Reims is the centre of the Champagne region and the best place to taste France’s finest bubbles. But which of its champagne houses should you visit?
I can help with that. I spent a day working my way around Reims’s best cellars on a self-guided tour, and I’m sharing everything I learned, from booking to which house poured my favourite glass.
This guide covers Champagne tasting at Pommery, Taittinger, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot and G.H. Martel, along with a map, practical tips and how to fit Reims into a day trip from Paris.
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How to Go Champagne Tasting in Reims
Beneath Reims lies 200km of chalk cellars, known as crayères, which create ideal conditions for the second fermentation of Champagne. UNESCO added the crayères of Reims to its World Heritage list in 2015.
Every Champagne house in the city has its share of this underground space, from giants like Veuve Clicquot to smaller boutique producers, each with its own take on the tour.
You have three ways to visit these cellars: self-guided, guided or private.
Self-guided tour
As I wanted to pick which Champagne houses to visit, I went down the DIY route. It took a bit of planning but was easy enough, and because the houses are all within walking distance of each other, there’s no need to think about transport.
Most tours need to be booked ahead, either directly with the Champagne house or through Rue des Vignerons.
Guided tour
A group tour makes sense if you want to visit Moët & Chandon in Épernay, combine several houses in one day or take in one of the smaller regional wineries. Everything is arranged for you, and it’s a good way to meet other travellers if you are on a solo trip.
Private tour
If you’d rather have your own guide without joining a group, book a private tour. It costs more, but can work out reasonable if you’re travelling with a few others
My top tips
Best Champagne Houses in Reims for First-Timers (+ Map)
I visited five Champagne houses independently.
Four of these are in the Saint-Remi area, a 30-minute walk from the city centre and within 5 to 10 minutes of each other. If you don’t want to walk, taxis and Uber both work well. I’d start at Veuve Clicquot and work back toward the centre from there.
Here’s a map I put together. For an interactive version, click through on the image itself.
1. Champagne Pommery: Reims’ Champagne Disneyland
Pommery is not a typical Reims Champagne tour. Its caves double as a space for sound and light installations, so what you lose in technical detail on production, you gain in a more sensory experience.
Select the self-guided tour – the first of its kind in Reims – and you can rock up at any time during the cellars’ opening hours, rather than booking a fixed slot. Ticket machines are in the lobby, and you can download the audioguide via QR code at the information desk, or pick up a printed guide instead.
Cellar tours at Pommery
- Self-guided cellar tour – One or two tastings, with or without Villa Demoiselle
- Guided tour – One or two tastings, with or without Villa Demoiselle. In English, French and Dutch.
- From the vine to the glass – A more in-depth guided tour that includes a vineyard visit in English or French. Two tastings
- The Genius of Madame Pommery – Guided two-hour visit in English or French. Two tastings.
I did the guided tour that incuded Villa Demoiselle, which I recommend. This Art Nouveau building was built in 1906 for Henry Vasnier, then director of Maison Pommery, and finishing your tasting in its garden is a nice touch.
For the record, Demoiselle Tête de Cuvée was also my favourite Champagne of the day.
2. Taittinger: The elegant one
Walk five minutes from Pommery for a completely different champagne cellar tour.
When I visited, I entered through an elegant reception area that reminded me of a waiting room in a private clinic – chairs positioned against the wall and wood-panelled doors. From here, we were ushered into a viewing room where we were shown a short film about the history of champagne and the Taittinger house.
The cellar tour that followed was one of the best of the five I did, packed with detail on how the Champagne gets made.
Taittinger tasting experiences
- Instant Rosé – Cellar tour and two tastings
- Instant Gourmet – Cellar tour and two tastings with canapés
- Instant Comtes – Cellar tour and three tastings
- Instant Duo Comtes – Cellar tour and two tastings of vintage wines
3. Ruinart: The Grand Old Dame of Reims Champagne houses
Established in 1729, Ruinart is the oldest Champagne house in Reims.
This cellar tour started and finished around a circular table, laid with glasses and bottles of water. It felt like going into a board meeting.
This was by far the most social Champagne tour, and an excellent choice if you are feeling the pangs of solo travel loneliness. Furthermore, Ingrid, our outstanding guide, asked each person a few questions as an icebreaker.
We learned about Ruinart’s history before heading into the cellars, and the two-hour visit ended with tastings of both vintage and non-vintage Champagne.
