Montagne de Reims · Champagne
Photo: Vassil / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Reims is the Champagne city whose houses on the Saint-Nicaise hill keep their wine in chalk cellars listed by UNESCO. The direct TGV from Paris Gare de l'Est takes 45 minutes.
The houses on the Saint-Nicaise hill in Reims keep their champagne in crayères, former chalk quarries that supplied stone for building the city. They were converted into champagne cellars from the 18th century, and some are over 30 meters high.
The Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list on July 4, 2015. In Reims, the listing covers the houses on the Saint-Nicaise hill: Pommery, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, Ruinart and G.H. Martel.
Notre-Dame Cathedral has its own UNESCO listing, from 1991, together with the former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and the Palace of Tau. Its facades carry 2,303 sculpted figures.
For the rest of the region, see Champagne, Épernay and Aÿ.
Each house below takes bookings for cellar visits that include a tasting.
| House | Visit | Tasting from |
|---|---|---|
| G.H. Martel & Co | Chalk cellars and eco-museum, 2 champagnes | €28 ($30) |
| G.H. Mumm | 1h30 on foot, 1 tasting | €30 ($32) |
| Veuve Clicquot | 1h00, Brut Yellow Label | €36 ($39) |
| Maison Pommery | Brut Royal Visit, 1 tasting | €30 ($32) |
| Taittinger | Instant Rosé tasting visit | €40 ($43) |
| Ruinart | 2h00, 2 cuvées, 12 places | €90 ($97) |
G.H. Mumm, at 34 rue du Champ de Mars, runs all its tours on foot in 1 hour 30 minutes. The Cordon Rouge Experience costs €30 ($32), the Pinot Noir Celebration €42 ($45) and the Vintage Grand Cru Experience €60 ($65).
Veuve Clicquot starts its tours at the Visit Center, 1 rue Albert Thomas. Tours run from the 1-hour Brut Yellow Label visit at €36 ($39) to the 4-hour La Grande Dame at €260 ($281).
Taittinger, at 9 place Saint-Nicaise, offers four tastings: Instant Rosé at €40 ($43), Instant Gourmet and Instant Comtes at €80 ($86), and Instant Duo Comtes at €100 ($108). Visits last 35 to 55 minutes. Children aged 7 to 17 pay €25 ($27) and taste chardonnay juice.
Ruinart, at 4 rue des Crayères, takes 12 people per visit of its crayères. Adults pay €90 ($97) and children aged 7 to 17 pay €50 ($54).
Pommery's guided cellar visit goes down 116 steps into Gallo-Roman crayères 30 meters underground. Its Henry Vasnier visit costs €55 ($59) self-guided or €65 ($70) guided and lasts 2 hours.
G.H. Martel & Co, at 17 rue des Créneaux, adds an eco-museum to its cellar tour. Children pay €10 ($11).
G.H. Martel is open every day all year, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., by reservation only.
Mumm opens every day from May 1 to October 31. From March 1 to April 30 and from November 1 to December 21 it opens Thursday to Monday, and from January 15 to February 28 Thursday to Saturday.
Veuve Clicquot runs visits from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It opens every day from June 29 to August 30, 2026, and Tuesday to Sunday from April 7 to June 28 and from September 1 to November 1. From November 4, 2026, to January 3, 2027, it opens Wednesday to Sunday, and it closes on December 25 and January 1.
Reims-Centre station is in the city center. The TER "Ligne des Bulles" links Reims with Épernay, and Reims is 30 minutes by TGV from Paris Roissy (Charles de Gaulle) airport.
Vassil / Wikimedia Commons
A 4-star hotel in central Reims, a 15-minute walk from the train station. You can reach the station by car in 5 minutes, which suits a day trip to nearby Champagne houses.
Best for: Train travelers who want a Reims base on foot
Vassil / Wikimedia Commons
Suites of about 30 square meters sit a 5-minute walk from Reims Centre station, and Place Drouet d'Erlon is a 10-minute walk. A parking garage is adjacent, useful if you are driving to the vineyards.
Best for: Train travelers and families in Reims
Vassil / Wikimedia Commons
This 4-star hotel sits on Boulevard Paul Doumer, with views over the Aisne to Marne Canal. Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral and the Champagne houses are close by.
Best for: City-break visitors who want Reims' Champagne houses close
Vassil / Wikimedia Commons
A 4-star hotel on Rue Buirette in central Reims, a few steps from Notre-Dame Cathedral and the shops of Place d'Erlon. It has an indoor pool and sauna, and a brasserie and bar on site.
Best for: Cathedral and Place d'Erlon stays in central Reims
Vassil / Wikimedia Commons
A 51-room hotel on Place Drouet d'Erlon in downtown Reims, in a building dating from 1862 and renovated in 2018. Pets are allowed, which helps if you are traveling with a dog.
Best for: Visitors who want a downtown Reims base
Vassil / Wikimedia Commons
This 4-star hotel sits in the Bezannes business park, at the foot of the Montagne de Reims vineyards. Tram line B runs from nearby into central Reims, and the Champagne-Ardenne TGV station is close.
Best for: Rail travelers and drivers who want a Reims base
Vassil / Wikimedia Commons
The hotel sits in central Reims, facing Notre-Dame cathedral, with a spa, a restaurant and a gym on site. Parking is available by reservation, so contact reception ahead if you arrive by car.
Best for: City stay facing Reims Cathedral, no car needed
Vassil / Wikimedia Commons
A 13-room townhouse in the historic center of Reims, built above the Thiénot cellars. You can walk to Place du Forum and the cathedral, and the hotel has a spa and a rooftop bar.
Best for: Couples wanting a central Reims base with a spa
ADT Marne / Wikimedia Commons
A former De Polignac family house in Reims, set in a six-hectare park. The estate has two restaurants, Arbane and Le Parc, each with two Michelin stars, so you can dine without leaving the grounds.
Best for: Couples wanting a quiet château stay in Reims
Entry-level visits with a tasting start at €28 ($30) at G.H. Martel, €30 ($32) at Mumm and Pommery, €36 ($39) at Veuve Clicquot and €40 ($43) at Taittinger. Ruinart's visit of its crayères costs €90 ($97).
G.H. Martel opens every day all year. Mumm opens Thursday to Monday from November 1 to December 21 and Thursday to Saturday from January 15 to February 28. Veuve Clicquot opens Wednesday to Sunday from November 4, 2026, to January 3, 2027.
Yes, at several houses. Taittinger charges €25 ($27) for children aged 7 to 17, who taste chardonnay juice, and Ruinart charges €50 ($54). At Mumm, under-18s must stay with an adult. Children under 7 visit Taittinger and Ruinart free.
Use Reims-Centre, in the city center; the direct TGV from Paris Gare de l'Est takes 45 minutes. Champagne-Ardenne TGV in Bezannes is the other station, and it needs a tram ride into town.
Sparkling Tour / Viator
You visit three family-run Champagne growers outside Reims in a private minivan with air conditioning, for up to 8 people. The 8-hour day starts with hotel pickup in Reims or Épernay and includes entry and tastings of 10 Champagnes. It costs €495 ($535) from.
From €4958 hours
Best for: Small groups who want a private day with three growers
Last updated
Plan your trip
How to get from Reims to Épernay by the TER Ligne des Bulles or by car, with journey times, the four stops on the way and parking in Épernay.
Guide
How cellar tours work at Mumm, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, Ruinart, Pommery, Lanson and G.H. Martel in Reims: formats, fees, opening days, children's rules and access to the chalk crayères.
Guide
What the Reims crayères are, how old chalk quarries became champagne cellars, how deep and cold they are, and which houses take you down into them.
