10 Bucket List Things to Do in Champagne, France
I’ll be honest… I didn’t know what to expect from Champagne before I visited. I knew the wine, obviously, but I had no real picture of the region itself. What I discovered is that the landscapes are breathtaking – rolling hills covered in vines, dense forests, small villages that seem to exist outside of time. This is my bucket list of experiences in Champagne – the ones absolutely worth building your trip around.
What to Know Before You Visit Champagne
Before you start planning your Champagne itinerary, there are a few things worth knowing. First, Champagne is one of the easiest French regions to visit from Paris – Reims is just 45 minutes by TGV from Gare de l’Est and Épernay is just over an hour, making this one of the best weekend trips from the capital in all of France. That said, a rental car is essential if you want to go beyond the two main cities – the smaller villages, grower producers, and vineyard routes that make Champagne genuinely special are not accessible by public transport. Champagne is best visited between May and October when the vineyards are at their most beautiful, but if you can time your visit for September or October during harvest season, I’d recommend it… the energy in the vineyards and the villages is truly unlike anything else! One thing to know before you book any Champagne house visits: Always reserve in advance, especially in high season, as capacity is limited and the best experiences sell out quickly. And finally – the most important thing to understand before you arrive, Champagne is not just about the grand houses. The small independent growers, called récoltants-manipulants, are where some of the most extraordinary and authentic experiences in the region happen, and they are the reason to rent that car and go exploring.
Here’s how to pack for Champagne for every season!
1. Visit the Reims Cathedral
No trip to Champagne is complete without spending time at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims – one of the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the kings of France were crowned for nearly a thousand years. The cathedral was built in the 13th century on the site of an earlier church where Clovis, the first King of France, was baptized in 496 AD. Allow at least an hour inside, go early in the morning before the crowds arrive, and if you can, see it at both day and night – the cathedral is beautifully lit-up after dark and it feels like a completely different place.
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2. Tour the Medieval Cellars at Champagne Pannier
If you are visiting Château-Thierry, you should definitely do a tour of Champagne Pannier. Founded in 1899, the house is now home to one of the most atmospheric cellar experiences in the entire Champagne region: Over a mile of magnificent medieval stone quarries carved from the hillside in the 12th century. It is a completely different experience from the chalk crayères you will find in Reims or Épernay – darker, more dramatic, and with a sense of history that is hard to put into words. The Champagne itself is exceptional, and if you are anything like me, you will leave with more bottles than you planned on buying. Book in advance and allow time to explore Château-Thierry after your visit.
3. Walk the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay
The Avenue de Champagne in Épernay is one of the coolest, most impressive things that I did in the region. This grand, tree-lined boulevard (recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is flanked on both sides by the magnificent mansions and estates of the world’s most famous Champagne houses: Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët, Pol Roger, de Castellane, and more. Beneath the avenue itself lie an estimated 200 million bottles of Champagne aging in the cellars below… which is why it is sometimes called the most valuable street in the world. Even if you only have a few hours in Épernay, make sure this street is on your list.
4. Visit a Small Producer – Roger Coulon
If there is one thing I want you to take away from this entire guide, it is this: Visit a small grower Champagne producer. And if you visit only one, make it Roger Coulon in Vrigny. This ninth-generation family estate on the slopes of the Montagne de Reims has been producing Champagne since 1806, farming 11 hectares organically, and the quality of what ends up in the glass is extraordinary. The welcome is warm and genuinely personal in a way that the grand houses simply cannot replicate, and the knowledge and passion of the team makes the visit feel more like spending time with friends than a formal tour. In summer, Roger Coulon also offers picnic visits in the vineyards which is one of the most romantic ways to experience Champagne! Book well in advance, especially for the summer picnic experience – capacity is small and these spots go quickly.
Read my complete guide to the best Champagne houses to visit
5. Have a Picnic in the Vineyards
One of the most uniquely French experiences you can have in Champagne is a picnic in the vineyards and two of the producers on this list offer exactly that. At Roger Coulon in Vrigny, the summer picnic visits take you out into the vineyards of the Montagne de Reims with a glass in hand – the perfect afternoon that makes you never want to leave. And at Champagne Météyer in Trélou-sur-Marne, the experience is equally special and equally personal. The winemaker’s wife, Anna, drives you out to the vineyards herself. She is warm, funny, and genuinely passionate about sharing this corner of Champagne with you. For both experiences, you must call ahead to arrange.
