This guide to Reims or Épernay sets the two towns side by side. Reims has its UNESCO-listed cathedral and the houses of the Saint-Nicaise hill, and Épernay has Avenue de Champagne. The two are 28 km apart, linked by the TER Ligne des Bulles in about 30 minutes.
Both towns sit inside the UNESCO listing of the Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars, on the World Heritage list since July 4, 2015. The listing covers the Saint-Nicaise hill in Reims, the avenue de Champagne in Épernay and the historic hillsides.
Below are the sights of each town, the trains from Paris, opening days, the houses and their fees. For the full town pages, see Reims and Épernay.
What each town has
Reims
Reims's Notre-Dame Cathedral is on the UNESCO list and is larger than Notre-Dame de Paris, with 2,303 sculpted figures on its facades. Entry is free during opening hours, and a 1 hour 30 minute guided tour costs €9 ($10) for adults.
The Abbey of Saint-Remi, also a UNESCO site, has a basilica and a history museum, about 20 minutes' walk from the cathedral. The Palace of Tau, listed since 1991, is closed for renovation.
Much of Reims was rebuilt in the 1920s and 1930s after bombing in the First World War. Its Art Deco buildings include the Carnegie Library and the Boulingrin covered market, and the tourist office runs an Art Deco guided tour for €9 ($10).
Reims has 5 Michelin-starred restaurants.
The houses in the UNESCO listing on the Saint-Nicaise hill are Pommery, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, Ruinart and G.H. Martel. Their cellars are chalk galleries called crayères.
Épernay
Avenue de Champagne is 1.5 km long and a 5-minute walk from Épernay station. Moët & Chandon is at 18 avenue de Champagne, Mercier at 68 and the tourist office at 7.
More than 200 million bottles are stored in the chalk cellars under Épernay. Moët & Chandon's cellars run to 28 km, and Mercier's to 18 km.
The Champagne wine museum and regional archaeology museum is at 13 avenue de Champagne, 10 minutes on foot from the station. Full price is €10 ($11), and entry is free on the first Sunday of each month.
Hautvillers is 6 km from Épernay, and a taxi there takes 10 minutes from Épernay or 30 minutes from Reims. Aÿ is one stop from Épernay on the Ligne des Bulles.
Getting there
The TGV from Paris Gare de l'Est reaches Reims-Centre in 45 minutes. Direct trains from Paris Gare de l'Est reach Épernay in 1 hour 20 minutes.
| Option | From | To | Time | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct TGV | Paris Gare de l'Est | Reims-Centre | 45 min | None |
| TGV and TER | Paris Gare de l'Est | Reims | 1h00 to 1h41 | 1, at Champagne-Ardenne TGV |
| Direct train | Paris Gare de l'Est | Épernay | 1h20 | None |
| TGV, then Ligne des Bulles | Paris Gare de l'Est | Épernay | 45 min to Reims, then about 30 min | 1, at Reims |
| Car | Paris, 140 km | Épernay | 1h30 to 1h45 | — |
| Car | Paris, A4 highway | Reims | — | — |
To Reims
13 trains a day run from Paris to Reims, the first at 7:47 a.m. and the last at 9:28 p.m. The fastest TGV INOUI takes 46 minutes, and fares start at €15 ($16). Some trips change at Champagne-Ardenne TGV onto a TER and take 1 hour to 1 hour 41 minutes. Read more on Paris to Reims by train.
Reims is 30 minutes by TGV from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. See Paris CDG to Champagne for the airport trains.
By car, Reims is at the junction of the A4-E50 and A26-E17 highways, with six exits for the city. Part of Reims is a Low Emission Zone that needs a Crit'Air vignette rated green or 1 to 3, and three paid park-and-ride lots stand at the city entrance.
To Épernay
17 trains a day run from Paris Est to Épernay, the first at 6:36 a.m. and the last at 9:36 p.m. Fares start at €11 ($12). The other route takes the TGV to Reims and the Ligne des Bulles on to Épernay. Read more on Paris to Épernay by train.
By car, Épernay is 140 km from Paris, a drive of 1 hour 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour 45 minutes in traffic.
Between the two
The Ligne des Bulles runs between Reims and Épernay about every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. It stops at Rilly-la-Montagne, Germaine, Avenay-Val-d'Or and Aÿ-Champagne. See Reims to Épernay for stops and the drive.
The Épernay tourist office's one-day plan covers both towns: an early train to Reims, the cathedral and a champagne house in the morning, then the short train to Épernay for the afternoon on Avenue de Champagne.
When to go
Houses in both towns receive visitors all year, and some open on fewer days in winter. In Reims, G.H. Martel opens every day all year, by reservation.
G.H. Mumm in Reims runs tours every day from May 1 to October 31, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. From March 1 to April 30 and November 1 to December 21 it opens Thursday to Monday, and from January 15 to February 28 Thursday to Saturday.
Veuve Clicquot in Reims opens every day from June 29 to August 30, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from April 7 to June 28 and September 1 to November 1, then Wednesday to Sunday from November 4, 2026 to January 3, 2027. It closes on May 1, December 25 and January 1, 2027.
