Reims Day Trip from Paris

A Reims day trip from Paris puts you in Champagne country 45 minutes by TGV. The cathedral where French kings were crowned is the main draw - spectacular Gothic architecture with Chagall stained glass windows. But Reims is also a working Champagne capital with major houses (Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery) offering cellar tours and tastings within walking distance of the train station.

The city is compact and walkable. You can easily cover the cathedral, champagne cellars, and old town in 5-6 hours. The train advantage matters here - you can taste champagne responsibly without worrying about driving back to Paris. That's the smart play for a Champagne region visit.

Tip: Book champagne cellar tours 1-2 days ahead, especially for weekends. Walk-ins often work on weekdays but major houses (Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot) fill up fast on Saturdays.

Quick Facts

One Day Itinerary for Reims

Morning: Train from Paris (8:00-9:00 AM)

TGV trains leave Paris Gare de l'Est every 1-2 hours starting around 6:30 AM. The 45-minute ride puts you in Reims before most tourists arrive. Book tickets on SNCF or Trainline - advance purchase saves money but same-day tickets work if you're flexible.

Reims train station is modern and connected. Exit the main hall and you're facing Avenue de Laon/Avenue Jean Jaurès leading straight toward city center (15-minute walk) or take tram A/B two stops to Centre Ville.

Tip: Grab coffee and a pastry at the station or wait until you reach Place Drouet d'Erlon (main pedestrian street) where better cafes exist.

Stop 1: Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral (1.5 hours)

9:30-11:00 AM: Start with the cathedral before champagne houses open. This is one of France's great Gothic cathedrals - same league as Notre-Dame Paris and Chartres. Twenty-five French kings were crowned here from Louis VIII (1223) to Charles X (1825), including Joan of Arc's crowning of Charles VII in 1429.

The facade is stunning - three portals covered in 2,300 statues, massive rose window, twin towers rising 81 meters. Inside, the nave soars 38 meters high with light flooding through original 13th-century stained glass and modern windows by Marc Chagall (installed 1974) that somehow work together perfectly.

The Chagall windows are in the axial chapel behind the altar - deep blues showing biblical scenes in his distinctive style. They're controversial (modern art in medieval cathedral) but genuinely beautiful if you approach them without prejudice.

The cathedral is free to enter. Audio guides available if you want detailed history. Tower tours exist but require separate tickets and climbing 250 steps - skip unless you're really into tower views.

Note: The cathedral was heavily damaged in WWI (Germans shelled it for four years) and partially destroyed. The restoration took decades. Knowing that context makes the current state even more impressive.

Stop 2: Palais du Tau (Optional, 45 minutes)

11:00-11:45 AM: If you want more cathedral history, the Palais du Tau (former archbishop's palace) sits right next to the cathedral. It houses cathedral treasury, coronation artifacts, and original statues from the facade (removed for preservation). Entry fee applies. Skip if you're indifferent to medieval religious art.

Stop 3: Champagne House Tour (1.5-2 hours)

11:30 AM or 12:00 PM tour: This is the core Reims experience - descending into champagne cellars carved into Gallo-Roman chalk quarries, learning how champagne is made, and tasting the product.

Major houses within walking distance of cathedral:

Taittinger: Best cellars tour. You descend into 4th-century Roman chalk quarries 18 meters underground, walk through vaulted cellars with millions of bottles aging, and see 13th-century Abbey of Saint-Nicaise ruins incorporated into the cellars. The tour explains champagne production clearly and the setting is atmospheric. Tasting includes two champagnes. Tour lasts 75-90 minutes.

Veuve Clicquot: Famous name, excellent tour focused on Madame Clicquot's innovations (riddling table that revolutionized champagne making). Cellars are impressive and well-maintained. Tour is polished and professional. Tasting of one or two champagnes depending on tour level. Very popular - book ahead.

Pommery: Largest cellars (18km of tunnels), built into old Roman quarries with 116 steps down. They incorporate modern art exhibitions in the cellars which is unexpected. Good for people who want both wine and contemporary art. Tours feel a bit corporate but the scale is impressive.