6. Tour the Grand Champagne Houses in Reims
While the small growers are where the most personal experiences happen, a visit to at least one of the grand Champagne houses in Reims is an essential part of understanding the region. These are the addresses that built Champagne’s international reputation, the great names you have seen on bottles your entire life. I visited Taittinger – one of the few grand houses still owned by the founding family. The cellars are set in a converted Gothic abbey beneath the city and are among the most beautiful I have seen anywhere in Champagne.
Other houses worth considering include Ruinart, the oldest Champagne house still in operation with the deepest and most dramatic crayères in the region, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, and Mumm. Book all visits well in advance – the best time slots go quickly, especially on weekends.
7. Learn About the History of Champagne at Chateau Perrier
To learn about the history of Champagne, I absolutely suggest spending a few hours at Château Perrier on the Avenue de Champagne. This magnificent 19th-century building, classified as a Historic Monument now houses the Museum of Champagne Wine and Regional Archaeology, which tells the story of the Champagne region from the formation of its chalky subsoil millions of years ago all the way through to the bubbles you’ve been sipping all weekend. It is the perfect complement to your cellar visits and you’ll leave understanding Champagne a little bit better than when you arrived.
8. Learn How Champagne is Made at Pressoria
If you want to understand how Champagne is actually made before you start touring the cellars, I recommend visiting Pressoria in Aÿ. This museum is modern, interactive, and takes you on a full sensory journey through the world of Champagne from the geology and climate that make the region unique, through the seasons in the vineyard, all the way to the bubbles in your glass. The visit ends with a tasting of two Champagnes on a 7,500-square-foot terrace overlooking the vines which, on a sunny day, is one of the best moments you can have in the entire region. Plan around one and a half to two hours and book in advance.
9. Drive the Champagne Tourist Routes
One of the best things you can do in Champagne is simply get in the car and drive. The Champagne wine region has several official scenic routes that wind through the vineyards, villages, and rolling hills: The Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne, and the Côte des Blancs are the most beautiful, each with its own distinct landscape and character. Driving from Reims through the Montagne de Reims to Épernay, for example, takes you through dense forests and a succession of small villages that feel unchanged by time. Stop wherever catches your eye – a village church, a producer with an open gate, a hilltop viewpoint over the valley – because this is how you discover the Champagne that most visitors never see.
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10. Eat the Local Food
Champagne is not just about what’s in the glass, the food of this region is impressive too. The cuisine of Champagne is hearty and rooted in local produce: Andouillette (a pork sausage that is honestly not my favorite, but deeply Champenois), jambon sec de Reims, potée champenoise, and the local cheeses… particularly Chaource, a creamy, mild cow’s milk cheese. Do not leave without trying the biscuits roses de Reims – iconic pink biscuits that have been made in the city since the 18th century and are traditionally dunked in Champagne. And a practical note: Champagne pairs beautifully with food in a way that surprises many visitors, it is not just a drink for toasting but can also be a table wine that works with everything from oysters to cheese to charcuterie.
Tips for Visiting Champagne
Here are my best tips for visiting Champagne!
- Get a rental car – this is the single most important thing you can do. Public transport will get you to Reims and Épernay but nothing more. The small producers, the scenic routes, the villages, and the best viewpoints all require a car.
- Book Champagne house visits in advance – especially from May through October. The best time slots at popular houses fill up weeks ahead, and smaller producers have very limited capacity.
- Visit both grand houses and small growers – they offer completely different experiences and together give you the full picture of what Champagne is.
- Go during harvest season if you can – September and October, when the grapes are being picked, is the most memorable time to visit the region.
- Budget for bottles – the best way to extend your experience beyond the trip is to buy directly from the producers you visit. Many offer wines you simply cannot find outside the region.
- Champagne is an easy Paris day trip or weekend – Reims is 45 minutes by TGV from Gare de l’Est. You do not need a full week to have a genuinely memorable experience here.
- Pace yourself – it is very easy to over-schedule a Champagne trip. Two to three cellar visits per day is plenty. Leave room for driving, eating, wandering, and simply sitting somewhere beautiful with a glass in hand.
Champagne surprised me in the best possible way, and I have a feeling it will do the same to you. It’s a region that rewards curiosity and the more you explore beyond the famous names and the famous streets, the more beautiful and interesting it becomes. Whether you spend a long weekend or a full week, whether you are a serious wine lover or someone who simply enjoys a glass with a view, Champagne has a way of getting under your skin.
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Thank you for your informative website. Very helpful!
I will be attending a function in Reims later this month and champagne tasting will definitely be on the itinerary! Will the champagne houses mail a case of champagne back to the US? I believe that only two bottles are permitted packed in our checked luggage.
Hi Janet! Yes, they will mail champagne to your house. However, you can check as many bottles as you want, but you have to claim the wine and it might be taxed a small amount.