Advice for a break in Reims

Ok I am currently in the middle of planning an Easter break to Reims, in order to make the most of the additional Wedding Bank Holiday.

Knowing that many a V-Flyer has a love of the finer champagnes in the world I thought that there must surely be one or two of you that have made this trip in the past.

Any advice would be most welcome. I am thinking that using the Eurostar will be much better than taking a flight into CDG.

How long will be long enough to do a fair few houses? Am thinking of possibly combining with a couple of days in Paris.

Any suggestions or advice would be fantastic.


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[buns]

The main piece of advice is to drive. Not only does allow you to bring back your favourites, it means you can follow the published tour routes between Reims and Eperney where some of the major houses can be found

Many will tell you the smaller houses often offer the best tasting experiences

buns

Will, firstly what a great thing to do, Reims is a perfect weekend destination. Here are some tips:

- We always drive, there are two advantages to this, firstly Reims and Epernay are the primary locations for the houses, Moet & Chandon, Pol Roger and many others are in Epernay, others can be found on the route inbetween or elsewhere, and secondly of course, a car is good to transport the lovely liquor home again
- However, by train is a great option, the TGV came to Reims a few years ago and even on the local train it's but an hour from Paris, very easy to do, note that the TGV station is about 5 km from Reims centre whereas the real train station is in town
- By far and away the best place to stay is the Hotel de la Paix (the Continental is good, but old bathrooms) - ensure you get rooms in the new wing
- You do not have to go to Les Crayeres for fine dining, I'd be happy to offer tips (although Les Crayeres is absolutely stunning!)
- WRT champagne houses in Reims I suggest you visit Taittinger or Veuve Clicquot, both are excellent, Taittinger has the better tour in my opinion and is uber smart, by VC is also excellent, you can actually walk from the de la Paix, but a taxi will be more comfortable - both charge a fee but it is worth it
- Don't anticipate visiting Krug or Bollinger or indeed many other houses, they don't open, or you need a good wine merchant to effect an introduction for you
- Do visit the cathedrala nd the Musee des beaux Arts, loads of history (although sadly the Germans ruined the cathedral during WWI)

I could go on, obviously, Reims is great for a weekend and if you love champagne then it's just the best!

[Decker]

I always stay here - http://www.relaischateaux.com/en/search ... iqueterie/ - and another vote for the cathedral.

I'd also recommend driving, and I've done the Taittinger Tour and can highly recommend it. When we went the group was small, and this made it all the better. Obviously you can't make the most of the samples at the end of the tour if you drive there

Oh my thank you all for the advice so far!

I think you may have twisted my arm to take the car, I was thinking that as I have experienced in Marlborough, transport between houses would be fairly easy or at least we could visit a fair few places in Reims alone but it seems, from what you have said, that having no car would mean missing out on the houses located in Epernay and the surrounding areas. Plus of course who can turn down the opportunity to bring back some bottles!

Slinks I like the look of La Paix, so think will go with there.

Any suggestions of houses with good tours? Have my fingers crossed that Billy offer some sort of tour!

Trip Advisor has suggested the Cathedral is a must see, and if for some odd reason, we want a day without champagne there seems to be plenty to keep us amused in Reims.

Any suggestions on length of the trip?

[buns]

I would say a minimum of two full days in Champagne - it will take you a day to travel there and a day back. Remember, Sunday is very much a non trading day in France

BTW - Mrs Buns has a far better idea of the best Houses to visit - I did all the driving

buns

Will - another thing about the de la Paix is the hotel car park, book it if you reserve, it's very good since parking in Reims can be tough. If you drive, I would avoid the Paris bit :0 .

What we do is head out on a Thursday, if we leave (SW) London at say 7 or 8 am we find we can be in Reims for a late lunch with the foot down. That gives Friday and Saturday to plan, as Buns says, France on a Sunday is like the UK on Sunday before Thatcher!

Have a look at each Champagne house Web site for tour information, the big ones like Moet, Veuve etc are still very good, I prefer the Taittinger one, its very smart and you see the bottling plant and the Roman caves amongs others ... beware though, the French really love Flash-based Web sites!

Try this site for a list and click through to get more detail:

http://www.libation-unlimited.com/champ ... ctory.aspx

Will, your post brought back a delightful memory for me.

So before I meander off topic let me recommend a champagne house for you to visit - Pommery.

And now the OT bit. In the early days of the second world war my father, in the RAF, was a member of the allied forces who retreated to Dunkirk. On that retreat he and his colleagues stayed one night in the grounds of the Pommery house.

Many years later we, as a family, did the European grand tour in a caravan (if that does not present as some sort of oxymoron!!). In advance he contacted Pommery to see whether we could visit so he could show his family where he had stayed in 1940. They put us up for three days, treated him as a visiting monarch and sent us on our way with a car/caravan loaded with their goodies (the grand tour became much much grander). My memory of their kindness to him and us remains to this day, many years later.

PS during the retreat, the night before he and his colleagues had stayed in the grounds of a convent in Troyes. The nuns asked whether there was any laundry they could do for the soldiers etc. Underwear was handed over. After washing all their underpants were returned with the holes in the front sewn up!!

y)

Slinks thanks for all the very helpful information, you seem to be someone what of an expert so am sure there will be a couple more messages going back and forth before I venture out.

HWV!!! Your little story had me in fits at the end- how lovely of the people at Pommery!!! It owuld have been on my list before your story but now is for sure!!

We visited Moet as a friend said for us to ask for the private tour. What a difference - you have your own guide, see areas the larger groups don't get to see, have a mini tour of the historic inner court yard garden. Then the icing on the cake is a glass of Dom. All for about 30 euros each which I think is a bargain!