Mumm: Closest to train station. Smaller cellars than others but good tour explaining production from grape to bottle. More technical/educational than atmospheric. Works if other houses are booked.

Tip: Taittinger offers the best balance of cellar atmosphere, clear explanations, and reasonable pricing. Book 1-2 days ahead online. Most houses offer tours in English at specific times (usually 10:30 AM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM).

Stop 4: Lunch (60-90 minutes)

1:00-2:30 PM: Place Drouet d'Erlon is the main pedestrian street lined with cafes and restaurants. It's touristy but convenient and has every cuisine option. For something more local, head to Les Halles du Boulingrin (covered market, closed Sunday/Monday) area which has better bistros.

Regional specialties: Champagne sauce dishes (chicken, fish), Reims ham, biscuits roses de Reims (pink cookies designed for dipping in champagne). Most bistros offer fixed-price lunch menus.

If you tasted champagne in the cellar tour, have water with lunch. You'll likely do another tasting later and pacing matters.

Note: Many restaurants close Sunday evenings and Mondays. Plan accordingly if visiting those days.

Stop 5: Second Champagne House or City Walk (1-1.5 hours)

2:30-4:00 PM: You have two options depending on energy and champagne interest:

Option A: Visit a second champagne house. If you did Taittinger in the morning, try Veuve Clicquot or Pommery for contrast. Two tours in one day is doable but you'll be tasting 4+ glasses of champagne total - be honest about your limits.

Option B: Walk the old town. Reims has Art Deco architecture everywhere (rebuilt after WWI in 1920s style). The Carnegie Library is a beautiful Art Deco building still functioning as library. Place Royale is the elegant city square. Rue de Mars has antique shops and galleries. Porte Mars is a Roman triumphal arch from 3rd century still standing.

The city walk option is underrated - Reims doesn't get credit for how pleasant it is to wander. The Art Deco buildings give it distinctive character different from standard French cities.

Return to Paris

4:30-5:00 PM departure: TGV trains back to Paris run frequently until evening. The 45-minute ride gives you time to decompress. You'll arrive Paris around 6:00 PM.

Later trains exist (last train around 9:00 PM) if you want dinner in Reims, but most day-trippers head back by early evening.

Champagne Cellar Tours - How to Book and What to Expect

Major Houses in Reims City Center

The advantage of Reims is that major champagne houses sit right in the city, walkable from the cathedral and train station. You don't need a car or rural tours to access good cellars.

Houses within 15-minute walk of cathedral:

• Taittinger - 9 Place Saint-Nicaise
• Veuve Clicquot - 1 Place des Droits de l'Homme
• Pommery - 5 Place du Général Gouraud
• Ruinart - 4 Rue des Crayères (smallest production, most exclusive, book well ahead)

Near train station:

• Mumm - 34 Rue du Champ de Mars

Booking and Costs

Book directly on champagne house websites 1-2 days ahead minimum. Weekend tours book out a week or more in advance, especially May-September. Weekday morning tours often have availability but don't assume walk-ins work.

Tour costs vary by house and tasting level. Basic tours with one glass tasting start around this range, premium tours with multiple vintages or prestige cuvées cost more. Tours last 60-90 minutes typically.

What's included:

• Guided cellar tour (English tours available at specific times)
• Champagne production explanation
• Tasting of 1-3 champagnes depending on tour level
• Time to purchase bottles at cellar prices (usually better than retail)

Not included: Transport to the house (you walk or taxi), additional tastings beyond tour package, meals.

How Cellar Tours Work

You'll descend into chalk cellars (often via many steps - not wheelchair accessible at most houses). Temperature is constant 10-12°C year-round so bring a light jacket even in summer. The cellars are atmospheric - vaulted ceilings, millions of bottles, dim lighting, sometimes Roman ruins incorporated.

Guides explain champagne production: grape harvest, pressing, first fermentation, blending, second fermentation in bottle (what makes it sparkling), aging on lees, riddling (rotating bottles to collect sediment), disgorging (removing sediment), dosage (adding sugar solution), final aging.