In Épernay, Moët & Chandon opens daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mercier opens daily from April 6 to November 15 and Wednesday to Sunday from November 18 to December 27, with its annual closure from the evening of December 30. De Castellane runs tower tours every day, from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Épernay wine museum opens from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April 1 to October 31, closed Tuesdays. From November 1 to March 31 it opens from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Épernay's Habits de Lumière festival runs on December 11, 12 and 13, 2026. Illuminations, video-mappings and fireworks fill the avenue de Champagne on the Friday and Saturday evenings, and a parade of vintage vehicles crosses the town on the Sunday.
Visiting the estates
On Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, walk-in means tasting at a bar, boutique or caveau without a booking. Cellar visits there usually still need a reservation.
Reims houses
- G.H. Mumm, 34 rue du Champ de Mars, about 20 minutes on foot from Reims station: all tours are on foot and last about 1 hour 30 minutes. Under-18s must come with an adult.
- Veuve Clicquot, 1 rue Albert Thomas: tours from 1 hour to 4 hours, booked ahead.
- Pommery: the Brut Royal visit lasts 45 minutes, self-guided or guided, in French or English. The guided cellar visit goes down 116 steps to crayères 30 meters underground.
- Taittinger, 9 place Saint-Nicaise: visits last 35 to 55 minutes, in French or English. Book online, by phone or by email.
- Ruinart, 4 rue des Crayères: a 2-hour guided tour of the crayères for 12 people, then a tasting of two cuvées.
Épernay houses
- Moët & Chandon, 18 avenue de Champagne: walk-in visits are possible, but places are limited and the house recommends booking online. Tours last 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes.
- Mercier, 68 avenue de Champagne: every tour includes the train ride through the cellars, about 30 meters deep. Same-day tours cannot be booked online, so call +33 3 26 51 22 22.
- De Castellane: the guided tour of the tower lasts 60 minutes for up to 10 guests and includes the museum and a glass of Brut Croix Rouge. Book by email at visites@castellane.com or by phone. The cellars are temporarily closed to the public.
One stop from Épernay on the Ligne des Bulles, Ayala in Aÿ runs visits and tastings by reservation from Tuesday to Saturday.
From May 1 to October 31, 2026, the tourist office's Esprit de Champagne minibus leaves the Épernay tourist office at 2:15 p.m. for a visit at a partner house. For more on fees, days and cancellations, see booking champagne house visits.
What it costs
Entry-level visits with a tasting cost €20–90 ($22–97) across the two towns.
In Reims, G.H. Martel starts at €28 ($30), the Mumm Cordon Rouge Experience costs €30 ($32) and Pommery's Brut Royal visit €30 ($32) self-guided or €36 ($39) guided. Veuve Clicquot's Brut Yellow Label tour costs €36 ($39), Taittinger's Instant Rosé €40 ($43) and the Ruinart crayères visit €90 ($97).
Higher tiers in Reims include Mumm's Vintage Grand Cru at €60 ($65), Pommery's 2-hour Henry Vasnier visit at €55 ($59) self-guided or €65 ($70) guided, and Veuve Clicquot's La Grande Dame at €260 ($281).
In Épernay, de Castellane's tower tour costs €20 ($22), or €30 ($32) with two champagnes. Mercier's The Founder costs €25 ($27), with teenagers aged 10 to 17 at €12 ($13) and children under 10 free. Moët & Chandon's The Imperial Moment costs €48 ($52), and its Grand Vintage €85 ($92).
The Esprit de Champagne shuttle costs €20 ($22) per adult, round-trip transport and the visit included. Ayala's tasting of two champagnes costs €30 ($32).
Facil-e-Bike rents electric bikes at the Épernay tourist office from May to September for €35 ($38) a day.
Before you go
- Reims has two stations: make sure your ticket goes to Reims-Centre in the city and not to Champagne-Ardenne TGV in Bezannes, which is linked to Reims by tram.
- In high season, the Reims tourist office treats booking guided cellar visits in advance as essential, and the Épernay tourist office advises booking cellar visits at the large houses of the avenue, where slots are limited.
- The last train from Épernay to Paris leaves at 7:49 p.m., and the last from Reims to Paris at 7:41 p.m.
Veuve Clicquot tickets carry no right of cancellation and cannot be exchanged or modified. Taittinger keeps its cellars at 8 to 12°C, and Mumm asks visitors to dress warmly.
Frequently asked questions
Is Reims or Épernay faster to reach from Paris?
The TGV from Paris Gare de l'Est reaches Reims-Centre in 45 minutes, with 13 trains a day. Direct trains from Paris Gare de l'Est reach Épernay in 1 hour 20 minutes, with 17 trains a day and fares from €11 ($12).
Can you visit Reims and Épernay in one day?
Yes. The Épernay tourist office's one-day plan starts with an early train to Reims for the cathedral and a champagne house, then the Ligne des Bulles to Épernay for the afternoon on Avenue de Champagne. The trains between the towns take about 30 minutes.
Which town has walk-in champagne tastings?
On Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, bars, boutiques and caveaux pour tastings without a booking. Moët & Chandon accepts walk-in visits, though places are limited. In Reims, Mumm, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Taittinger and Ruinart sell their cellar visits by booking.
Are Reims and Épernay both UNESCO sites?
Yes. The Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars listing of July 4, 2015 covers the Saint-Nicaise hill in Reims and the avenue de Champagne in Épernay. Reims's Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Abbey of Saint-Remi and the Palace of Tau are UNESCO sites too.
