Any bubbles lover knows that the mecca of sparkling wine is France’s champagne region. This area is chock full of vineyards and champagne houses, both well-known and boutique, all equal in their strict adherence to “the committee’s” rules and regulations. The tight control of harvest, fermentation time, and labeling mean that while each champagne producer makes a slightly different tasting wine, you won’t go wrong with any of them.
The champagne region encompasses a large area that includes 4 sub-regions, 319 villages (called “crus”) and 280,000 separate plots, many of which are only around the size of a tennis court. Needless to say, most of the area is rural and spread out. However, there are two cities around here that make a great base for your stay: Reims and Épernay.
Reims
Reims is a cute little French town full of shopping, cafés, cobbled streets, and a really gorgeous cathedral. There are lots of champagne houses here but only some of them are open to the public and others you’ll have to plan well in advance for an appointment.
We stayed in Reims, but in hindsight, we might have chosen Épernay as our base because it was much more walkable between champagne houses. In Reims, the center of town was quite walkable but getting to and between the champagne houses was much easier by car as they’re not located in the central district.
Brian and I prefer to walk when we can, and while we did end up walking mostly, the routes weren’t as pleasant as we thought they would be. The champagne houses are spread out, sometimes on main roads or in otherwise ho-hum suburban surroundings, although the houses and caves themselves were pretty awesome.
Some well known champagne houses in Reims:
- Veuve Clicquot
- GH Mumm
- Ruinart
- Taittinger
Other notable houses you can visit:
- Champagne Lanson
- Champagne Pommery (they offer a self-guided tour)
- Champagne GH Martel (they have a tasting room but don’t actually make the champagne here)
And more notably – some houses that you cannot visit:
- Louis Roederer (open only for those in the wine industry)
- Champagne Krug (open only for existing clients with written proof from their wine retailer…ooh la la)
- Champagne Palmer & Co (no public tours or tasting)
If you have time for only one tour, I recommend Veuve Clicquot. It’s on a busy road but inside, you are totally transported, and the cave tour is fascinating.
They also have a wonderful little outdoor seating area to enjoy some of their product when the tour is finished. We both had a glass of an incredibly old vintage that cost us about $45 each. It was expensive but still a more economical way to experience an aged bubbly without splurging on a whole bottle. You will not find a vintage this old being sold by the glass anywhere else.
Was the super old champagne worth its price tag? Since it was old, I can understand why it was expensive. However, while it was good, I prefer a bubbly that is a little more…bubbly. But do I regret the splurge? Absolutely not!
How to Pronounce Reims and Épernay
If you’re planning on visiting either of these areas, it will be helpful to have the correct pronunciation for each under your belt. Épernay is pronounced as “Ā’ per nay” (long A sound at the beginning and emphasis on the first syllable). Reims is pronounced as “Rahnse” (kind of like a slant-rhyme with “prince” or a British person saying “pants”).
Épernay
If you have just a day or two, Épernay is your most efficient bet for experiencing a lot of champagne houses in a short amount of time. This also makes it a great day trip from Paris.
What makes things so easy in Épernay is the Avenue de Champagne: a wide, cobbled street lined with champagne houses, one after another. It’s very striking architecturally and even more so after a few glasses of bubbly! Because all of the champagne houses are right there in the same place, it makes going from one to the other super easy to accomplish on foot. You’ll spend less time commuting and more simply enjoying the surroundings and the different houses.
One Big Caveat in Épernay
While the Avenue de Champagne is a nice one-stop-shop for visiting a lot of houses in a short time, many of them are tasting rooms only and not the actual production facility. So if you are looking for a tour, be sure to do your research in advance. The good news is that tasting rooms aren’t nearly as stringent with reservations/pre-booking so you’ll still have a great time even if you skimped on the planning.
If you arrive by train you will walk through town to get to the Avenue de Champagne. Be forewarned that as you leave it behind, so you leave behind all hope for a snack, a bottle of water, a pain au chocolat (or five), or une tasse de café. There are a few wine bars along the avenue that offer some food options, but they are not easily found.
Some well known champagne houses in Épernay:
- Moet & Chandon
- Perrier Jouet
- Atelier 1834 Champagne Boizel
Some other champagne houses along Épernay’s Avenue de Champagne (tasting rooms only):
- Boutique Champagne Pierre Mignon
- Collard-Picard
- Esterlin
- Michel Gonet
- Paul Etienne
Champagne houses offering tours:
- Mercier (18km of wine caves and a train to take you through them)
- De Castellane (6km of caves and a museum and tower with a panoramic view over Épernay; as of May 2026 the caves are temporarily closed to the public but they should be reopening soon)
And one champagne house that you cannot visit:
- Pol Roger (too fancy for its public pantsy)
Épernay v Reims: A Few Final Words
If you are staying in Paris or surrounding area and want to take the train to the champagne region for a day trip, I’d come to Épernay. It’s easily accessible by train and you can get around on foot and experience a lot of champagne houses within a small footprint.
However, if you have a few days to linger in the area, you can stay in Reims and train to Épernay for a day. The train ride is only about 30 minutes each direction, however, it runs less often than you’d think, so scheduling carefully is important.
Reims has the added benefit of having a few other points of interest beyond the bubbles like Reims Cathedral, the Abbey of Saint-Remi, and the Fossier cookie factory (maker of the famous Reims pink cookie).
Something that you will not find in either of these cities are the actual vineyards where the grapes are grown and harvested. There are plenty though in the area, that are accessible by car or even bicycle if you’re up for a ride. You can also book a group or a private tour to see some of the surrounding vineyards and get a taste of the more bucolic side of the business.
Good to Know
France’s champagne houses specialize in…champagne! That is to say, food is not their forte. Sometimes a small snack is served, but do not expect a meal or to be able to order anything substantial.
I hope this is a good start for planning your champagne adventure!
Have you already been here? Leave me a comment below – I’d love to get your tips, or hear about your favorite champagne house! 🙂