After the tour you taste in a dedicated tasting room. Guides explain what you're tasting - vintage vs. non-vintage, blanc de blancs vs. blanc de noirs, dosage levels (brut, extra brut, etc.).

Tip: Don't feel pressure to buy bottles at the end. Cellar prices are good but luggage limits and transport logistics make buying in Paris or at home sometimes smarter.

Smaller Houses and Grower Champagnes

If you want to escape big-name houses, Reims has smaller producers and grower champagnes (vignerons who make champagne from their own grapes). These require more research and often need car access as they're in vineyard villages outside Reims.

Day tours from Reims visit these smaller producers - companies like Reims Champagne Tours or O'Bon Paris run half-day tours to 2-3 small houses. Worth considering if you're a serious wine person tired of corporate tasting experiences.

Responsible Tasting

The train advantage is real here - you can taste champagne without driving concerns. But two cellar tours = 4+ glasses of champagne plus any wine with lunch. That's enough to feel it.

Pace yourself: Use dump buckets (crachoirs) if provided. Have water between tastings. Eat substantial lunch. If you're feeling tipsy after Tour 1, skip Tour 2 and walk the city instead.

The train back to Paris is comfortable but you don't want to be that person who gets champagne-sick on a 45-minute ride.

Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral - What to See

The Facade

The western facade is one of Gothic architecture's masterpieces. Three portals (central, north, south) are covered in statues depicting biblical scenes, saints, kings, and angels. The central portal shows the Coronation of the Virgin - appropriate for the coronation cathedral.

The Gallery of Kings above the portals shows 56 statues of French kings, 4.5 meters tall each. The rose window above that is 12 meters in diameter. Twin towers rise on each side, though they're shorter than originally planned (war damage and budget limits).

The Smiling Angel statue on the north portal is the cathedral's icon - a serene angel with a slight smile, symbol of Reims. The original was destroyed in WWI; what you see is a recreation.

The Interior

The nave is 138 meters long with ceiling vaulting reaching 38 meters high. The proportions create that classic Gothic feeling of height and light. The stone is Champagne limestone which has warm golden tone when light hits it.

Stained glass is the highlight. The original 13th-century windows survived WWI remarkably well (removed and protected). The Chagall windows (1974) in the axial chapel are modern additions - abstract biblical scenes in his signature blue. They're controversial but genuinely beautiful.

The choir is where coronations happened. The floor has a marble labyrinth (13th century) that's easy to miss if you're not looking for it.

Historical Context

Understanding WWI damage helps appreciate the restoration. German artillery targeted the cathedral specifically starting September 1914. The wooden scaffolding on the north tower caught fire, melting the lead roof which poured down and destroyed much of the interior. The cathedral burned for days.

After the war, restoration took decades. Rockefeller Foundation funded much of it. What you see today is partly original 13th-century work, partly careful 20th-century reconstruction. The fact that it looks cohesive is testament to restoration skill.

When to Visit Reims

Best Months: May-September

May through September gives you best weather (15-25°C), full champagne house schedules (some close January-February), and comfortable walking conditions. The city is pleasant year-round but outdoor cafe sitting and walking between sites works better in warm months.

September is harvest season in Champagne - villages around Reims are active with grape picking. Some houses offer harvest tours or vineyard visits if you book ahead.

Shoulder Season: April, October

April and October are fine - cooler but manageable (10-15°C). Fewer tourists, full opening hours, lower hotel prices if you're staying overnight. The cathedral is indoor so weather matters less than for garden-heavy day trips.

Winter: November-March

Reims doesn't shut down in winter but some smaller champagne houses close January-February. Major houses (Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery) stay open. Weather is cold (2-8°C) and grey. The cathedral is atmospheric in any weather but walking between sites in December rain is less fun.

Christmas markets (late November-December) bring festive atmosphere to Place Drouet d'Erlon if you're into that.

