Day 1 – Saturday (09/07/2016)
We spent the morning and most of the afternoon in Verdun, in the Lorena region, and then we drove for 1 hour to Reims, the largest city in the Champagne region. We went straight to our hotel, the B&B Hôtel Reims Centre Gare (59 euros per night without breakfast), which is very close to the city center and the train station. It is very basic, but we found it quite fair for the price and location.
We took a leisurely stroll around the city and I was surprised by what I saw. I thought the city was super cute, with pretty, low buildings, wide pedestrian streets, lots of trees, few people walking around... in short, a delightful place. Here are some photos:
We stopped for lunch/dinner at a restaurant recommended by my mother-in-law, Cafe du Palais, and as the day was nice, we sat at a table outside and looked at the beautiful building Court of justice. The dishes were delicious, but the highlight was the house champagne! More affordable than the other options and still delicious. I recommend it. 😉
Day 2 – Sunday (10/07/2016)
We woke up relatively early, did the checkout at the hotel and we went for a walk around the city, leaving our bags in the car, which was in the parking lot near the hotel (8.50 euros per day). The map below shows a summary of the attractions we visited:
We walked to the Boulingrin Halls, The city's main market was recommended by the hotel receptionist, but it was closed. I don't think it opens on Sundays, so that's a bad tip. 🙁
We didn't find any nice bakeries nearby, but we found a very neat supermarket on the way (Monoprix) and that's where we bought and ate our breakfast.
We walked to the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which began construction in 1211 and was only completed 100 years later. It has perfect proportions and many sculptures, in addition to the famous stained glass windows by Chagall. Important detail: 37 kings of France were crowned there and one of the most notable coronations was that of Charles VII with Joan of Arc at his side on 17/07/1429. You can climb the 250 steps of its tower, but you need to book in advance at the Palais du Tau…we didn’t go up.
We left there and decided to get the car in the parking lot to drive to the winery. Taittinger, which is a little far from the center. We bought tickets for the guided tour that would take place in an hour and in the meantime, we walked to the St. Remi's Basilica, what is it considered a World Heritage Site and mixes Romanesque elements from the 11th century (nave and transept) with Gothic features from the second half of the 12th century (choir).
We bought some snacks at a local grocery store to stave off our hunger, because we couldn't find any restaurants open in the area. It's dark on a Sunday, you know? We walked back to the winery and started the tour punctually, which cost 17 euros per person including just one tasting (there are other prices for those who want to have more tastings). The only thing I'll say: TAKE THIS TOUR! It's sensational in every aspect and I don't want to spoil the surprise you'll have inside. Go and tell me what you thought! 😉
We left the winery and drove for half an hour to Epernay, that proclaims itself capital of champagne, being home to the most famous champagne houses in the world. Comtesse Lafond, Moet & Chandon, Mercier and De Castellane are some of them and are located on the beautiful Av. de Champagne.
We tried to have lunch at some restaurants recommended by my mother-in-law (Bistro Le 7 and The Champagne Cellar), but everyone had already finished their lunch break (I think it was around 2pm). We decided to buy some salads and quiches at Paul, a restaurant/snack bar that exists in several cities, and everything was delicious. The service in English was a bit complicated, but we experienced this in practically all the smaller cities…
We walked around the city center for a bit and drove along the back roads, passing several vineyards with beautiful views. Check it out:
After these strategic stops to enjoy the region, we drove almost 3 hours to Beauvais and from there we caught our flight back to Dublin.
I hope you enjoyed our tour of Champagne. If you have any questions or want to share an experience, send us a message.
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- Read the summary of our trip here: 9 days traveling through France and Luxembourg.
- Read about our trip to Burgundy: 3 and a half days in Burgundy
- Read about our trip through Alsace: 2 and a half days in Alsace
- Read about our trip to Luxembourg: An afternoon in Luxembourg
- Read about our trip to Verdun: A morning in Verdun
