7 Best Tours and Day Trips from Reims

Most of the best things to do in the city of Reims have to do with exploring the surrounding wine fields. And the fact is that this town is a major tourist destination for being considered the cultural capital of the Champagne region, where the world-renowned sparkling wine is produced.

So in this post I will briefly explain to you what are some of the best tours and excursions in the city.

One of the most recommended excursions for tourists coming to the city of Reims is to take part in a tour that leads to the site where the main cellars of Moët & Chandon are located . If you have not heard this name you have to know that it is a world reference when it comes to quality champagne. Therefore, this type of tourist experiences are oriented to learn about the history of this company as well as the process behind the production of this alcoholic beverage.

The tour as such is usually reserved for a limited group of people that usually does not exceed 10 participants. From the outset, it is also a guided event because a specialist in the history of champagne as a beverage is always available. As well as in the history of the companies that made this type of wine a world reference of quality.

It is definitely an exclusive experience in which the comfort of the participants is always taken care of and you also have to know that the tour service includes the tasting of about 10 different types of champagne belonging to the cellar of Moët & Chandon.

Interesting details

• Price: from 250 euros per person.
• Duration: about 8 hours in total.
• Means of transport: it is almost always a minivan that includes all the comforts.

If you are interested in touring the countryside around the city of Reims in a slightly less conventional way then you need to opt for a guided tour that takes place on an electric bicycle.

Clearly this is a favorable alternative for those who are used to pedaling quite a few kilometers, but it is undoubtedly a highly recommended way to get in direct contact with nature as well as to entertain yourself during a visit to the Champagne region, which is declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

The meeting point is always somewhere in the center of the city of Reims and from there you start a bus ride through the woods near the city to reach the village of Epernay.

The electric bike ride also includes a visit to some family-owned wineries and a stop for lunch at a traditional French restaurant. The church where Dom Pérignon is buried is also part of the tour itinerary.

Both wine tastings and lunch are usually included in the price of the experience along with the accompaniment of the local guide who usually speaks English. Just like the rest of the tours.

Details of interest

• Price: from 175 euros per person.
• Duration: from 7 to 8 hours in total.
• Means of transport: the transfer from Reims to Épernay usually takes place in a minibus and the rest of the experience is on an electric bicycle.

This tour is a perfect opportunity to explore the world of champagne at its place of origin. During the tour, you will visit some of the most important wineries in the region, where you will learn about the history and the meticulous process of making this drink. You will also tour the vineyard landscapes that have made Champagne one of the most famous wine regions in the world.

One of the key points of the tour is Épernay, considered the "Avenue du Champagne", where the most prestigious houses, such as Moët & Chandon and Perrier-Jouët, are located. You will also visit smaller, family-owned wineries, where you will discover artisanal techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. On each visit, you will have the opportunity to taste different varieties of champagne and understand how climate, soil and production method influence its taste.

The route also includes a stop in Hautvillers, a charming village where Dom Pérignon, the Benedictine monk who perfected the champagne production method, lived. At his abbey, you will learn about his contribution to this drink and enjoy spectacular views over the vineyards.

Details of interest

• Price: from 120 € per person.
• Duration: approximately 4 hours and a half.
• Means of transport: minibus with specialized guide.

Discover Reims in a complete experience that combines history, culture and champagne tradition. This day tour will allow you to tour the most emblematic places of the city accompanied by an expert guide and, in addition, you will visit the prestigious Vranken Pommery winery, where you will learn about the champagne making process and enjoy an exclusive tasting.

The tour begins with a visit to the Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its imposing Gothic architecture and for having been the coronation site of the kings of France. Throughout the tour, you will discover the importance of Reims as the capital of champagne and the history of Dom Pérignon, the monk who perfected its production.

After exploring the city, you will enjoy a traditional French lunch before heading to Vranken Pommery, one of the most important champagne houses in the region. Here you will tour its impressive subway cellars and learn about the secrets of this drink while tasting some of its best varieties.

Details of interest

• Price: from 315 euros (including guide, transfers, hotel pick-up, lunch and champagne tasting).
• Duration: approximately 8 hours.
• Means of transport: air-conditioned vehicle.

For those looking for a more personalized experience, a private tour is the best way to get to know Reims and the Champagne region at your own pace. This tour allows you to choose your stops according to your interests, combining history, culture and oenology with an expert guide.

The itinerary usually includes Épernay and Hautvillers, where you can visit both great champagne houses and family wineries, depending on your preferences. If you are interested in history, you can delve into the legacy of Dom Pérignon and explore the vineyards that have made the region famous. You can also choose to spend more time in the city of Reims, visiting its cathedral, squares and vibrant historic center.

