I was lucky to be able to travel a lot this summer, and one of my favorite trips was to the Champagne region of France. My friend and I were planning a weekend trip to Paris, and we both love wine. Once we realized it was just a short train ride, we pivoted our trip to spend half the weekend in Champagne, and half the weekend in Paris. It’s the ideal destination for a trip with friends! Read on for my guide to the perfect girls weekend in Champagne.
Mercedes
Why this trip is worth it
The accessibility of the towns in this region (plus the proximity to Paris) make this is an ideal weekend trip. The three main towns are Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, and it’s easy to travel between them via train. The towns are small, so a three day trip is enough time.
Although I’m recommending it as the perfect girls trip, it’s also quite romantic (and even family friendly!), so these tips below could apply for couples and groups with children.
If you are interested in the history of champagne and how it was created, I recommend this episode of Wine for Normal People. It’s a quick listen for the train ride.
When to visit
Champagne is farther north, so I recommend visiting May through September. That way you’ll be able to walk or bike between houses, without worrying about poor weather or getting rained out.
How to get there
It’s easy to get to Épernay or Reims by train from Paris, and the trains connect all three of the main towns. Most of the champagne houses and tasting areas are located in the centers of towns, so for just a weekend you don’t need a car. For farther destinations there are also Ubers available (although they are pricey).
If you don’t want to walk and the weather is nice, you can rent bikes. My friend & I rented through BimBim Bikes (€36 for a full day). I liked the service because they meet you wherever you want for pick up and drop off. You should take the train from Reims, but Épernay and Aÿ are only a 15 minute bike ride apart. You’ll also be able to bike through the vineyards in Aÿ.
Where to stay
Épernay and Reims are the primary places to stay in Champagne. Reims is not as polished or quaint as Épernay, but it’s a larger town and will provide easier access.
If you want to make sure to visit Veuve Clicquot or Pommery, Reims is a good choice. We stayed at an AirBnb in Reims, which had a balcony with a view of the cathedral. For a girls weekend, I recommend booking an AirBnb since it’s a better value and will give you more space. If you want the full luxury Champagne weekend though, Les Crayères is the hotel for you. It’s classy and refined, and just around the corner from Veuve.
Épernay is a better choice if you want a more local experience, and to explore on foot. I recommend staying as close to the Avenue de Champagne as possible- the central street with most of the houses. There are boutique hotels and bed & breakfasts right on the Avenue, like Hotel Jean Moët, but there are also many AirBnbs closeby. For luxury in Épernay, Villa Eugene is very elegant, and even has a pool if the weather is good.
Which houses to visit
Now for the fun part – planning your tours! There are a ton of different wineries spread out across several towns, and it can be difficult to decide which ones to see. You are welcome to stop by spontaneously, but I recommend booking if you want to guarantee a spot. There are services that will coordinate everything for you (including transportation), but I liked planning our visits ourselves to stay flexible.
I recommend booking two houses per day and keeping the rest flexible. Tours & tastings can run anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, and it’s a good idea to give yourself a cushion inbetween. I loved all of the 5 houses we visited for different reasons:
Best overall experience: Veuve Clicquot
Veuve was the best overall visit, and probably my favorite. We learned just enough about the history, and the tasting was perfectly curated. We had two glasses of champagne (one regular + one rosé), and this was the only tasting that also included food. I would highly suggest prioritizing a visit to Veuve. Check out the rest of my review (and all of my tips for booking) in this guide.
Best cellars: Pommery
Although Pommery wasn’t a familiar champagne to me, I’m so glad we visited. It was towards the end of our first day and their tour is self-guided. They were hosting a contemporary art exhibit and we were the only people in the cellars, so it was an incredible once-in-a-lifetime (slightly creepy) experience. Their cellars were much deeper and larger than any others we visited, and had more history. I saw a plaque related to WWII, as well as a frieze of Bacchus (the Roman god of wine & debauchery) from the 1800’s.
The tasting was a little lackluster – one glass in the lobby – but the epic cellars make this house a must-visit. Check out my saved Champagne stories on Instagram for a look at the art exhibits!
Most unique experience: Perrier-Jouët
Perrier-Jouët is my favorite champagne. I love the art nouveau branding, but more importantly I think their champagne is delicious. Perrier doesn’t actually offer tours. However, they have a beautiful garden terrace and bar right on Avenue de Champagne. They do have champagne by the glass if you want a classic tasting, but I recommend trying one of their elegant & creative champagne cocktails.
They also offer food, so it’s a good mid-day stop between houses for lunch. This is a different experience that stands out from the standard champagne tours, so I recommend stopping here if you want something unique.
Best tasting: Ayala
I was recommended to visit Ayala by a group of friends who have family in Champagne. It was a bit of an adventure to get to since it’s a smaller house located in Aÿ, but it ended up being the best tasting.
We booked a 30 minute visit, but it lasted closer to an hour. It was almost a private tasting (one other couple stopped in halfway through), and the guide was genuinely passionate about the champagnes. We received four full glasses, all of which were delicious.
Their champagnes are a bit more mineral forward since they primarily use Chardonnay grapes, and their rosé was my favorite of all the rosés we had this trip. They were recently acquired by Bollinger, so you may start seeing their bottles in wider distribution. This is a good stop if you want something more tailored and special.
Most polished experience: Moët & Chandon
Out of all of our tours, Moët was the most polished & commercial experience – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! It’s arguably the most popular and well-known champagne in the world, and their tasting room is very elegant. Moët isn’t my favorite champagne, but I recommend this house if you want to learn more about the champagne business.
Our tour + tasting was about 1.5 hours, and was the largest group of the weekend (10 people). Our tour guide was highly trained and educated in wine, as were all of the tasting room attendants. There was no food, but the tasting was two glasses (one regular champagne + one rosé) and we had plenty of time to enjoy and chat with the staff about their favorite rosé champagnes.
Where to eat
One of the things I loved about an AirBnb instead of a hotel is the ability to cook meals and eat them on our terrace. We also had a lot of quick croissants on our way to catch trains between towns. However, the restaurants we did explore for sit-down meals were great – find my recommendations below.
BOULANGERIEs
To truly eat the French way – and stay cost effective – croissants are always a good choice for breakfast. There are excellent boulangeries everywhere in both Reims and Épernay, but this bakery is a 5 minute walk from Veuve.
Les Crayères
For a light lunch that’s close to both Veuve & Pommery, the luxury hotel Les Crayères has a beautiful garden terrace. The meals are pricey though, so check the menu first to make sure it’s something you want to splurge on. We stopped by for a quick glass of champagne before dinner, which is also an option if you just want to see the grounds.
LE CRYPTO
Le Crypto is a Michelin guide restaurant in town that we really enjoyed for dinner. It’s simple but elegant food, with a great champagne & wine list. They offer lunch from 12-2, but are closed Sundays & Mondays. The restaurant was filled with locals (always a good sign) and I liked that you were able to customize your meal by selecting your main & your side dishes.
Café le Progrès
My friend & I stopped at Café le Progrès for a quick lunch in Épernay, and I was pleasantly surprised! It’s stylish with a pretty terrace, but the prices were still affordable. If you want classic French lunch fare (croque monsieurs, omlettes, and of course a glass of wine), check out this spot.
What to wear
Keep in mind that the Champagne region will be chillier than Paris since it’s farther north. If you’re biking and walking between houses, comfortable shoes are a must. Sundresses are a perfect choice but the caves are cold and often wet, so I recommend bringing a light cardigan.
Leave a Reply