Weekday vs Weekend

Weekdays are better for champagne tours - easier booking, smaller groups, more personal attention from guides. Saturdays get busy with Parisians doing same-day trips and tour groups. Sundays see some restaurants closed and fewer tour times available.

Special Events

Reims doesn't have massive tourist events but is worth checking:

• Champagne harvest festivals (September villages around Reims)
• Christmas markets (late November-December)
• Les Flâneries Musicales d'été (July music festival)

Transport: Train from Paris

TGV from Gare de l'Est

SNCF TGV trains run Paris Gare de l'Est to Reims Centre every 1-2 hours throughout the day. Journey time is 45-50 minutes. First trains leave around 6:30 AM, last returns around 9:00 PM.

Where to buy tickets: SNCF website, Trainline app, or station ticket machines. Advance purchase (a few days ahead) saves money over same-day tickets. Prices vary by time - peak trains cost more than off-peak.

Train types: All trains are TGV (high-speed) or SNCF Intercités. No slow regional trains exist on this route. Reserved seating is standard.

From Reims station to city center: 15-minute walk straight up Avenue Jean Jaurès, or tram A/B two stops to Centre Ville/Cathédrale. Taxis available outside station. Walking is easy - flat route, pedestrian-friendly.

Tip: Book round-trip when you buy tickets. Return trains fill up on summer weekends so having a reservation eliminates stress.

Driving from Paris

Possible but pointless for Reims day trip. The drive is 1.5-2 hours via A4 autoroute (145km) with tolls. You pay for parking in Reims and can't properly do champagne tastings if you're driving back.

Driving makes sense if you're doing multi-day Champagne region exploration hitting villages and small houses, but for a Reims city day trip the train is smarter.

Tours from Paris

Day tours from Paris to Champagne region exist (typically €150-200 per person) visiting Reims plus Epernay and sometimes small houses. They solve the transport and cellar booking but you lose flexibility and spend 3+ hours on a bus.

Tours make sense if you want to see both Reims and Epernay in one day, or if you want access to small grower houses that require car access. For Reims alone, the train is easier and cheaper.

Where to Eat in Reims

Lunch Spots

Place Drouet d'Erlon has every option - brasseries, cafes, pizza, sushi, kebabs. It's convenient but touristy. For better local food at similar prices, try:

• Les Halles du Boulingrin area (covered market, closed Sun/Mon) - bistros around here serve market-fresh food
• Rue de Mars (between cathedral and Place Royale) - quieter street with neighborhood restaurants
• Near Parc de la Patte d'Oie - if you want to escape tourist zones entirely

Regional dishes to try: Chicken or fish in champagne sauce, ham from Reims, tarte au Maroilles (cheese tart), biscuits roses for dessert.

Quick Options

If you're short on time between champagne tours:

• Covered market (Les Halles du Boulingrin) for cheese, charcuterie, bread - build your own lunch
• Bakeries everywhere for sandwiches and pastries
• Cafes on Place Royale for quick bite with nice setting

Combining Reims with Other Destinations

Reims + Epernay

Epernay is 30 minutes south of Reims by train or car. It has Avenue de Champagne (tree-lined street with famous houses: Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët, De Venoge) and smaller town charm than Reims. You can do both cities in one long day but it's rushed. Better to pick one.

If choosing: Reims has the cathedral and bigger city to explore. Epernay is purely about champagne and has more houses concentrated on one street. First-timers usually prefer Reims for variety.

More on Epernay: Epernay tours from Paris

Multi-Day Champagne Region

If you have 2-3 days, base in Reims and explore the region: Epernay Day 2, vineyard villages (Hautvillers, Aÿ) Day 3, smaller grower houses requiring car access. Reims has good hotels and makes a solid base.

Overview page: Champagne day trips from Paris

Related Day Trips from Paris

• Epernay: The other major Champagne town, smaller and more focused on wine houses.
• Chartres: Another great Gothic cathedral, closer to Paris (1 hour by train).
• Lille: Similar train time from Paris, offers Flemish architecture and food culture.
• Strasbourg: Longer train ride (2 hours) but another beautiful French city with wine culture.