Uncorking Adventure: A Perfect Day Trip to Champagne
Chez Champagne Taittinger
A must do for a longer trip to Paris is a day trip to Champagne. Initially I considered a planned tour, but wanted more control around the houses, experience and people I would be around. That being said, there were some hiccups along the way. Let’s go through planning factors and some watch outs to make sure you have the ultimate uncorked experience.
Champagne Regions
There are two main regions that are close to Paris: Reims and Epernay. I chose Reims based on it being a 40 min train ride from Paris and wanting to visit Veuve Clicquot. Reims was a beautiful town, but was missing vineyards and the greenery I was envisioning. If I were going again, I’d consider spending the night and experiencing Epernay.
Tasting in the Cellar at Veuve Clicquot
Houses to Visit
We chose to visit Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot due to timing, glasses per tasting and experience. Both houses for the experience gave at least 2 glasses. We also considered Pommery, but couldn’t fit it in due to timing.
The main house we wanted to go to was Veuve Clicquot and experience the The Grande Dame tour, so we planned our visit around this. I couldn’t recommend this tour more! The story of is all on female empowerment and includes a tasting of 3 glasses of champagne at the end. I booked the tickets about 3 weeks in advance and was only able to book for 3 pm. So learn from me and book in advance!
We then chose to do Taittinger in the morning, so we could just walk over from the train station. When we went Taittinger’s cellars were closed so we were able to visit their tasting house and have a more regal experience.
Our Itinerary
8:20 Train from Paris to Reims
9:00 Arrive at Reims and stopped for coffee and a croissant
10:30 Tasting at Taittinger
11:30 Walked around Cathedral
12 Lunch and walked around
3:00 Tasting at Veuve Clicquot
4:45 Uber to train station
5:15 Train back to Paris
Coffee and Croissants at La Bonbonniere
Restaurants
La Bonbonniere - We stopped here for coffee and croissants before our first tasting. It was beautifully decorated and their pastries were amazing
La Rose des Sables Allo Couscous - We went here for lunch, because it was the only place we could get into on a Sunday without a reservation. We thought it would be easy to walk into a place for lunch, but didn’t realize the majority of restaurants were closed on Sunday or fully booked. That being said, the food was amazing and hit the spot.
Some restaurants I would considering making a reservation for in advance below:
Restaurant La Fontaine
Brasserie Le Jardin
Other Items to Note
Dress warm and wear comfortable shoes. We went in June and anticipated a warm and sunny day, but it was cloudy and rainy. You will do a lot of walking and the cellars are kept at 50 degrees. Our weather and experience was the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic that I envisioned in my mind.
Buy your train ticket in advance. I tried to buy my ticket the night before and the train sold out. Luckily I was able to get a ticket at the station, but I wouldn’t count on it and it was a lot more expensive than it needed to be. When you're booking the tastes, book your train as well. You can always exchange the ticket if you need.
Make a meal reservation in advance especially if you are going on Sunday. The city is almost shut down on Sunday and you don’t want to wander around hungry like we did.