As this is an exclusive tour, you will have more opportunities to interact with local winemakers and experts, who will tell you secrets about champagne production that you would be unlikely to learn on a group tour.

Details of interest

• Price: from 270 € per group; the price per person decreases the more people in the group.
• Duration: approximately 1 hour and a half.
• Means of transport: on foot.

If the idea of seeing the headquarters of Moët & Chandon doesn't appeal to you simply because it's not your favorite champagne brand, then you should know that Veuve Clicquot is the final destination of other highly recommended tours departing from the city of Reims. The itinerary of these tours is a bit different, as it is usual that a tour through the Notre Dame de Reims Cathedral is also included.

The visit to the Veuve Clicquot winery is the big star of the itinerary, but that doesn't mean that the lunch that is accompanied by a wine tasting class is not a good entertainment. The visit to that subway cellar of the company also gives a tasting of other types of champagnes.

You also have to know that this kind of excursion is part of the best things to do in Reims during Christmas. This is because the tour service dinner or lunch is usually geared towards you enjoying a themed event inspired by Christmas traditions.

Details of interest

• Price: from 280 euros per person.
• Duration: about 8 hours in total.
• Means of transportation: it is usually a minivan, as they are reserved for very limited groups of people.

One of the longest and deadliest battles in modern history occurred in the vicinity of Reims. It is the Battle of Verdun and was an uninterrupted conflict between France and Germany that took place over 303 days of World War I

Today the field where the trenches were located has become a tourist destination for people to understand how these battles unfolded. That while there are also different monuments commemorating this event in which so many people died.

So this site is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in the city of Reims and is part of its main historical attractions. The price of the excursion includes private transportation as well as the entrance to the field and to the two existing memorials. There is also the payment of the guide who is available so that the group does not miss any important detail about the history of this event.

Anyway, this is an excursion that does not occupy your whole day and, therefore, you can complement it if you are interested in knowing how to visit the cathedral of Notre Dame de Reims, which is a very important church that is known for having been the coronation center of the French Kings for several centuries. So if you complement these two activities in the same day you would be getting a lot of information about one of the most important regions of the French northeast.

Details of interest

• Price: from 380 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately 6 hours.
• Means of transport: most commonly a minibus.

You have different alternatives at your disposal if you want to book any of these excursions in Reims. The best of them is through an online purchase of the service. This is because this way you can pay by credit card and you may have the alternative to cancel the experience for free if you notify us well in advance. In addition, you can also find out the opinions of other people who have already experienced that particular excursion.

You could also access this type of excursion if you visit one of the tourist agencies that are located in the city center of Reims. The problem with this idea is that there is no guarantee that you will find the possibility of joining these experiences for the exact time of your visit. Especially if your trip occurs during peak tourist season.

The average duration of all excursions from Reims usually varies between six and eight hours. This is logical knowing that many of the wine fields are not so close to the city center.

That's while at the same time wine tastings and lunches are included in the itinerary, which are events that last quite a long time, and this is in addition to the time it takes for a transfer from one place to another.

Anyway, you have to know that these durations are extremely favorable within the logistics of most of the trips. Especially because the city of Reims itself does not have as many tourist attractions outside of the sites visited on these tours. So it is logical and advisable to focus a large part of the trip to visit the natural region within which Reims is located.

There are several tips I can give you to enjoy the excursions from Rains, but the best of all has to do with your clothing. It is essential that you wear appropriate clothing for the weather at the time of your trip. For the truth is that during the summer the humidity is significantly high while the rest of the year rain, wind and cold can be a reality of everyday life.

These excursions are a recommended plan because the wineries and wine fields are the real reason why the city of Reims is a major tourist destination.

The cathedral and two other buildings are declared World Heritage Sites by Unesco, but the city as such stands out for being the honorary capital of the Champagne region. This has an appellation of origin that means that this name can only be used if it is a sparkling wine that comes from this part of France.

So if you will spend 48 or 72 hours in the region it is important that you take advantage of your time to visit the sites that have given it worldwide fame, among which are the cellars of large companies and small families that are dedicated to producing champagne that has an undisputed quality.

The same goes for the excursion that takes you to the battlefield of Verdun. For many years, this site was one of the main centers of commemoration for the misfortunes that occurred during the First World War.

A guided tour is definitely a more recommendable option than touring the region on your own, since the price includes transportation and access to the wineries you will visit. In addition, it includes the accompaniment of a guide who will not let you return home with important doubts about the places you have known.

So if you compare, the experience saves money, because the truth is that between what it would cost to rent a car and what would be spent on fuel going from one place to another already goes a large part of the budget. To which would be added the payment of additional tickets for the guided tour of the place.

In addition, the simple fact that you only worry about enjoying and not having to worry about any logistical details makes the price of a guided tour is recommended for those who want to fully live their vacation break.