Cycling the Champagne vineyards covers two kinds of route. The Véloroute de la Vallée de la Marne follows the river and its canal on towpaths, rated easy, while the road routes through the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims have slopes of up to 9% and 12%.
This page covers the main routes, bike rental in Épernay, Aÿ and Reims, the rules for bikes on trains, and the champagne houses and growers along the way.
Getting there
The fastest train from Paris is the TGV from Gare de l'Est to Reims-Centre, in 45 minutes. Direct trains from Gare de l'Est reach Épernay in 1 hour 20 minutes.
| Option | From | Time | Changes | Bike on board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct train to Épernay | Paris Gare de l'Est | 1h20 | 0 | Reservation required |
| TGV to Reims-Centre | Paris Gare de l'Est | 45 min | 0 | Reservation, or free dismantled in a cover |
| Ligne des Bulles to Épernay | Reims-Centre | 30 min | 0 | No reservation, subject to space |
Bikes on the train
On the TER lines Paris – Châlons-en-Champagne – Strasbourg and Paris – Troyes – Mulhouse, a bike reservation is mandatory on every journey, even one that doesn't start or end in Paris. Book it with your ticket. Épernay is on the Paris–Strasbourg line, 20 minutes from Châlons-en-Champagne.
On the TGV INOUI, a bike that isn't dismantled needs a reservation made with the ticket, for €10 ($11), and places per train are limited. A dismantled bike in a cover travels free without a reservation. SNCF introduces new bike conditions from December 13, 2026.
On other TER Fluo Grand Est trains, standard bikes travel without a reservation in the spaces set aside for them, subject to space. A folding bike in a cover of at most 130×90 cm travels free. Tandems, tricycles and bike trailers are not accepted, and staff may refuse bikes on busy trains.
The Ligne des Bulles runs between Reims and Épernay every 30 minutes, with stops at Rilly-la-Montagne, Germaine, Avenay-Val-d'Or and Aÿ-Champagne. During engineering works on this line, coaches replace some trains, and bikes are not allowed on the coaches.
Most Grand Est stations have free bike parking, with self-service hooks and closed shelters opened with the free Simplicités card. For train times and fares, see Paris to Épernay by Train, Paris to Reims by Train and Reims to Épernay.
The routes
The Marne valley cycle path (V52)
The Véloroute de la Vallée de la Marne follows the Marne river and then the Canal de la Marne across the Marne department. It is part of the national V52, which will eventually link Paris and Strasbourg by bike.
The section from Dormans to Condé-sur-Marne is 45 km, built between 2015 and 2017 and rated easy. Épernay Tourisme gives 62 km from Dormans to Moncetz-Longevas along the river and canal, a straight route that you can split into stages.
From Épernay, you can ride the V52 toward Dormans, with a detour to Hautvillers, or toward Aÿ and Châlons-en-Champagne. Hautvillers is 6 km from Épernay.
Inside the Montagne de Reims Regional Nature Park, the 36 km stretch between Vandières and Tours-sur-Marne is a voie verte, rated easy. It runs on the towpaths, open to bikes, rollers and walkers but closed to motor traffic. Between Tours-sur-Marne and Reuil, 31 information panels cover villages such as Damery, Cumières, Aÿ-Champagne and Mareuil-sur-Ay.
Reims to Épernay over the Montagne de Reims
The departmental cycle route n°5101 links the Coulée Verte in Reims to the V52 at Épernay over 38.5 km. The Marne department opened it in 2023 with the regional nature park.
It is rated difficult. You share the road with motor traffic, some slopes reach 12%, and the park recommends it for people used to road cycling. Épernay is 28 km from Reims.
The Échappée en Champagne loops
The Échappée en Champagne is a 72 km loop from Aÿ-Champagne, ridden in one day or two. It passes Mutigny, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Bisseuil, Tours-sur-Marne, Condé-sur-Marne, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Germaine, Saint-Imoges, Nanteuil-la-Forêt, Hautvillers, Champillon and Dizy before returning to Aÿ-Champagne.
The same network has a gentle two-day loop of 79.7 km and two shorter rides: Au fil de l'eau et des vignes at 39.2 km and Entre vignes et forêt at 40.2 km.
The Hautvillers tourist office also publishes a two-day version that starts at Aÿ station. Day 1 follows the Marne to Tours-sur-Marne, then Bouzy, Avenay-Val-d'Or and Mutigny. Day 2 runs through Fontaine-sur-Aÿ, Germaine, Hautvillers, Champillon and Dizy back to Aÿ. The office rates it relaxed on an e-bike and demanding on a standard bike.
Businesses with the Accueil Vélo label along these routes may offer secure bike parking, repair tools, route advice and e-bike services.
Loops around Épernay and the Côte des Blancs
Épernay Agglo signposts these road loops with colored dots, on low-traffic roads:
- La Couronne d'Epernay: 7 km, medium, up to the Mont Bernon viewpoint.
- Les Coteaux Ouest: 9 km from downtown Épernay through Pierry.
- La Côte des Blancs Nord: 21 km from Chouilly, with 364 m of climbing, rated demanding.
- La Côte des Blancs Sud: 29 km from Vertus.
- Entre Forêts et Coteaux: 31 km from Vertus, with slopes up to 9%, for experienced cyclists.
In Épernay itself, the Avenue de Champagne is 1.5 km long, a 5-minute walk from the station, and open to bikes.