Ruinart keeps things simple: one tour, two tastings. It was the most expensive of the five, but the one I’d pick again.
4. Veuve Clicquot: It’s all about the Widow Clicquot (and the colour yellow)
Founded in 1772, Veuve Clicquot has 24 km of crayères, the most extensive cave network in Reims and the second largest in the Champagne region. These caves double as a museum space and host an unusual installation.
The three grape varieties used in the house’s signature Yellow Label Champagne – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier – are projected onto the cave’s wall. At the same time, a hidden machine pumps out the odour of the grape, with the aroma of the Yellow Label as the grand finale.
It’s like a slightly peculiar scratch-and-sniff experience.
Although this was a slick and professional operation – iPad support in different languages was available if needed – I found it the least compelling of the Reims Champagne tours. The focus was more on the family and the formidable Mme Clicquot than the fizzy stuff.
The cellar tour concluded with a tasting of the Yellow Label Champagne.
Cellar tours at Veuve Clicquot
- Brut Yellow Label– cellar tour and one tasting
- Art of Blended Rosé Champagne – cellar tour and two tastings
- Only One Quality, The Finest – cellar tour and four tastings
- The Art of Aging – cellar tour and tastings of four vintages + slate of refined cheeses
- La Grande Dame – cellar tour, vineyard visit and three tastings
5. G.H. Martel: The boutique Champagne house experience
In the shadow of Saint Remi Basilica is one of the smaller Champagne houses in Reims. Founded in 1869, G. H. Martel is one of the younger kids on the block. Its cool cellars also double as a museum, displaying typical Champenois tools and machinery, used for planting, maintaining the land and harvesting.
Cellar tours at G. H. Martel
- Prestige Visit and Tasting – Cellar tour and two tastings
- Victoire – Cellar tour and two tastings (one vintage)
- Prestige – Two tastings (no cellar tour)
- Victory – Two tastings, including one vintage (no cellar tour)
Other cellar tours
A few other houses are worth a mention, though they’re outside the Saint-Remi area: Charles de Cazanove, a five-minute walk from Reims station, G.H. Mumm, ten minutes further northeast, and Lanson, southwest of the centre.
Best Champagne Tours in Reims
If you’d rather leave the planning to someone else, here are a few well-reviewed options.
From Reims
Champagne Day Trip with 9 Tastings – This one is for you if you want to squeeze as many tastings as possible into the day.
Champagne and Family-Run Wineries Tour – This half-day tour includes visits to two family-run wineries, Hautvillers and Dom Pérignon’s church and a vineyard stop.
E-Bike Champagne Tasting Tour and Lunch – Champagne avenues in Épernay, the village of Hautvillers, a vineyard ride by bike, a cellar tour, lunch and four tastings.
From Paris
Day Trip to Épernay and Hautvillers from Paris – IA fully organised day out with eight tastings across three houses, plus lunch and a vineyard masterclass.
Reims and Champagne tasting from Paris – This ten-hour tour includes up to six tastings, lunch and a visit to Reims Cathedral.
How to Visit Reims as a Day Trip from Paris
Getting from Paris to Reims is straightforward. The non-stop TGV from Gare de l’Est takes 45 minutes, or you can take a slower, cheaper train.
Some of the people I met on my tours had combined Reims with Épernay, another major Champagne centre with easy connections between the two. You can check train times and prices here.
Reims also works as a day trip from London. Eurostar arrives into Gare du Nord, less than ten minutes’ walk from Gare de l’Est.
Where I Stayed
I stayed overnight at Best Western Premier Hotel de la Paix as part of a solo holiday in France, which gave me time to visit the UNESCO-listed Reims Cathedral and enjoy a couple of relaxed days in the city. This centrally-located 4-star hotel has comfortable rooms, an extensive breakfast buffet and an indoor swimming pool and sun terrace.
I was tempted to push the boat out and splurge on Domaine les Crayères. This gorgeous property is in the heart of Champagne house territory, just 350 meters from Pommery.
And that’s a wrap!
It was a close call but Ruinart was my favourite house in Reims. It wasn’t cheap, but the guide demonstrated a real passion for her subject, and it was a welcoming and sociable environment.
Pommery was stimulating and fun and also allowed me to visit the wonderful Villa Desmoiselle. As you don’t need to book ahead, it is also a flexible option.
But whichever Reims cellar tours you select, you will come away knowing more about Champagne production and your preferred type of fizz. I’ll raise a glass to that.
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About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.