay north of Reims or you will have to drive around the city every time you want to reach the Champagne vineyards.

Reims is much livelier than Epernay where we recommend strolling the famous Avenue de Champagne on a visit.

We have selected great accommodations in Reims for those who like to be in town, and also some very nice Bed & Breakfasts in the vineyards, in little towns or even in a Champagne winery – to be closer to the local products. A difficult but happy dilemma to have!

If you love wine, we have designed a specific self drive tour of France for wine lovers. For lovers of Champagne, self-guided wine tours through this region - with the option of a private expert guide for at least one day of your tour - can be an unforgettable experience.

 

Champagne Bouché
Champagne cellars - ©Champagne Bouché Père & Fils

 

Let us know what you like and we will plan your stay in the Champagne region accordingly !

FAQs about Champagne

Most of Champagne became part of the French administrative region of Champagne-Ardenne in 1956. This consisted of four French departments: Ardennes, Aube, Marne and Haute-Marne. On January 1st, 2016, 1 January 2016, Champagne-Ardenne merged with the neighboring regions of Alsace and Lorraine, and these became part of the new region of Grand Est.

On our self-drive tours in Champagne, you will be located near Reims, the capital of Champagne, which is about an hour an a half's drive from Paris.

There are four main regions in Champagne: La Vallée de la Marne, La Montagne de Reims, La Côte des Blancs and La Côte des Bars, including 34,000 hectares of vineyards and around 300 villages and towns. 

La Côte des Bars is furthest south in the Champagne-Ardenne region and has two main sub-regions, Bar-Sur-Seine and Bar-Sur-Aube.

In the north of the region, La Vallée de la Marne, La Montagne de Reims and La Côte des Blancs are the three main territoires, where the best quality grapes are produced. Indeed, many Champagne producers produce the best Champagne by blending grapes from all three of these areas.

Champagne is used to celebrate memorable occasions all over the world and all of us can remember and name some of the French Champagnes in this list :

  • Moët & Chandon
  • Veuve Clicquot
  • Mumm
  • Taittinger
  • Dom Perignon...of course...like James Bond !
  • Ruinart
  • Roederer
  • Pommery....

On a self-drive tour in Champagne, we recommend staying for 2-3 nights. This will give you the opportunity to spend a day exploring the region and the Champagne-Ardenne wineries at your own pace, as well as a day with a private expert wine guide.

Champagne & Reims wine tours will take you to their favorite Champagne-Ardenne wineries, share interesting facts about the region, the grapes, the producers and the local harvest traditions, so you really get to immerse yourself in the culture of the region. 

You can also spend a day exploring the lovely city of Reims and enjoying other local attractions, including fossils, Belle Epoque architecture and a lively food market. If you go on a self guided tour of the Champagne region with us, we'll tell you our favorite restaurants, from simple fare to Michelin 3-star restaurants.

The best time to visit Champagne, in our view, is April, May, June, September or October. Visiting Champagne during spring, early summer or early fall will help you to avoid the hottest and coldest temperatures, and are the ideal times to enjoy outdoor activities without the big tourist crowds of the summer.

Visit other French regions

Brittany

Alsace

Lyon

Somme

Verdun

Normandy

Provence

Dordogne

Loire Valley

Paris

Bordeaux

Our Travelers’ Reviews

Pamela
We just returned from a fantastic three weeks in Southwest France. I highly recommend the services of France Just For You, we could never have planned the trip ourselves as well as they did. Laura did the planning and gave us an amazing itinerary, and was available at a moment's notice when we had a plane cancellation on our flight to Bordeaux and …
Beth & Jim
We are a couple that contacted Emilie at France Just For You and her responsiveness and services were excellent. She and her husband listened very carefully to our stated interests and followed up with us in a very personal way. As independent travelers who work, we did not have time to fully plan a trip to the Dordogne region of France which was …
Wendy & Ron
We could not be happier. When we first received the guide book and brochures, we thought we would not need them, but they were invaluable! Our first stay with Florence and Phil was especially memorable but really we cannot think of a highlight because it was all wonderful. We will certainly recommend your company to anyone we know travelling to …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Rory & Mike
From the US
Enjoying a romantic moment
Harry
From Australia
In the War Cemetery in Normandy
Steffi & Jeff
in Chenonceau castle....romantic !
Jim
From Australia
At the top of the Rhune mount in the Basque Country
Shelley, Andy, Dianne & Bob
from the US
On the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Naz & Mounir
On a side-car tour in the Loire Valley
Rose & Bryan
from the US
in Chenonceau castle, Loire Valley
Kathy & Steve from the US
Having dinner at the B&B in the Loire Valley
Chris, Diane, Teresa & Lorelea
From the US
In Epernay, in the Champagne region
Nathalie from Australia
...found a truffle in Provence !
Sue & Chris
Romantic night in Montecarlo
Clemmer & Dennis
From the US
After folding the US flag in the Meuse Argonne War Cemetery - Eastern France