Mountain biking in the park
The Montagne de Reims park has 7 marked mountain-bike circuits, from the 7 km family circuits at La Noëlle and Sacy to the 15 km expert circuit at Bouzy. All of them need a mountain bike and good mountain-biking skills.
Bike rental
Facil-e-Bike rents bikes at the Épernay tourist office, 7 avenue de Champagne, from May to September. An electric bike costs €20 ($22) a half-day or €35 ($38) a day, and a classic bike €15 ($16) or €25 ($27).
Facil-e-Bike also delivers to your lodging and collects the bike afterward, for €48 ($52) a day for an electric bike and €35 ($38) for a classic one. A trailer costs €15 ($16) a day and a baby carrier €10 ($11). It takes groups of up to 50.
Other rentals on the Hautvillers tourist office's list:
- De la selle au guidon, around Épernay: 30 e-bikes and 30 mountain bikes, with a range of up to 100 km.
- Pedal'n Pop, in Aÿ-Champagne: e-bikes with a range of 50 to 80 km.
- Les Vélos du Clos La Chapelle: 2 standard and 10 electric bikes by the day or half-day, beside the Marne side canal.
- Vélobourso, 15 minutes from Hautvillers: 8 e-bikes for riders aged 15 and over.
In Reims, the Zébullo self-service scheme has over 290 electric bikes at more than 65 stations. Registration in the app is free.
When to go
Facil-e-Bike rents bikes in Épernay from May to September, and the Hautvillers tourist office gives April to September as the season for its two-day loop.
Estate opening periods vary. Mercier opens daily from April 6 to November 15. In Hautvillers, G. Tribaut opens every day from March 1 to December 31, 2026, and Joseph Desruets from February 1 to December 22, 2026.
In the Montagne de Reims, hunting season runs from late September to late February, and the park publishes hunt dates online. The park's clay soil can be very slippery after heavy rain or during a thaw.
Visiting the estates
Mercier, Ayala and Alfred Tritant take visitors by booking.
Mercier, at 68 avenue de Champagne in Épernay, includes a driverless train ride through its 18 km of cellars and a tasting in every tour. The Founder visit lasts 45 minutes. Booking ahead is highly recommended, and same-day tours cannot be booked online.
Ayala, at 1 rue Edmond de Ayala in Aÿ-Champagne, the start of the Échappée en Champagne, runs visits and tastings by reservation from Tuesday to Saturday. The Introduction to the AYALA style is a 30-minute guided tasting of two champagnes without a cellar tour. The AYALA Experience adds a cellar tour and lasts 1 hour 30 minutes.
Champagne Alfred Tritant, an independent grower in Bouzy on the Échappée loop, takes online bookings. Its discovery visit lasts 1 hour, and the immersion visit adds a cellar tour in 1 hour 30 minutes.
In Hautvillers, Champagne Joseph Desruets, at 85 rue de Bacchus, offers tastings in its caveau and a visit of the press with a tasting, in English. It opens Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and closes on Wednesday and Sunday.
Champagne G. Tribaut, at 88 rue d'Eguisheim in Hautvillers, offers a tasting of three samples of your choice. An average visit lasts 30 minutes, and it opens from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Hautvillers also has the abbey church with the tomb of Dom Pérignon. For more on reservations, see Booking Champagne House Visits.
What it costs
Tastings along the routes cost €5–48 ($5–52). G. Tribaut charges €5–15 ($5–16) for three samples, and Joseph Desruets €15–25 ($16–27) for a tasting or €25–35 ($27–38) with the press visit.
Alfred Tritant's discovery visit costs €12 ($13) for three champagnes or €24 ($26) for six, and is free for under-18s. The immersion visit costs €18 ($19) or €30 ($32).
In Épernay and Aÿ, Mercier's The Founder costs €25 ($27), Ayala's Introduction €30 ($32) and the AYALA Experience €60 ($65). Moët & Chandon's The Imperial Moment costs €48 ($52).
The fluo Grand Est weekend group pass costs €40 ($43) a day for 2 to 5 people, with unlimited fluo Grand Est trains on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Before you go
- Reserve a bike space with your ticket on the Paris–Épernay line.
- Ride the Reims–Épernay departmental route only if you are used to road cycling with traffic and slopes of up to 12%.
- Slow down near tractors and farm machinery on vineyard roads.
- Put a helmet on every child: it is the law, and the park strongly recommends one for adults too.
- Spit as you taste if you are cycling.
For buses, shuttles and taxis between villages, see Champagne Without a Car. For the wider region, see Champagne.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take my bike on the train from Paris to Épernay?
Yes, with a reservation. On the Paris – Châlons-en-Champagne – Strasbourg TER line, which serves Épernay, a bike space is mandatory on every trip, booked with your ticket. A folding bike in a cover of at most 130×90 cm travels free.
Is the Marne cycle path flat?
The Véloroute de la Vallée de la Marne follows the river and canal on towpaths. The Marne department rates the 45 km from Dormans to Condé-sur-Marne easy, and the park rates its 36 km section between Vandières and Tours-sur-Marne easy too.
Where can I rent an e-bike in Épernay?
Facil-e-Bike rents electric bikes at the Épernay tourist office, 7 avenue de Champagne, from May to September, for €20 ($22) a half-day or €35 ($38) a day. Delivery to your lodging costs €48 ($52) a day.
How long is the Échappée en Champagne?
The main loop is 72 km, starting and finishing in Aÿ-Champagne, and takes one or two days. It passes Bouzy, Ambonnay, Germaine and Hautvillers. A gentle version covers 79.7 km over two days, and two shorter rides run 39.2 km and 40.2 km.
