How long to spend in reims

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With just a day in Reims, we knew what we wanted to see and how we wanted to craft our day so the autonomy aspect was important to us. Our driver, Ahmed, picked us up at 7AM as planned, and escorted us to Reims for the day, dropping us off at our key stops and then returning us to Charles de Gaulle for our evening flight to Rhodes. Our van could have comfortably accommodated six, so it was extra spacious for the two of us, which meant getting in a power nap to and from Reims was doable.

The other benefit of having a driver? Having our luggage with us meant that we never had to worry about luggage drop off, pick up, or storage fees, which made it easier for us to maximize our layover in Reims. So, with a hour layover ahead of us, we hopped in the car and zipped off to Reims for a day of Champagne tasting and sightseeing in the historic town. Then, during one fateful evening out with guests in Anguilla, we opened a bottle of Ruinart. My theory on champagne changed forever.

I realized I could actually tell run-of-the-mill sparkling wines from high quality Champagnes, and at the very least that was a step in the right direction. Needless to say, when we began planning this day trip to Reims during our layover in Paris, there was one non-negotiable: we were going to visit Ruinart to explore their art plus their world-famous chalk caves which have earned them UNESCO World Heritage status.

I was enchanted even before the Champagne started flowing. My only run-in with a wine tasting that focused on sparkling wines was our Italian wine tasting in Franciacorta. We tasted Cap Classique in South Africa but that tasting was less about wine education and more about the simply lovely process of sipping bubbly in the morning nothing wrong with that. Producing Champagne or any sparkling wine produced using the traditional method goes beyond traditional wine making.

Crafting true Champagne means that the sparkling has to be produced in the Champagne region, where strict guidelines are enforced. The terroir is very specific, including cooler climes and ample rain the only watering that happens in the region is natural rainfall , which allows the region to grow pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meuniere grapes used for Champagne production.

The tour includes a bit on the wine making side of this, which is similar to traditional wine making with some added complexities that are unique to producing sparkling varieties.

The below ground caves are an interesting contrast to the finessed grandeur of the grand chateaux. There are several ways to get to Reims from Paris. When in Europe, I love using the Rome2Rio website as it outlines the various routes and costs. See here as it outlines the train, bus and driving to Reims, with the cheapest route being the bus. You can also download the Rome2Rio app to use on the go.

We paid around 40 Euros, but if you travel outside of the peak hours, then you could get tickets for 20 Euros. We even got 1st class tickets because they were cheaper than 2nd class. Odd right? Make sure to book the TGV train which is the high-speed train. You can book in advance online but we just popped into the closest rail station and booked at the ticket office on the day. No drinking and driving here! Although tourist attractions include the Reims Cathedral and Palace of Tau, touring the Reims Champagne Houses is what I would consider the main attraction.

Most of the tours have long staircases into the cellars. If you have any difficulty with walking up and down stairs, this may not be the activity for you. On that note, apparently Veuve does have the option of an elevator. Also, it gets quite chilly underground so bring a jacket. Here you will tour the Roman caves and art nouveau tasting rooms then enjoy a sampling of their house champagne. You can get there within 10 minutes from the Reims downtown train station and 15 minutes from the TGV Champagne-Ardenne Bezannes train station.

Do book ahead on their website here. Here, you have a choice of three cellar tours and champagne tasting, ranging from 25 Euros to Euros and 1,5 to 2,5 hours. We went on a Monday and they were obviously closed. The restaurants at Les Crayeres were also closed. We had packed a picnic lunch and sat in the park next to the less frequented Basilique Saint Remi, a quiet and serene church just outside the city center.